College hoops season is finally here and tonight’s State Farm Champions Classic will feature some of the best programs in the country. Here are my predictions for tonight’s games:
Duke vs Michigan State:
Last year coming into this tournament the Spartans were one of the top ranked teams in the country, but with the departure of Adreian Payne, Keith Appling and Gary Harris the expectations for Izzo’s squad aren’t a high, however, that doesn’t mean this team doesn’t have to talent to pull off an upset against a 4th ranked Duke team with Final Four aspirations (you can never count out Tom Izzo). Expect the Spartans to start out fast and strong this evening, somewhat startling the Blue Devils and holding a small lead heading into overtime. But the second half will be Jahlil Okafor time, showcasing why he was ranked the best player of this class on a national stage.
Duke: 82 MSU: 76
Kentucky vs Kansas:
This matchup will be a great early test for both of these squads. After coming up just shy of a National Championship last year, the Wildcats have their eye on returning to the Final Four this year and with the return of several key players they are favored to do so. But despite all the hype that surrounds this talented team they surprisingly struggled early against Buffalo this past Sunday. If the Wildcats think they’re going to be able to overcome playing like that against the Jayhawks they have another thought coming, but I think Buffalo gave Coach Cal’s team a wake up call. They will be ready tonight against Kansas. This game will be a thriller – coming down to the last few seconds or even an overtime period, and although I think Kansas will thrive in this role as the underdog, Kentucky will prevail.
Kentucky: 88 Kansas: 87
Tonight’s games will air beginning at 7pm est on ESPN. I’ll be on hand covering all of the action so follow me on Twitter for live updates @vashtihurt.
