Duke fell 78-71 to Michigan State in the Champions Classic as its star freshman John Blackwell and Patrick Ngongba II shot just 35% and the team missed 11 free throws. Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. stole the show with 22 points and 11 assists, while the Spartans outrebounded Duke and limited 7‑foot‑2 freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. The loss highlights Duke’s current identity crisis: without a clear “best player” like Cameron Boozer or Jayden Flagg, roles remain unsettled and late‑game scoring is a question. Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad may still be elite, but the November‑era team differs sharply from a potential March matchup.
A look at the key takeaways from Duke Basketball's big loss to Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
For the first time in at least two decades, two top‑three men’s college basketball teams lost wire‑to‑wire on the same night. On Nov. 10, No. 2 Duke fell 79‑73 to No. 5 Michigan State after never leading and shooting just 33% from the floor, while No. 3 Illinois was down the entire game in an 84‑78 loss to Texas Tech despite a 50% field‑goal rate but a poor 42% free‑throw shooting and being out‑rebounded 43‑32. The historic double upset sets up a rematch when Duke hosts Illinois on Nov. 17.
Tuesday’s Champions Classic reshuffled the college basketball hierarchy. Unranked Michigan State stunned No. 2 Duke 79‑73, while Kansas trounced Kentucky 89‑69 after a first‑half hole that the Wildcats never escaped. Kentucky’s defense, led by coach Mark Fox, collapsed, allowing 46 points and 13 assists in just 20 minutes, and the offense sputtered on 4‑of‑19 three‑point shooting. Zoom Diallo emerged as a bright spot, scoring 24 points on 10‑of‑13 shooting, and guard Taylen Kinney dished eight assists. Duke’s shooting woes (20‑of‑60) cost them a comeback, and freshman Deron Rippey Jr. saw his minutes shrink. The night highlighted major fallers in Kentucky’s scheme and rise for a few individual performers, setting an intriguing tone for the season.
Michigan State defeated Duke 79-73 in the 2026 Champions Classic. Jeremy Fears Jr. dominated as Duke struggled offensively in Chicago.
No. 2 Duke dropped a hard-fought battle, 79-73, to No. 5 Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night.
After one week of college basketball, the AP Top 25 is solidifying. In the men's poll, Florida lands the No. 1 spot while Duke sits at No. 2, and UCLA rockets from #22 to #9 after upsetting #5 Arizona. UNC is still unranked despite a 2‑0 start, narrowing the gap to the #25 cutoff. On the women’s side, South Carolina holds the top rank, Michigan moves to #2, and UNC falls to #23 after losses to Oklahoma and South Carolina. The article lists conference representation, this week’s marquee matchups—including #5 Michigan State vs. #2 Duke—and several upset watches across both men’s and women’s games.
Tuesday's November 10, 2026 college basketball schedule features Duke vs. Michigan State, Kansas vs. Kentucky, Florida vs. Florida State and Illinois vs. Texas Tech. See game times and TV channels.
Duke faces Michigan State in the 2026 Champions Classic on November 10. A look at the programs' history, Tom Izzo, Jon Scheyer and the stakes in Chicago.
A top-five clash between No. 2 Duke and No. 5 Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic at the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday night on ESPN.
The latest AP Top 25 places Florida at No. 1 after a 2‑0 start that includes a win over Miami in Tampa and a home victory against Jacksonville. Duke, Illinois and UConn hold the No. 2‑4 spots, while Michigan State rises to No. 5 and Virginia jumps to No. 6. Texas represents the SEC’s second top‑10 team at No. 7, and the conference boasts seven teams in the poll, with Tennessee at No. 11 despite a 1‑0 record. The full ranking lists 25 schools, with notable others receiving votes such as Memphis and Saint Louis.
Previewing an important Champions Classic matchup between a pair of top teams in Duke and Michigan State and wondering who will come through with the win on Tuesday night.
Penn’s season opener ends in a brutal 78‑47 loss to #3 Illinois, leaving the Quakers far short of the +30.5 line. After a tied first‑period score, Illinois surged on a decisive run. Penn shoots poorly (29% overall, 29% from three) as T.J. Power goes 3‑15. Coach Fran’s returning core – Power, Gerhart, Levine, Zanoni – will have time to improve before Ivy League play begins Jan. 4, with non‑conference games vs. Saint Joe’s, La Salle, Drexel and a Michigan State showdown. The Big 5 slate also updates each team’s early record.
Duke steamrolls Coastal Carolina 113-52 on Nov. 5, 2026, posting the largest victory margin of Jon Scheyer’s tenure (61 points). Patrick Ngongda erupts for a career‑high 28 points while also grabbing nine rebounds; Cayden Boozer dishes out a remarkable 12 assists on just one turnover. The Blue Devils dominate the boards 53‑27, force 15 turnovers and block nine shots, limiting the Chanticleers to 18% from three and 30% overall shooting. Bench scoring shines with Caleb Foster’s 15 points in 17 minutes. Despite a rough, physical start—including several injuries—Duke adjusts, launches a 16‑0 run and secures its second win of the season before facing Michigan State next.
