College Basketball has returned to action this season, and while most schools are playing inferior opponents, we do finally have a few ranked matchups. This is pretty much what happens every season. Most schools play lower-level clubs so they can get some easy wins out of the way, figure out their offense, and make adjustments before the Thanksgiving tournaments. Tonight, we have the State Farm Champions Classic, featuring two of the best in the country: Michigan State vs. Duke.
Michigan State comes into the game with a ranking of fifth in the nation, and at least part of that is due to its returning players. Jeremy Fears Jr. has been one of the better guards in college sports and is the catalyst for this team. He makes this team go, and in two games, he has led the team in scoring. It isn’t much scoring at just 12 points per game, but either way, he still leads the team. Coen Carr is an athletic forward who thrives on defense and rebounding. Their tenacity will set the tone for Michigan State all season.
The Spartans are 2-0 for the season, but they haven’t played anyone of substance. They beat Quinnipiac by 37 points in the season opener, and they beat Toledo by 30 points in the next game. Now they face a true test. The question will be how well some of the newer guys play. Jasiah Jervis led the team in scoring in their last game, and Ethan Taylor is a 7-footer who will cause headaches for everyone. Overall, the team has some depth, consistency, height, and high-motor guys. They should have a chance against anyone in the nation.
Duke is the second-ranked team in the nation, and they are pretty much the same story as every year. In the past two seasons, they had Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Cameron Boozer come in and leave their program. Both seasons ended without a National Championship, but both seasons were successful. The Blue Devils don’t have the top-ranked player in the nation this season, but they do have Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and Cameron Williams, who are 6’11” or taller.
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There is some serious height on this team in general. There are three guys more than seven feet tall, and two others who are 6’10” or taller. Not many teams can compete with that interior presence. And, even if they can, Duke has an advantage in being able to continuously rotate in tall players to keep a fresh one out there while the other team has to play with a fatigued player. Caleb Foster will still orchestrate the offense. I do like the combination of new talent and returning players for Duke.
This game will take place at the United Center tonight in Chicago. This is a significantly shorter trip for the Spartans than it is for the Blue Devils, so it may feel like more of a home game for Michigan State. The height will be a bit of a problem for Michigan State, especially foul trouble comes into play. The United Center is known for being a tough place to shoot, and I still feel like the total is too high, so I’ll take a half unit on the under and a half unit on the Spartans +7.5.
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