No. 19 Kentucky surprises No. 6 Duke late, No. 1 Kansas handles Michigan St. at the 2024 Champions Classic
Pope 🤝 Cats
The vibes are high for coach Mark Pope after Kentucky rallied past Duke, 77-72.
If there's one thing Mark Pope loves, it's his Cats 💙
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
💥 Kentucky rallies past Duke
Kentucky overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 6 Duke 77-72 in a gritty Champions Classic matchup. The Wildcats tightened up their defense in the second half, forcing Duke into a lengthy scoring drought that allowed Kentucky to claw back. Brandon Garrison provided a spark off the bench, helping Kentucky keep pace with Duke’s tough inside game.
Late-game heroics included a crucial and-one opportunity for Andrew Carr and a timely steal by Lamont Butler. The Wildcats also outshot Duke from beyond the arc, hitting 10 three-pointers to Duke’s four. Duke’s Cooper Flagg led all scorers with 26 points, but Kentucky’s balanced attack, with six players scoring eight or more, proved too much in the end.
‼️ Kentucky rallies late
Timeout called with 3:57 left. Duke holds a slim 67-66 lead over Kentucky as a big foul call against Duke has set up Andrew Carr for an and-one opportunity. The Wildcats are rallying, with six different players contributing 8 points each in this nail-biting finish.
AND-1 FOR 🫨 💪
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB)
Duke 67, Kentucky 66 (3:57 2H)
😳 Cats defense pressures Duke
Duke clings to a 63-61 lead with 6:31 to go. Brandon Garrison has sparked a Kentucky run. Duke’s freshmen have taken tough shots, three combining for 43 of the Blue Devils' points.
WE ARE FIGHTING IN CATLANTA 💪
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB)
📺 - ESPN
😼 Kentucky claws back
Duke leads 56-52, but Kentucky is pushing back with 11:18 left. The Blue Devils are on a scoring drought, hitting just 1 of their last seven shots. Duke hasn’t scored in over two minutes.
. showing off the speed and the circus AND-1 💨🎪😤
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB)
📺 - ESPN
💪 Duke leads, Kentucky stays hot from deep
With 15:54 left in the game, Duke holds a narrow 50-45 lead over Kentucky. The Blue Devils have piled up points in the paint, but Kentucky is keeping it close with sharp three-point shooting. The Wildcats are 8-of-18 from beyond the arc compared to Duke’s 3-of-15.
Champions Classic ➡️ Extended
The Champions Classic, featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State, has been extended through 2028. This neutral-site doubleheader will rotate teams each year, continuing the tradition of top-tier season openers in cities like New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Atlanta.
📢 The State Farm Champions Classic has been extended through 2028!
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR)
The season-opening, neutral site doubleheader will continue with Duke, Kansas, Kentucky & Michigan State
More:
🏀 Duke leads Kentucky at the half
No. 6 Duke holds a 46-37 lead over No. 19 Kentucky after the first half. Duke has controlled the paint, scoring 22 points inside and forcing seven Kentucky turnovers while committing just one themselves.
Kentucky found some early success from beyond the arc, shooting 44% from three. Both teams have shown flashes, setting up an intense second half.
🙌 Blue Devils jump ahead
😳 Kentucky’s hot from deep
Kentucky’s shooting from beyond the arc has given them a 24-21 edge with 9:12 left in the first half. The Wildcats are 5-for-10 from three, while Duke has hit just 1-of-6.
THE THREES ARE RAINING EARLY,
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB)
🫡 Duke catches a lead
Duke's Tyrese Proctor sinks one from beyond the arc. He has scored over half of Duke's 11 points so far.
Shot-fake Rese ➡️ he's got 7 of our 11 early
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB)
📺 ESPN
⏰ No. 6 Duke vs. No. 19 Kentucky underway
The highly anticipated matchup between No. 7 Duke and No. 23 Kentucky is underway. With two former national champions now coaching their alma maters—Jon Scheyer for Duke and Mark Pope for Kentucky. Kentucky leads the all-time series 12-11, but Duke has won nine of the last 11.
📊 FOLLOW: Live stats
Tip set for 9:11 ET on ESPN
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB)
🤝 Kansas prevails as Self becomes KU's wins leader
Kansas edged out Michigan State ,77-69, in a back-and-forth Champions Classic battle, securing a significant win for coach Bill Self, who became the winningest coach in Kansas history with 591 career victories. Hunter Dickinson powered the Jayhawks with 28 points on 13 of 21 shooting, including 12 rebounds. The rest of Kansas struggled offensively, shooting just 6 for 26 in the first half before finding a rhythm later.
Win No. 591 for Coach Self!
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops)
Michigan State fought hard, keeping pace at the free throw line, where the Spartans made 18 of 21 attempts, and tied the game multiple times in the second half, including a clutch 3-pointer by Jaxon Kohler to knot it at 52. Despite these efforts, Kansas held off the Spartans, sealing the game with consistent defensive play and timely scoring from their leader, Dickinson.
🔥 Dickinson adds a double-double
Hunter Dickinson has 28 points and 11 rebounds for Kansas. Jayhawks lead 70-64 at 1:59.
5️⃣0️⃣ CAREER DOUBLE-DOUBLES for 👏
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops)
3️⃣ Kohler's triple knots it up again
Jaxon Kohler drains a clutch three-pointer with 8:51 left and pulls Michigan State even at 52-52. The Spartans have been strong at the free-throw line all night, shooting 14-for-16.
FOR THREE 🙌🙌🙌
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball)