Duke and Michigan State clash in Chicago for early-season spotlight
Three Top 25 teams face off on Tuesday night, featuring a contest between the No. 5 Spartans and No. 2 Blue Devils at the United Center.
By Robert Ward ·
College basketball often receives little public attention until the final month of the season, but the current schedule features high-profile matchups that demand earlier scrutiny. Tuesday night offers three games between teams ranked in the AP Top 25, all part of early-season exhibition events.
The centerpiece contest pits No. 5 Michigan State against No. 2 Duke at the United Center in Chicago. The game begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Duke favored by 7.5 points. Both teams have won their first two games of the season.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo returns with point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who led the nation in assists per game last season. The Spartans also retain forward Coen Carr. However, Izzo faces a challenge in the frontcourt after losing starting big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. Duke, which reached the Elite Eight last season, lost its two top scorers to the NBA but retains four of its six leading scorers from the previous year, including Patrick Ngongba II and Cayden Boozer.
In Lubbock, Texas, No. 3 Illinois visits No. 16 Texas Tech at 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock. Illinois, which reached the Final Four last season, is missing forward David Mirkovic due to foot surgery and appendectomy, as well as Jake Davis with a shoulder injury. Texas Tech is without star forward JT Toppin, who is recovering from an ACL tear and targeting a return by the end of December. The Red Raiders have won 48 consecutive nonconference home games.
The evening concludes at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN with No. 24 Kentucky hosting No. 15 Kansas. Kansas lost guard Melvin Council Jr. to a broken foot sustained in practice on Monday. Council averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 assists last season. Kentucky, which allowed James Madison to score 80 points in its previous game, relies on transfer Milan Momcilovic, who shot 48.7% from beyond the arc last season and scored 24 points in his opener against Manhattan.
Analytics models place both Duke and Illinois near the top of the nation, reflecting their depth and talent. Michigan State and Texas Tech are also ranked highly, indicating a competitive field. The spread for the Kansas and Kentucky matchup is Kansas by 4.5 points, while Illinois is favored by 2.5 points at Texas Tech.
The three games represent a significant step up in competition for all six teams, which have previously faced opponents like Quinnipiac, Toledo, FDU, and Penn. These matchups provide a clearer indication of each program's readiness for conference play compared to their earlier schedule.
