On Tuesday night, the 15th annual Champions Classic will tip off in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. The event will feature an early-evening matchup between Kentucky and Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by Duke and Kansas in the primetime nightcap at 9 p.m. ET.
The Jayhawks and Blue Devils are two of college basketball’s perennial powerhouses and have a storied history of playing against one another. KU holds a 7–8 all-time record against Duke but has won five of the last six matchups. Four of those six most recent meetings have come in the Champions Classic, where Kansas leads Duke 3–1, and all of them have been memorable.
In 2013, the nation’s top two freshmen, and eventual top two picks in the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, went head-to-head. In that game, Kansas scored 54 second-half points to come back and defeat Duke, 94–83. Freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins posted 22 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore forward Perry Ellis added 24 points, nine boards, and three steals. Freshman wing Wayne Selden Jr. also contributed an impressive 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Another standout for the Jayhawks was freshman guard, and future KU legend, Frank Mason III, who added 15 points and two steals off the bench to help secure the victory.
In 2016, Kansas executed another come-from-behind win over Duke, this time by a score of 77–75. The victory came thanks to Frank Mason III’s game-winning jumper with 1.8 seconds remaining. Mason led the way with 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Freshman star Josh Jackson added 15 points before fouling out after just 18 minutes. Junior guard Devonte’ Graham contributed 13 points along with three assists and three rebounds. Finally, freshman center Udoka Azubuike chipped in with six points and 12 rebounds in just 15 minutes off the bench to help the Jayhawks top the Blue Devils in the Garden.
In 2019, Duke earned their lone win against KU in the Champions Classic, pulling out another nail-biter by a score of 68–66 on opening night. Sophomore wing Ochai Agbaji scored 15 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Junior guard Marcus Garrett added 12 points, five assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson contributed 17 points, and sophomore center David McCormack scored six points, grabbed 13 boards, and compiled two steals and a block. This was one of the Jayhawks’ only three losses of the season, as they played at a level that earned them recognition as arguably the best team in Kansas basketball history. Unfortunately, we all know that COVID-19 ultimately ended the season just days before the NCAA Tournament, where Kansas was projected to be the No. 1 overall seed.
In 2022, KU returned to the winning column against the Blue Devils with a 69–64 victory in the Champions Classic. Senior forward Jalen Wilson led the way for KU, scoring 25 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Junior wing Kevin McCullar Jr. contributed 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Freshman star Gradey Dick added 14 points, including seven in the final two minutes, to help the Jayhawks secure the win.
There are two other recent notable games against Duke that didn’t take place in the Champions Classic. One of these was the 2018 Elite Eight, where Kansas held off Duke in overtime to advance to the Final Four, thanks to contributions from Malik Newman, Devonte’ Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Lagerald Vick.
The other notable matchup occurred last season in Las Vegas, where KU defeated the Blue Devils 75–72 in what was their most impressive game of the season and a true team effort. Bill Self’s squad earned the win over the future Final Four participants thanks to the defensive masterclass displayed by KJ Adams and Flory Bidunga against the Duke frontcourt. In the final minutes, they completely shut down eventual top-10 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, helping secure the Jayhawks’ victory.
It's common knowledge that Duke ended up having a much better season than Kansas, just as KU went on to have a historic season after losing to Duke in the 2019 Champions Classic. This shows that victories in these early-season tests aren’t everything, and losses don’t necessarily doom a team’s season. These heavyweight matchups are scheduled so coaches can see what their teams are made of against top competition early in the season. Typically, teams are exposed for their deficiencies, which coaches can then use to help their squads improve before March.
Darryn Peterson’s status is listed as questionable for this game, as he is being monitored by the Kansas medical staff on a day-to-day basis. After speaking with the media, Bill Self indicated that Peterson likely won’t play, though that could change before game time.
If the Jayhawks are without Peterson, this game could get away from them, as they’ve looked shaky when he’s been absent from the lineup. That’s not to say Kansas can’t get the job done without him, it will just be a much taller task. In this case, Bill Self would need his team to step up on the biggest stage to secure a victory.
If Peterson is in the lineup, the game would feature two of the nation’s top three freshmen, with Duke having Cam Boozer ready to go. His presence would dramatically improve KU’s chances of winning. Regardless, nothing diminishes the magnitude this matchup always carries.
With or without Peterson, can the Jayhawks be resilient and get the job done, or will they fall to 3–2 on Tuesday night in the Garden?
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