Kentucky vs. Duke: Preview, Odds & How to Watch
This is the moment we've all been waiting for, something we've been building toward since Mark Pope took the Kentucky job back in April. It's his first real test, one that will decide just how good this team can be in year one.
Kentucky cruised through the exhibition schedule and the first two non-conference matchups to open the regular season. Can the Wildcats turn that momentum into a statement win on the big stage? KSR has everything you need to know about the head-to-head battle of the blue bloods in Atlanta.
How To WatchNo. 19 Kentucky vs. No. 6 Duke
You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tipoff, or join the conversation on KSBoard .
Early season rewindKentucky: KenPom 31
Duke: KenPom 3
Series HistoryJon Scheyer has never coached against Kentucky, but Mark Pope has actually coached against Duke — a 99-69 loss during his time at Utah Valley in a true road game at Cameron Indoor in 2017. The two coaches are, however, facing off for the first time in the rivalry, continuing a series dating back to 1930. In 33 head-to-head battles, Kentucky has earned 12 wins compared to 11 for Duke, though the Blue Devils have won five of the last six and nine of the last 11 dating back to the 70s.
Kentucky vs. Duke Odds via Circa SportsSpread: Duke -5.5 Total:
Kentucky Projected Starters(Starting lineup based on the last game)
#1 – Lamont Butler 6-2 – 208 – GUARD –
#00 – Otega Oweh 6-4 – 215 – GUARD –
#2 – Jaxson Robinson 6-6 – 192 – GUARD –
#7 – Andrew Carr 6-11 – 235 – FORWARD –
#22 – Amari Williams 7-0 – 262 – CENTER –
Duke Projected Starters#1 – Caleb Foster 6-5 – 202 – GUARD –
#5 – Tyrese Proctor 6-6 – 183 – GUARD –
#7 – Kon Knueppel 6-7 – 217 – FORWARD –
#22 – Cooper Flagg 6-9 – 205 – FORWARD –
#9 – Khaman Maluach 7-2 – 250 – CENTER –
Statistical Comparison(via Kentucky's game notes)
Fun stats from UK's game notes:
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It's been easy to love the start of the Mark Pope era because he hasn't given us much to hate. He's crushed every PR opportunity while building a strong roster and staff to go with a heck of a head start on the recruiting trail. The on-court product has been fun against lesser competition, but what about the real stuff? That starts tonight when the Wildcats take on a contender in the No. 6 Blue Devils. Will the shot-making and scoring continue at the historic pace we've seen at this point? How will the dynamic of young vs. old work out in Kentucky's favor this time around on the other side of the conversation? Tonight is a major test to see just how long the honeymoon period will last for the first-year coach in Lexington.
Kerr Kriisa has already congratulated Flagg on being drafted No. 1 overall next summer — very sarcastically, of course. He feels the hype has gotten a little carried away, but there's a good reason for the conversation: the five-star freshman is extremely talented. The two-way threat is currently averaging 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in 27.5 minutes per game, dominating in just about every way possible to begin his one-and-done campaign. He can make shots, block shots, rebound and score, making it difficult to poke holes in just about any aspect of his game. Now imagine having to come up with a game plan to slow him down. If Pope wants to earn his first signature victory, he's gonna have to keep the diaper dandy in check.
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Flagg steals the headlines, but his four-star teammate in the backcourt may actually be more dangerous — at least on the offensive end. Knueppel is averaging a team-high 18.5 points on ridiculous 56.5/50/100 shooting splits. Oh, and he's taking a ridiculous 7.0 attempts from deep per contest, making the efficiency that much more impressive. The 6-7 freshman is on somewhat of a Reed Sheppard trajectory, coming in as a physically limited scorer and leaving as a certified lottery pick ready to take the NBA by storm. If you're going to talk about Duke's freshmen, it's impossible to leave Knueppel out of the conversation.
Remember those endless conversations about our young talent taking on the experienced veterans in this event over the years under John Calipari? Sometimes the cream rose to the top, other times it sank to the bottom. Pressure creates diamonds or bursts pipes, and we saw plenty of both when the bright lights turned on with the entire basketball world watching closely. Now that pressure is on Jon Scheyer's group with the superstar freshmen while Pope's got one of the oldest teams in the country — No. 5 compared to No. 140 in terms of experience. Kentucky's got players who have played in the national championship game and upset No. 1 seeds while Duke is mostly feeling this stuff out for the first time. It's a unique spot to be in for the Wildcats after being on the other side for so long.
The reality of the situation is Kentucky did not perform well on the big stage under Coach Cal, that young talent typically beaten in the early-season matchups as we built toward March. The Wildcats are currently 5-8 in 13 Champions Classic games, tied with Michigan State for the worst record of participating teams. Of the head-to-head matchup with Duke, Kentucky is an abysmal 1-3, that win coming way back in 2015 — a 74-63 finish in Chicago. More recently, the Cats have racked up six losses in their last seven tries in the event, Tyrese Maxey saving us from total embarrassment with his big game against the Spartans in 2019. Point being, it's time to shift the momentum back in Kentucky's favor.
Join The Discussion on KSBoardWant to interact with the KSR crew during tonight's game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard , where we'll be sharing live updates as your eyes and ears inside State Farm Arena while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).
New members can get KSR+ for seven days for just $1 and 50% off the annual price
Rapid Reaction on the KSR YouTube ChannelMiss the game? KSR's got you covered with a Rapid Reaction live on the KSR YouTube Channel . We'll also have wall-to-wall postgame coverage on the website, including highlights, comments from Mark Pope and the players, stats, and takeaways.
