One of the crown jewels of college basketball’s non-conference schedule tips off tonight. The Champions Classic, a rotating pair of games between Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State, will take place in basketball’s mecca, Madison Square Garden, at 7:00pm ET this evening. Fans will be treated to a pair of top 15 matchups as the Spartans face the Wildcats in the opener and the Blue Devils and the Jayhawks do battle in the nightcap.
Obviously given the blue blood programs involved, there will be plenty of talent for NBA fans to keep an eye on. All four of these teams feature players who should be taken in the first round of next June’s NBA Draft. Some, like Duke’s Grayson Allen, are already known quantities to nearly everyone who pays a modicum of attention to college hoops, but what about the newcomers?
Despite the fact that Blue Devil freshmen (and likely lottery picks) Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden will miss tonight with various maladies, there are still several reasons worth tuning in. So, which high-profile freshmen should you watch?
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Kentucky vs. Michigan State
Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan State
Bridges showed out in the Spartans’ opening game of the season, scoring 21 points in a loss to Arizona at the Armed Forces Classic. The 6-foot-7 combo forward delivered plenty of highlight reel plays as he used his athleticism to attack the rim against a traditionally solid Wildcat defense. Bridges has the physical tools to be a multi-positional defender and will be able to take advantage of offensive mismatches assuming he can play the power forward spot at the next level. His weaknesses, though, were also on display against Arizona: Bridges doesn’t have a consistent jumper yet, something that would greatly expand his offensive repertoire. He finished 1-for-6 from deep on Friday night.
De’Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky
Fox entered his freshman season as a renowned perimeter defender capable of pressuring opposing guards into turnovers while making it difficult for them to create shots for their teammates. Those traits haven’t gone anywhere, but the 6-foot-3 point guard has also shown some skills on the offensive end. In Kentucky’s two gimme openers, Fox has averaged 21.0 points and 9.5 assists per 40 minutes despite not making a 3-pointer. He is shooting better than 50 percent on his 2s and his speed has been a problem for opponents. Fox is difficult to contain in transition and when put into motion in head coach John Calipari’s motion offense, he’s given an opportunity to attack in a way that few in college basketball can.
Malik Monk, SG, Kentucky
Like Fox, Monk has been able to put points on the board against a pair of lower conference opponents, averaging 20.0 points per 40 minutes. The biggest concern, though, is that the 6-foot-3 off-guard is only shooting 36.0 percent from the field and is just 3-for-12 from behind the 3-point arc. Monk is an excellent athlete and has slammed home a couple of impressive alley-oops, but his NBA prospects depend on his ability to consistently knock down jump shots. So far, it seems the best we can say about his shooting ability is that it’s “streaky.” Monk will need to break out of the slump in order to make any climbs on draft boards this season.
Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Kentucky
At 6-foot-10 and built like a brick, Adebayo on face has the physical profile to compete against bigger bodies in the NBA, but his rather average 7-foot-1 wingspan raises questions about what position he’s fit for at the next level. Adebayo has blocked three shots in the Wildcats’ first two games, which is respectable but certainly not outstanding for someone hoping to be a rim protecting, rim running center in the NBA. Still, his motor is excellent, he’ll collect plenty of garbage buckets and he even has the hints of a mid-range game, so it’s not all negative for Adebayo so far. Where he fits on the court — either as a power forward or a center — may go a long way towards determining how high a pick he earns in June.
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Duke vs. Kansas
Frank Jackson, PG, Duke
With three of Duke’s four five-star freshmen sitting out on Tuesday, all eyes will be on point guard Frank Jackson. Jackson has provided a complimentary scoring punch alongside upperclassmen Grayson Allen through the Blue Devils’ first two games. He is averaging 19.5 points per game while coming off the bench and shooting 52.0 percent from the field. As a score-first point guard, you’d like to see him flash more of his passing ability before committing to him long-term at the position. Jackson, who was originally committed to play for BYU, may not be ready to declare for the 2016 draft, but he’s talented enough that he’s worth keeping an eye on now that he’ll face one of the most experienced backcourts in college hoops.
Josh Jackson, SG/SF, Kansas
For a player projected to contend for the No. 1 pick next June, Jackson’s line of nine points, six rebounds and four fouls while shooting 3-for-11 from the field in an opening night loss to Indiana wasn’t the most inspiring. There were moments, however, when his potential shined through. Jackson played solid perimeter defense and battled with a tough Hoosier frontline on the boards. He occasionally made plays with the ball in his hands and also showed his athleticism with a nice tip-back dunk on the offensive boards. Jackson is still finding his place playing next to a pair of ball dominant guards in Frank Mason and Devonte Graham. On Tuesday night, he has a chance to shine and erase any questions raised by his performance against Indiana.
It’s obviously a bummer that fans will miss out on seeing a full potential national championship preview when Duke takes on Kansas given Giles, Tatum and Bolden will be missing, but there will still be a plethora of talented prospects taking the floor on Tuesday night. That should be enough to make NBA fans — especially those who cheer for a franchise with a lottery pick — to tune into ESPN for tip-off.