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The first couple games of the college basketball season for many high-level teams are often against lower-level, smaller school programs. Things start to heat up quickly, though, and that'll be evident this week. Duke and Michigan State – two of the most storied teams in college basketball history and two of the best teams this year – will play each other on Nov. 14. Below is everything that you need to know on how to watch the first game of the Champions Classic.
When and where is the Champions Classic?
Duke and Michigan State will kick off the Champions Classic. It will be the first massive game of the 2023-24 season, and Duke and Michigan State will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The Champions Classic is at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
How to watch Duke vs. Michigan State
ESPN will be broadcasting the Champions Classic. It can also be streamed using fuboTV.
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Duke -2/5 O/U 144.5
Duke storylines
Both Duke and Michigan State have already lost a game this season. The losses to start the season come as big surprises. Both teams are two of the most consistent teams throughout history and were expected to come out of the gates hot. The losses to start the year are unfortunate, but it is still early in the season. The losses will also make the Champions Classic a higher stakes affair, though. Neither team wants to start out the first three games with a losing record, so this game will surely be a battle.
After beating Dartmouth, Duke lost to Arizona by a score of 78-73. Arizona was the 12th-ranked team, but it was still a surprising loss for Duke, who is now ranked ninth.
Duke struggled on the defensive glass, and that is something that the team will have to improve going forward. Kyle Filipowski is seven feet tall and listed at center, but the departure of Dereck Lively seemed to hurt against Arizona. Filipkowski is arguably the team's best-returning player, but he isn't a traditional big man who swallows up rebounds. Duke allowed Arizona a 35.3 offensive rebounding percentage.
While Filipkowski may not be known for his rebounding or interior presence, he has been filling the stat sheets in other areas. The center is already averaging 25 points per game. His partner in crime, Jeremy Roach, has been a fixture in Duke rotations for years. Roach, a senior, is averaging 15.5 points per game in a bigger role than he has ever had. Tyrese Proctor is also expected to have an increased role this season. Some thought that the guard would declare for the NBA Draft, but he is back for the Blue Devils. However, Proctor has underwhelmed in the early part of the season. He is only averaging eight points per game.
The Blue Devils also have three intriguing freshmen. Jared McCain, Sean Stewart, and Caleb Foster haven't put up crazy numbers yet, but all three freshmen ranked inside of the top 25 recruits by ESPN, and all three are expected to play big roles this season. For the second year in a row, Jon Scheyer is coaching Duke. Mike Krzyzewski was the team's coach since 1980 before that.
Michigan State storylines
While Krzyzewski is retired, Michigan State still has their Hall of Fame coach at the helm. Tom Izzo has been coaching the Spartans since 1995. Krzyzewski and Izzo are big reasons the Champions Classic was created. The Champions Classic – which also features Kansas and Kentucky – is meant to feature college basketball's most prestigious and consistent programs. Izzo has been leading the Spartans for a long time, and the team is again expected to compete for a national title.
Michigan State is currently ranked 18th. Their loss in the season opener came against James Madison in overtime. It was a devastating loss, but the Spartans have seemingly already bounced back. They dominated in game two, beating Southern Indiana 74-51.
Tyson Walker has gotten out to a hot start for Michigan State. He scored 35 points in the opener and 14 in game two. While Walker is averaging 24.5 points per game, no one else on the team is averaging double figures. This is a major problem, and Walker desperately needs more help.
While the offense needs to improve, Tom Izzo's teams always work hard and play great defense. That has remained the case this season. Even with a loss already under their belt, though, Duke will be by far their toughest challenge yet. Another loss would be devastating for either program. Michigan State has historically struggled against Duke. They are just 4-14 against the Blue Devils. Duke won the first three Champions Classic matchups against Michigan State, but the Spartans won the most recent contest in the 2020 event.
