Amanda Knapp
The Duke Blue Devils and the Kentucky Wildcats have a storied history in men's college basketball, with the two teams regularly facing off in the Champions Classic. The Blue Devils, led by Jon Scheyer, and the Wildcats, coached by Mark Pope, feature star players such as Cooper Flagg and Amari Williams, respectively. The rivalry between the two schools has produced close games, with Duke holding a slight edge in head-to-head results in the Champions Classic with an 8-5 record against Kentucky's 5-8. The most recent matchup between the two teams took place on November 12, 2024, with Kentucky claiming a 77-72 victory over Duke.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | November 12, 2024 |
| Teams | No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats, No. 6 Duke Blue Devils |
| Coaches | Mark Pope (Kentucky), Jon Scheyer (Duke) |
| Players | Otega Oweh (Kentucky), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Amari Williams (Kentucky), Khaman Maluach (Duke) |
| Score | Kentucky 77-72 Duke |
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What You'll Learn
Kentucky vs Duke in the Champions Classic
The Champions Classic is an annual event that tips off the NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It features four of the top college basketball programs in the US: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan State. The first Champions Classic was held on November 15, 2011, at Madison Square Garden, and the series is set to run through 2028.
Kentucky and Duke last faced off in the Champions Classic on November 12, 2024, with Kentucky securing a 77-72 win over Duke. This game marked the first signature win of the Mark Pope era for the Wildcats, who overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to upset the Blue Devils. Duke's star freshman, Cooper Flagg, had a game-high 26 points, but his two turnovers in the final three possessions proved costly. Kentucky's Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh also played crucial roles in the win, with Butler pushing their lead to 75-72 and Oweh knocking down four free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.
This particular matchup between Kentucky and Duke was highly anticipated, with Duke entering the game with an 8-5 overall record and a 3-1 series record against Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Meanwhile, Kentucky had a 5-8 overall record and was looking to snap a two-game losing streak against Duke in the Classic. The game lived up to its billing, with a thrilling second half that saw Kentucky mount a comeback and pull off the upset.
The rivalry between Kentucky and Duke in the Champions Classic has produced several memorable moments over the years. In 2018, Duke defeated Kentucky by a margin of 34 points, scoring 118 points in the process, which remains the most points scored in a Champions Classic game. However, Kentucky also holds a victory over Duke in the Classic, with a two-point victory in 2016 serving as their only win against Duke in the event heading into the 2024 matchup.
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Mark Pope's Wildcats
Mark Pope, a former collegiate basketball player, is the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. Pope's association with the Wildcats dates back to his playing career, during which he was a member of the 1996 NCAA national championship-winning team, serving as its captain.
Pope's playing career began at the University of Washington, where he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1992. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he played in every game during his two-year stint with the Wildcats. During this period, the team won two SEC championships and the 1995 SEC Tournament title. Pope's leadership and skill as a player were evident, as he averaged 7.6 to 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
After his collegiate career, Pope played professionally in the NBA for six seasons with various teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Denver Nuggets. Following his playing career, Pope transitioned into coaching, first serving as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia and Wake Forest before becoming the head coach of the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars.
Pope's coaching career took off at BYU, where he led the Cougars to numerous successful seasons, including multiple 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2019, he was hired as the head coach of the Utah Valley Wolverines, where he continued his winning ways, guiding them to a runner-up finish in the Western Athletic Conference in 2018-19.
In April 2024, Pope returned to his alma mater, the University of Kentucky, as the head coach of the Wildcats. In his first season, Pope led the Wildcats to a 24-12 overall record, including eight wins against Associated Press Top 15 opponents, and a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Pope's Wildcats also made a statement with a come-from-behind victory over Duke University, their first win over Duke since 2015.
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Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils are the college basketball team of Duke University, North Carolina. Jon Scheyer, a former professional basketball player, is the current head coach of the Blue Devils men's basketball team.
Scheyer was born on August 24, 1987, and attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois. During his high school basketball career, Scheyer was a prolific scorer and led his team to an Illinois state basketball championship in 2005. He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2006 and was voted as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.
For college, Scheyer ultimately chose to attend Duke University, where he majored in history. In his freshman year, he started all 33 games for the Blue Devils and led all freshmen in the ACC with a .846 free throw percentage. He also averaged 33.7 minutes per game, the eighth-highest in the ACC. In his sophomore year, Scheyer scored 27 points against the University of Miami, matching the most points by a player coming off the bench in Duke history. That season, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He was named one of three captains for the Blue Devils for the 2008-09 season and was moved to point guard for the final nine games, where he averaged 19.7 points and 2.5 assists per game.
