THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013
KANSAS TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
ever since Andrew Wiggins chose Kansas and Jabari Parker signed with Duke, the Champions Classic hard-felt if it could become the
KANSAN.COM
has let it like it could become the start of a bigger rivalry between the two. Regardless, the history between the Jayhawks and Blue Devils is already long, and Kansas will be looking to grab back the bragging rights after Duke took down the Jayhawks in the Maui Invitational
Andrew Wiggins
two years ago.
PLAYER TO WATCH
All eyes will be on Andrew Wiggins as he makes his national television debut. At least for one night he will get to take a break from the hype and show what he can do in college basketball.
QUESTION MARK
Will there be as many foul calls tonight as there were last Friday?
PAGE 9
Fans for either team won't want to watch their squads play a game of horse to decide the outcome. If the officials make this another 50-call affair, this may not be a pleasant game to watch.
BY THE NUMBERS
16 Points by Andrew Wiggins in his college debut
53. 5 Kansas field goal percentage against Louisiana Monroe
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF..
Kansas pulls out a victory. The Jayhawks have yet to steal a win in the Champions Classic and you can be sure they don't want to go 0-3. A loss wouldn't derail the season but bragging rights talk the loudest at this point in the year.
58 Number of foul calls in the season opener
Edited by Heather Nelson
CHAMPIONS CLASSIC
Lengthy rivalry battles on neutral ground
KANSAS VS. DUKE 8:30 P.M., UNITED CENTER, CHICAGO
KANSAS 1-0,(0-0) STARTERS
Tharpe
Naadir Tharpe, Guard
After serving his single game suspension, Naadir Tharpe returns to the lineup to face Duke in his regular season debut. Tharpe will be relied upon to keep the Kansas offense flowing and use his experience to calm down some of the younger players on the United Center floor.
Seldon
Wayne Seiden Jr., Guard
We still haven't seen close to the best of Selden, but after playing point guard for a large portion of the game against Louisiana-Monroe we should at least see more consistency out of him as a pure shooting guard against Duke. He will need to be more efficient from the line, however. The Jayhawks can't afford to miss any free points.
Wiggins
This game may very well come down to Wiggins' performance. As the No. 1 overall recruit in last year's class, Wiggins will face off against Jabari Parker, the No. 2 overall recruit, in a matchup that's been hyped since May. Perhaps the national audience will bring out the best in both players.
Andrew Wiggins, Guard
Thornton
Ellis
With as smooth a finish as Ellis possess he should be able to get some good looks at the basket tonight and own the offensive paint. Ellis has scored in double digits each time out this season and will be asked to do the same against Duke.
Perry Ellis, Forward
Tarik Black, Forward
Black
Black's play has been hindered by foul trouble in his first few matchups with his new team. His experience is crucial to the Jayhawks and will be key in such a high-profile matchup. Kansas would hate to see him sit, although the bench is deep enough to make up for it.
1-0, (0-0)
STARTERS
Tyler Thornton, Guard
Cook
The only starter not to reach double digits against Davidson, Thornton is part of a crowded backcourt that includes sophomore Rasheed Sulaimon and freshman Matt Jones. Don't be surprised if Sulaimon gets the start after a 20-point performance against Davidson on 6-for-9 shooting. Thornton, meanwhile, has averaged around six points in the Blue Devils' three games (including exhibition) and hasn't been a major part of the offense.
Prediction:
Quinn Cook, Guard
Cook sizzled against Davidson, finishing with 21 points, eight assists and zero turnovers. One of the best point guards in the Atlantic Coast Conference, he ranked second in the ACC last season in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. Not just a passing guard, Cook has gone 5-for-10 from three-point range this season.
Duke 84, Kansas 78
Hood
Rodney Hood, Forward
Hood has led the Blue Devils in scoring in every game, averaging nearly 21 points per contest. The redshirt sophomore transfer only missed one field goal against Davidson as he posted 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and two blocks. At 6-foot-8, Hood can play in the post but can also shoot from long range.
Amile Jefferson, Forward
Other than Andrew Wiggins, Parker has received more attention than any other freshman. Like Hood, Parker is an all-around player who can attack the rim or pull up and shoot a jump shot. He tied Hood with 22 points against Davidson and did so on 80-percent shooting — including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point-range. He will look to drive the ball first and has a knack for getting to the free throw line, where he has been 18 times already this season.
Jabari Parker, Forward
At 6-foot-9, Jefferson will be the center in Duke's undersized front court. He has been an efficient scorer this season, averaging almost 13 points on 76-percent shooting. His most impressive performance came against Drury, in which he logged a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. He only played 11 minutes against Davidson but still ended the night with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting.
Jefferson
★★★★
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN
Freshman guard Andrew Wiggins dunks the ball against University of Louisiana Monroe at Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas won its season opener 80-63.
DUKE TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
The team plays an up-tempo style and can light up the scoreboard. Duke impressed on Friday, thrashing Davidson 111-77 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Four players scored at least 20 points while the队 shot 70.4 percent from the floor and 61.9 percent from three-point range. Ranked No. 4 in the country, the Blue Devils were picked by the media to finish first in the ACC ahead of Syracuse and North Carolina.
Quinn Cook
PLAYER TO WATCH
The lone returning starter from last season, Cook will be responsible for distributing the ball to Duke's new weapons. The Blue Devils' floor general is one of the few upperclassmen in the lineup and will need to take care of the ball against an athletic Kansas defense.
QUESTION MARK
Who will match up with Perry Ellis at the 4 spot?
Duke essentially starts four guards, so one will be responsible for guarding Ellis down low. This poses an interesting matchup as each player will have an advantage offensively: It will feature Ellis' low-post game against the speed of either Parker or Hood.
BY THE NUMBERS
0 — Number of starters who shot under 50 percent against Davidson
2 Jabari Parker's ranking among Class of 2013 recruits
31 Rodney Hood's ranking among Class of 2011 recruits
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF..
Kansas continues to allow points in the paint. Against Louisiana-Monroe, Kansas was outscored 32-28 in that category. In a game where Kansas has a slight height advantage, the Jayhawks will need to limit points in the paint to neutralize the Blue Devils' long-range shooting ability.
— Edited by Sylas May