Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Not only does college basketball season tip off Tuesday, but four top-10 teams will face off in what could be two of the season's best games before March.
- Two top-10 matchups will headline college basketball's Tuesday night tip-off at the Champions Classic in Indianapolis.
- The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks will take on the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN followed by the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats facing off against the No. 4 Blue Devils in an early battle of the blue bloods at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- According to Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, there's a greater than 50 percent chance that one of these four teams will win the 2019 NCAA Championship.
College basketball fans have likely had November 6 circled on their calendars ever since Villanova took home the NCAA Championship trophy back in April.
Not only does the 2019 college basketball season tip off Tuesday night, but four top-10 teams will face off in what could be two of the best games of the season before March.
The top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks will take on Tom Izzo and the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans at 7:00 PM ET followed an early battle of the blue bloods between the second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats and Mike Krzyzewski's No. 4 Blue Devils at 9:30 PM ET.
Both matchups are a part of this year's Champions Classic, which will feature four Hall of Fame coaches, eight players from the 2019 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, and at least five likely 2019 NBA lottery picks. According to Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, there is a greater than 50 percent chance that the 2019 NCAA Championship winner will be one of the four teams playing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Tuesday night.
So without further ado, here's everything you need to know about the each of these matchups:
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 10 Michigan State (7:00 PM ET on ESPN):
Head coach Tom Izzo's Spartans have taken down the Jayhawks in each of their past two meetings at the Champions Classic, including a 67-64 thriller in 2012 and Denzel Valentine's astounding triple-double performance three years later.
But this could very well be the end of Michigan State's reign in this head-to-head matchup because Kansas is stacked with talent this season. In addition to returning two of their top-five scorers, the Jayhawks brought in three top-30 recruits and a heralded transfer class featuring former Cal point guard Charlie Moore and Memphis stars Dedric and K.J. Lawson. Dedric Lawson was named to the AP preseason All-America team after averaging 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks for the Tigers during the 2016-17 season.
On the other side of the court, Izzo returns three of his top four scorers despite losing both Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson to the NBA. Point guard Cassius Winston was selected to this year's Bob Cousy Award watch list after leading the Big Ten with 6.9 assists per game last season and shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 49.7 percent from beyond the arc. Center Nick Ward could very well average a double-double in his junior year, while Joshua Langford - a former five-star recruit - is due for a breakout season after two relatively quiet years in East Lansing. Kansas head coach Bill Self will be tasked with forging team chemistry between his ragtag group of stars to keep up with this veteran-laden Spartan squad.
No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 4 Duke (9:30 PM ET on ESPN):
The first time they faced off in the Champions Classic, Duke defeated Kentucky 75-68, but that Wildcat squad didn't even make the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year. Three years later, Kentucky took down a young Blue Devil squad mere months after they won the 2015 national championship. Now, the kings of the one-and-done era face off with the tournament's all-time record - and bragging rights - on the line.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski boasts the nation's best recruiting class of the year - and maybe ever - after reigning in the top-three prospects plus two more top-50 recruits. Social media sensation Zion Williamson may be the most recognizable name on the floor, but expect AP preseason All-America selection R.J. Barrett to be the difference-maker for the Blue Devils Tuesday night. The Canadian small forward has a history of vexing Kentucky head coach John Calipari. He posted 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in the semifinals of the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup to take down the two-time reigning champion United States team with Calipari at the helm. But now they're playing at the college level, and Coach Cal's Wildcats have experience on their side. Experienced sophomores P.J. Washington, Quade Green, and Nick Richards are joined by battle-tested Stanford graduate transfer Reid Travis and four five-star recruits.
Duke, meanwhile, doesn't return a single starter from last season. Junior captain Javin DeLaurier and 2016 McDonald's All-American Marques Bolden both figure to play a much bigger role for the Blue Devils this year, but it will indubitably take time for their young teammates to get comfortable playing together at a much higher level than they are used to.