The Game Haus releases a 2026‑27 tracker of NCAA Division I college basketball jersey patch sponsors, listing every program that has confirmed a deal. Highlights include Illinois’ $6 million annual deal with Busey Bank ($30 million over five years), Michigan State’s reported $4 million per year with MSU Federal Credit Union, and Ohio State’s $17 million annual partnership with JPMorgan Chase. The ACC sees multi‑sport patches from California (Dialpad) and Stanford (DoorDash), while the Big Ten and SEC feature similar multi‑sport agreements. The Big 12 runs a conference‑wide deal with Monster Energy, supplemented by school‑specific sponsors such as Carvana at Arizona and Ripple at Kansas. The table provides contract lengths, values (where disclosed) and notes on each arrangement.
Thursday's college basketball schedule includes Duke, Illinois, Arizona, Michigan State and Vanderbilt. See the top games, tipoff times and TV information for November 5.
The Only Colors revives a 2011 deep‑dive into the Michigan State‑Michigan rivalry, updating the series record through 2025. The piece traces the feud from its 1850s roots—when the University of Michigan’s agricultural dominance sparked resentment—to the modern football clash for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, now standing at 42‑29‑2 in Michigan’s favor since 1953 and 10‑9 for MSU since 2007 under Mark Dantonio. It highlights key flashpoints, including the massive UM basketball cheating scandal of the ’80s‑’90s, quotes from coaches, and the broader cultural rivalry that fuels fan “hate.” Readers get a fact‑checked, humor‑tinged chronicle of why the green‑and‑white and blue‑and‑gold rivalry remains one of the Big Ten’s fiercest.
The Tennessee Volunteers, ranked #8 in the preseason AP poll, will debut their new Adidas cream alternate uniforms on Nov. 17 when they host No. 6 Michigan State on ESPN2. Coach Rick Barnes aims to break the program’s Final Four drought after three Elite Eight runs, kicking off the 2026‑27 season against Wofford on Oct. 31. The announcement, shared via a playful tweet, highlights the sleek “cream” look that could become a fan favorite. Meanwhile, prediction markets give Tennessee a modest 6% chance to reach the 2027 Final Four, underscoring the high stakes for the upcoming campaign.
Inside NU launches its new weekly Big Ten basketball column, Ten for Ten, with a preseason preview of the 2026‑27 season. After a turbulent offseason that saw over 125 transfers and only two returning All‑Big Ten players, the columnists Adam and Donovan predict Illinois, led by Brad Underwood’s towering roster—including David Mirkovic, the Ivisic brothers and transfer Stefan Vaaks—will capture the conference title and possibly a national championship. For Player of the Year, Adam backs Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., while Donovan favors Illinois’ Mirkovic. The piece also notes former Big Ten coaches Dusty May and Dana Altman moving on, setting the stage for a reshaped league.
The Duke Basketball Report breaks down how ACC schools craft their 2026‑27 non‑conference slates, balancing tournament bids, TV exposure, rivalries and coach security. Duke tops the conference with eight power‑conference matchups, hosting Illinois, playing UConn in Las Vegas, meeting Georgia and Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden, and traveling to face Gonzaga in Detroit and Michigan State in Chicago. Clemson, Louisville, Pitt and others schedule seven such tests. The piece also highlights multi‑team events like the Players Era 8 Tournament and the Southwest Maui Invitational, showing how ACC teams weigh prestige and revenue when building their schedules.
The Champaign Room predicts the Big Ten will stay in the national elite for 2026‑27, with Illinois clinching the regular‑season title under Brad Underwood and Michigan State hot on their heels. Jeremy Fears Jr. (MSU) is the projected Player of the Year, while Illinois forward Pryce Sandfort could contend for Big Ten POY. Nebraska and Purdue are forecast as triple‑bye teams, and nine mid‑tier schools—including Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Indiana—should earn NCAA Tournament bids, leaving Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Rutgers and Penn State out. The article also lists First‑Team All‑Big Ten selections and names Underwood Coach of the Year.
Duke finally breaks a 38‑year drought in Lawrence, edging Kansas in a high‑scoring 84‑point exhibition. While the Blue Devils dazzled with an 81.8% shooting night (27‑33), defensive lapses gave up 84 points, prompting coach Jon Scheyer to focus on cleanup work. Freshmen JoJo Boumtje Boumtje and Deron Rippey shot 3‑for‑12, all from three, and struggled with the intense crowd. Key contributors Pat Ngongba, John Blackwell, and newcomer Sebastian Wilkins dominated inside, but the team still needs a steady, pass‑first point guard—Cayden Boozer is a strong candidate. Upcoming games against Army, Coastal Carolina, Michigan State and others will test the freshmen’s progress and the impact of returning players like Drew Scharnowski and Caleb Foster.
College basketball exhibition schedule for Tuesday, October 20, 2026, including Tennessee vs. Duke, UConn vs. Michigan State, TV channels, tipoff times and radio coverage.
#4 UConn visits #6 Michigan State for Preseason Bout
The preseason Associated Press top 25 poll was released Monday. Five Big Ten teams are ranked, headlined by No. 3 Illinois. Michigan State is No. 6, Michigan is No. 16, USC is No. 21 and UCLA is No. 22. Nebraska, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana received votes. The complete preseason poll is here.
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