CHICAGO — The Champions Classic doubleheader on Tuesday night had a way-too-early March Madness feel: No. 5 Michigan State of the Big Ten vs. No. 2 Duke of the ACC in the opener, followed by an SEC-Big 12 tilt as No. 24 Kentucky faced No. 15 Kansas.
The Spartans defeated the Blue Devils 79-73 to start the doubleheader and the Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 89-69 in the nightcap. The 16th edition of the one-night event was held at the United Center for the first time since 2023.
Here are five takeaways from an interesting night of non-conference competition:
1. Michigan State: The Spartans (3-0) were unfazed by the early-season atmosphere and high stakes, thanks to a balanced attack led by Chicago-area native Jeremy Fears Jr.’s 18 points (including 12 made free throws), 11 assists and seven rebounds. They held the Blue Devils to 25 points in the first half. Jasiah Jervis added 10 points, including a critical triple with 5:17 left in regulation. The Spartans led by as many as 14 as coach Tom Izzo’s team improved to 7-9 all-time in the event’s history. The narrative that Michigan State was undeserving of remaining one of the four teams in the invitational was directly challenged by Izzo postgame, who said his recent teams have held up their “end of the bargain.”
2. Duke: Shooting woes plagued the Blue Devils (2-1) as ex-Bulls stars Taj Gibson and Carlos Boozer (the father of Duke guard Cayden Boozer) watched from courtside. Duke shot just 33.3% from the field and 24.1% from deep (7 of 29) and was led by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell’s 17 points. Coach Jon Scheyer described his team’s performance as “not playing together,” which doesn’t bode well for Duke’s upcoming nonconference slate as it’ll host No. 3 Illinois in Durham, N.C., next Tuesday. Luckily for Duke, it will have ample time to scout the Fighting Illini (2-1), as they were upended by Texas Tech, 84-78, in Lubbock on Tuesday.
3. Kansas: Tre White finally has found his footing at his fourth collegiate stop. The former Big Ten standout returned to Chicago as a Jayhawk and didn’t disappoint, pouring in a career-high 30 points. The Jayhawks (3-0) also saw another offensive threat emerge in five-star freshman Tyran Stokes (23 points, 10 rebounds) to complement White’s prolific scoring ability. Stokes cited ball sharing and ball movement as key pillars in the win, as Kansas finished with 24 assists and just 10 turnovers. A healthy Kansas should be dangerous as the season continues. The Jayhawks won’t face another ranked opponent until Dec. 12 against current No. 4 UConn in Storrs, Conn.
4. Kentucky: The Wildcats (2-1) might have more than just a team problem. They might have a Mark Pope problem. Despite glimmers of success in the NCAA Tournament and regular season, the third-year head coach has failed to consistently deliver quality outings against ranked opponents since taking over at his alma mater in April 2024. Zoom Diallo led the Wildcats in scoring with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Malachi Moreno delivered a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds). Kentucky shot only 19.0% from 3-point territory (4 of 21) and was outscored 22-0 in points off turnovers by the Jayhawks.
5. Biggest takeaway from each game:
Michigan State-Duke: A Final Four rematch or a second meeting at the NCAA Tournament isn’t out of the question. Izzo and Scheyer appear to respect each other, with Izzo calling their matchups a “friendly rivalry.” Scheyer gave credit to Fears’ leadership for dictating the game.
Kansas-Kentucky: A tale of two teams with opposite identities. Kansas appears to have its offense humming, while Kentucky is trying to find any salvageable answers before upcoming games against No. 6 Virginia and No. 10 Louisville and an SEC gauntlet that begins on Jan. 2.
Overall, the event was a success if the goal was to showcase precursors to March Madness tournament action. The showcase is confirmed for next year, with a date and location to be announced. New York and Chicago are now tied with the most all-time hosting duties at five apiece since the Champions Classic’s inception in 2011.
