The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils continued to build on their legacy of getting off to hot starts by taking down No. 19 Michigan State, 81-71, in the first game of the Champions Classic.
Duke vs. Michigan State final score: 3 things we learned from the Blue Devils’ 81-71 win
The Blue Devils have long been considered the kings of college basketball in November, a reputation they added to with a decisive victory over Michigan State in the Champions Classic Tuesday night.
Despite a game effort from the Spartans, Coach K’s team was in command of things from start to finish. After trailing by seven at halftime, the Spartans cut the lead to three at 51-48, but Duke responded with a 7-0 run and remained in control from there.
Four players scored in double figures for Duke, which shot 54 percent from the field and won convincingly despite being out-rebounded by Michigan State, 35-25.
Three things we learned
1. Jahlil Okafor is going to be this season’s freshman obsession ... and it’s going to be justified
Earlier this month, Jahlil Okafor became the third freshmen in five years to be named a preseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press. The previous two honorees -- Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins and North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes -- did not finish their first year of college ball as first-team All-Americans. Based on his first real spotlight performance, it’s safe to say Okafor is in line to change that trend.
Okafor scored 17 points, snagged five rebounds and was a force on the defensive end both when he was blocking shots and altering them. The big man connected on 8 of 10 field goal attempts to improve to a ridiculous 25-for-31 from the field in his first three collegiate games.
ESPN and the like are going to talk so much about Okafor in the first few weeks of the season that it’s going to make people sick, but hopefully that doesn’t keep folks from appreciating just how good the kid is. College basketball hasn’t seen a first-year big man this polished since ... Greg Oden?
2. The Blue Devils have another freshman star, but they’re a much more complete team this season
Jabari Parker was fantastic last season, but as a team, Duke was neither complete enough nor dedicated enough on defense to win a national title. The result was an exciting regular season that came to a somewhat predictable early conclusion. This Blue Devils team is a different beast.
When Okafor went to the bench with four fouls and his team leading by just seven, the common thought was that Michigan State would make a run. Instead, the Blue Devils added to their advantage and the final outcome was never really in doubt.
After going scoreless in the first half, Tyus Jones -- who was the highest-ranked point guard in the 2014 recruiting class -- poured in 17 second-half points to spearhead Duke's post-break onslaught. His performance served as the perfect accent to veteran backcourt mate Quinn Cook, who scored 19 and dished out six assists. Then there was the play of yet another freshman in Justise Winslow, who scored 15 and at times looked like the most talented player on the court.
Duke is the real deal when it comes to being a legitimate threat to cut down the nets in April, and I’m not sure that was ever the case when Parker was their frontman.
3. Duke still owns Michigan State
There aren’t many programs in the country that can claim a decisive advantage over either Michigan State or Tom Izzo, but Duke has been dominant against both. The loss dropped Izzo’s career record against Coach K to 1-8, and Michigan State to 2-9 all-time against the Blue Devils.
The victory also guaranteed that Duke will own the best record in the Champions Classic for at least the next year. Both the Blue Devils and Spartans entered Tuesday night with records of 2-1 in the event, while Kansas and Kentucky have each gone 1-2.
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