Scheyer was the captain of the 2009-10 Duke Blue Devils team that won the NCAA Basketball Championship. In the Final Four, Scheyer led the team with 23 points and six assists in a win over West Virginia. In the national championship game against Butler, Scheyer scored five of the team's last 10 points, including a 3-pointer to put Duke ahead, and finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
After his playing career, Scheyer returned to Duke as a special assistant to head coach Mike Krzyzewski in 2013. He was promoted to full assistant coach in 2014 and then to co-associate head coach in 2018. In 2021, Scheyer served as acting head coach for a game against Boston College, filling in for Krzyzewski, who was quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19. That same year, it was announced that Scheyer would become Duke's next head basketball coach following Krzyzewski's retirement at the end of the 2021-22 season.
In his first three seasons as head coach, Scheyer has led the Blue Devils to the Final Four, winning a record-tying 89 games. The Blue Devils recently advanced to their first Final Four under Scheyer but fell short of winning their first national title since 2015.
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Kentucky's Amari Williams
Amari Williams, born on January 28, 2002, in Nottingham, England, is a British college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference. Williams grew up playing football and his first experience of dunking was during a national league game in England at the age of 14. He attended Trinity School in his hometown of Nottingham before transferring to Myerscough College at the age of 16.
Williams started his college basketball career with the Drexel Dragons, where he excelled as a sophomore, being named the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year and third-team all-conference. He repeated as CAA Defensive Player of the Year in his junior year and was named first-team all-conference. That season, he led the CAA in blocked shots (67) and field-goal percentage (.523), averaging 13.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. He also recorded nine double-doubles and was named CAA Player of the Week in early January.
In his senior year, Williams continued his strong performance, averaging 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, earning him the CAA Defensive Player of the Year award for the third consecutive year. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he made an impact, averaging 10.9 points per game, leading the team with a 56.1% field goal percentage, and posting impressive totals in rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He was the second men's basketball player in SEC history to achieve certain milestones in a single season, and he finished the season with the third-highest points-rebounds-assists per 40 minutes among Kentucky players since 1996-97.
Williams had several notable performances during his time at Kentucky, including a career-high 10 free throws against Missouri, 16 points and seven rebounds against Alabama in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal, and 17 points with 11 rebounds and six assists on the road at Alabama. He also contributed to Kentucky's NCAA Tournament run, averaging 9.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across three games.
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Duke's Khaman Maluach
Khaman Madit Maluach, born on September 14, 2006, is a South Sudanese college basketball player for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Standing tall at 7 ft 2 in, he plays the centre position. Maluach, born in Rumbek, South Sudan, grew up in Kawempe, Uganda, as a refugee with his mother and siblings.
Maluach's basketball journey began in 2019 when a boda boda motorcyclist, impressed by his height, encouraged him to take up the sport. He joined a local camp organised by Luol Deng and soon moved to the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, where he combined basketball with his education. Maluach's potential was recognised early on, and he was ranked as the third-best prospect in the 2025 NBA draft by ESPN. On March 6, 2024, he announced his commitment to Duke, choosing it over UCLA, Kentucky, and Kansas.
Maluach's decision to join Duke was influenced by Zion Williamson, who had made an impression on him during his younger years. As a member of the Duke Blue Devils, Maluach has contributed to the team's success, including their dominant performance against Arizona. While his stats in that particular game were not eye-catching, his impact was felt in the way he changed or discouraged many shots, showcasing his defensive prowess.
In addition to his college basketball career, Maluach represents the South Sudan national team, having joined at the age of 16. He made his debut in August 2023, becoming the third-youngest player to appear in a World Cup game. Maluach's talent and hard work have taken him from a refugee in Uganda to a promising young athlete, making waves in the world of basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
The Duke Blue Devils and the Kentucky Wildcats played a men's college basketball game on November 12, 2024, with Kentucky winning 77-72.
Duke has an 8-5 record in Champions Classic games, while Kentucky has a 5-8 record.
A star freshman on the Duke team is Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. A notable player on the Kentucky team is super-senior Amari Williams, who has been producing points/rebounds double-doubles in UK's games.
