In the second matchup No. 7 Kansas beat No. 1 Duke, 77-75, on a last-second shot. In overtime, Mason didn’t hit a field goal, but he did make four free throws to keep the game close and manageable down the stretch. KU’s last remaining notable nonconference game comes in January at Kentucky. “But it’s something that we have actually labored with the entire preseason, getting our guys, big guys, especially, to look athletic and go after the ball”. Now obviously these were two games against lower level competition compared to Tuesday night. Monk was 8-of-17 from the floor and was dynamite from beyond the arc. Mason knows when to lead the team and he won’t be afraid to do that against Duke.
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KU will play eight games in 23 days – five in Allen Fieldhouse and three in KC’s Sprint Center – prior to heading to Las Vegas for a December 22 contest against UNLV. Tonight, they came through in the clutch.
If Duke’s freshmen were healthy, they may win this game by double digits.
Tonight, Duke takes on the Kansas Jayhawks, who are now the third-choice in the futures betting at between 8 and 10-1.
This is a team has some legitimate playmakers with legitimate experience.
Carlton Bragg: 6. Bragg was 3-5 from two and 3-4 from the line, adding 5 rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal.
Freshman point guard Miles Bridges was held to just six points on 2 of 11 shooting and turned the ball over nine times on a frustrating night for Tom Izzo’s team, which shot 5 for 26 from 3-point range. Even better, they are both point guards, and they each can create their own shots and lock down much larger and more imposing guards. Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones and Luke Kennard are all familiar, experienced players, and the injuries have given a chance to Chase Jeter, the touted 6-foot-10 sophomore who wasn’t ready for big minutes a year ago. The sophomore finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, and one block on 7-10 shooting from the field and 2-4 from deep. In the stoicism of Mason, not in the raw talent of Jackson, he saw Kansas’ future.
Kansas also put up a crummy defensive effort in its opening overtime loss to in behind it by taking Duke out of its rhythm and unleashing the slashing trio of Mason, Devonte’ Graham and Josh Jackson.
The culmination of the tip-off marathon pits top teams against each other, giving viewers some March-like action to start the season.
– Kansas’ season-opening, eight-day, 10,000-mile journey officially ends Wednesday afternoon when, if all goes well, the Jayhawks’ charter flight departs LaGuardia Airport at 1 p.m, lands in Topeka a couple hours later with the team bus pulling into an Allen Fieldhouse parking lot shortly before the sun sets.
KU is 1-4 in the history of the Champions Classic, which has been renewed another three years.
– The record is 0-2, and Tuesday night’s performance was ugly, a 21-point loss, but Michigan State will be fine. Udoka Azubuike looks like a promising big body off the bench, which Kansas desperately needs.
Yes, he really does think that far ahead.
“Everyone feels pretty good”, Mason said.
Kenny Goins and Cassius Winston led the Spartans with nine points each. “So at these times, big-time players show up even bigger”.
But of course, it’s the freshmen who tend to stand out as the stars for Big Blue Nation. In fact, KU ended up outrebounding the Blue Devils 38-29, a huge departure from their poor showing against the Hoosiers on Friday. Before he fouled out with five minutes left in the game, freshman Josh Jackson played like a stud.
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NBA Draft Room’s mock 2017 draft lists Harry Giles, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward, as the first pick; Jayson Tatum, a 6-foot-8, 204-pound guard/forward, fourth; and Marques Bolden, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound center, 21st. It’s safe to assume that Duke will be just fine despite the loss. The nightcap did have Kansas star frosh Josh Jackson. Jackson, the top-ranked recruit in the 2016 class, was electric for much of the night.
