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It’s finally here.
The next time the Kentucky Wildcats play, it will be in the 2018 Champions Classic against the Duke Blue Devils.
The long-awaited matchup will be part of the first day of college hoops, as both teams get a major test right out of the gate. Kentucky is ranked No. 2 in both of the major preseason top 25 poll. Duke is No. 4 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll.
The tables will be turned Tuesday in terms of experience vs. talent. Kentucky had been the one-and-done giant for much of John Calipari’s tenure, but this year, his roster features three sophomores vying for starting spots in Quade Green, Nick Richards and PJ Washington, not to mention an all-conference graduate transfer in Reid Travis.
Duke, on the other hand, is replacing all five starters, but they’ll do so with ESPN’s No. 1, 2 and 3 ranked recruits in R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish and Zion Williamson.
Going into the game, Duke and Kentucky are tied for the best odds to win the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Bovada, as both spot +500 odds entering Game 1. Needless to say, this is one of the most hyped opening games that college basketball has ever seen.
The game will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 9:30 .m EST, on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. You can stream it online using WatchESPN.
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