ESPN November 15, 2023, 1:11am ET10 minutes read
Hunter Dickinson dominated the Kansas win with a 27-point, 21-rebound game
Hunter Dickinson had 27 points and 21 rebounds as Kansas came back to beat Kentucky.
The 2023 Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago had all the pageantry of a major moment for men’s college basketball. Magic Johnson smiled as the cameras showed him on the giant screen during Duke’s 74-65 victory over Michigan State. Rich Paul, the mega-agent of LeBron James and other NBA All-Stars, sat courtside. There were numerous NBA scouts and executives in the building, including Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri.
However, basketball was sluggish in the Duke-MSU first half, with the teams tied 9-9 and with 11:45 left to play. The action picked up in the second half as the Spartans stormed back and the energy increased. And the pace continued in the second game with Adou Thieros dunking for Kentucky. But it was Kevin McCullar Jr.’s triple-double and Hunter Dickinson’s remarkable 27 points and 21 rebounds that helped Kansas to an 89-84 win.
However, the pomp and circumstance was secondary.
Each of the four teams entered Tuesday looking to add an important win to their resume. But the Spartans have more questions than answers. Duke may have found a young star in Caleb Foster. Kentucky hasn’t been this entertaining in years. And Kansas may need more time to celebrate, but the makings of a national title game are obviously there.
ESPN’s panel of experts – Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway – takes an in-depth look at both matchups.
Kyle Filipowski turns to the basket to score a Duke basket
Kyle Filipowski puts his defender in a blender as he turns to the post for a bucket.
What ultimately decided Duke’s victory over Michigan State?
The shots weren’t fired. Duke’s box score is full of challenges. Due to foul trouble, Kyle Filipowski only played 13 minutes in the first half. The Blue Devils finished the game 6-for-22 from the 3-point line. They had 13 turnovers. Still, they left the United Center with a nine-point win.
The ongoing shootings at Michigan State simply didn’t allow the gap to be closed. Despite going 4-for-6 from distance in the second half, the Spartans started 2-for-13, although not all of them were contested. MSU had an open look that refused to let up. According to data from ESPN Stats & Information, Tom Izzo’s squad is now 8-for-50 from the 3-point line through three games, which is the Spartans’ worst record in the last 25 years. Duke didn’t play a great game. Yes, Caleb Foster hit big balls down the stretch. But the Spartans’ continued drought led to a second defeat. — Myron Medcalf
Caleb Foster shined for Duke in the Blue Devils’ 74-65 victory over Michigan State in the Champions Classic, scoring 18 points, including four 3s.Michael Hickey/Getty Images
What was different for Duke in this game after the home loss to Arizona and why is it promising for the Blue Devils?
From a personnel perspective, it was Caleb Foster. The highly touted rookie generated a lot of buzz in the preseason, with multiple NBA scouts telling ESPN that he looked like the best of the Blue Devils’ new recruiting class. But against Arizona last week, Foster played just 13 minutes and didn’t score a single point. Against Michigan State, he looked like Duke’s best player not named Kyle Filipowski. Foster finished with 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting – including four 3-pointers. In the second half, he regularly hit big throws, stopping Michigan State’s runs or extending Duke’s lead.
The defense will always focus on Filipowski, and eventually Tyrese Proctor will return to his late-season form of 2022-23. If Foster can continue to make open shots and give coach Jon Scheyer a consistent perimeter option, that will be huge for a Duke offense that struggled to create offense against Arizona. –Jeff Borzello
Is there more to Michigan State’s 1-2 record than just the very cold shots we’ve been talking about all the time?
The cold shooting started to warm up a bit in the second half on Tuesday, but MSU is still only shooting 16% on its 3s this season. However, there are other troubling trends that Tom Izzo needs to address, starting with the fact that James Madison and the Blue Devils shot a total of 58 free throws in 85 minutes in those two losses. Duke also shot its 3s even worse (6 of 22) than the Spartans (6 of 19), but with Kyle Filipowski and Tyrese Proctor leading the way, the Blue Devils made their 2s.
Even with “normal” 3-point shooting, this is still not a top-five team like they predicted in the preseason. It’s not Thanksgiving yet either. Tyson Walker is a strong competitor, Coen Carr looks fantastic and it would be beyond foolish to write this group off after just three games. –John Gasaway
Kevin McCullar Jr. helped Kansas win with a triple-double
Kevin McCullar finished with 12 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to help Kansas bounce back against Kentucky.
What lessons did the Jayhawks learn from their win against Kentucky?
I think the lesson here is the value of balance. The Jayhawks trailed 14, 16-21, heading into the second half against a Kentucky team loaded with young NBA talent. They couldn’t stop Rob Dillingham. Reed Sheppard was hot. Adou Thiero always got involved with everyone. But Kansas kept fighting and found a rhythm.
KJ Adams Jr. deserves a lot. Dajuan Harris Jr. made plays. Kevin McCullar Jr. added key stops on defense – including on Sheppard’s late three-pointer that missed the rim – even as McCullar’s own shots weren’t falling (3-of-11 overall). And Hunter Dickinson lived up to the hype with a tremendous performance (27 points, 21 rebounds).
You won’t see many teams cornering Kansas like they did tonight. However, they recovered and made 54% of their shots and 42% of their threes. Kentucky only scored on 29% of its shots after halftime.
Kansas will face more difficult matchups in the future, but the resilience they showed on Tuesday night will help them in the future. — Medcalf
Adou Thiero hits the putback flush
Adou Thiero succeeds in the quick attack and throws a powerful putback slam for Kentucky.
The Wildcats may have lost, but why should we still be excited for them this season?
In the first 25 minutes they were a revelation. They played with incredible speed, spread the field with multiple shots and forced Kansas to defend in space. Rob Dillingham made shots, Antonio Reeves made shots. Adou Thiero played with energy. Kansas just couldn’t keep up.
While the Jayhawks began to assert their interior dominance and held Kentucky out of transition to come back and ultimately win, the big takeaway from Tuesday night is that John Calipari’s team was on par with the No. 1 team in the country and could have been almost won. That’s despite Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner — the two highest-ranked rookies on the team and the two highest-ranked NBA prospects on the team — combining to shoot 1-for-18 and score five points.
One more thing to remember: Kentucky is still shorthanded. Aaron Bradshaw, a top-10 recruit, and returning big man Ugonna Onyenso are still out after offseason foot injuries, and highly touted Croatian center Zvonimir Ivisic is not yet cleared to play. Dickinson probably won’t get the 27 and 21 points if those three could keep up on Tuesday. I came out of it with a lot of optimism for Kentucky’s season. — Borzello
After watching Hunter Dickinson post 27 points and 21 rebounds, is it possible he was underrated even as a preseason first-team All-American?
It’s certainly possible that Dickinson is about to have its best season yet, and that’s saying something. Yes, Kentucky played without its full roster and especially without great size. Still, Dickinson was outstanding. His 27 points included a 3 to end the first half, and he even added three steals to his stat line.
Bill Self is making sure the ball gets to Dickinson where it can do the most damage, and it’s possible the KU star will surpass anything he did at Michigan, both in scoring and rebounding. In particular, it looks like Dickinson will have the opportunity to do more on the offensive board than ever before in his career, as evidenced by his six offensive boards against the Wildcats.
Dickinson makes the whole talk of “the best transfer in the portal’s history” seem very accurate. Zach Edey would be wise to continue his dominant path as Dickinson is poised to give him competition for national POY honors. — Gasaway