2013 Champions Classic

The 2013 Champions Classic was two early-season college basketball games between four of the top programs to tip off the 2013-14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It took place on November 12, 2013 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The 2013 Champions Classic featured #4Duke, #5 Kansas, #1 Kentucky, and #2 Michigan State. The 1st game of the 2013 Champions Classic was played at 7:30 P.M. between #2 Michigan State and #1 Kentucky The 2nd game of the 2013 Champions Classic was played at 10:30 P.M. between #5 Kansas and #4 Duke.^[5] Michigan State won the 1st game 78-74^[6] and Kansas won the 2nd game 94-83.^[7] This is the 1st time where two top five showdowns take place in the same doubleheader at the same venue since the 2008 Final Four where Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis (who were all #1 seeds) played each other at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.^[8] The 2013 Champions Classic featured the top three freshman on ESPN's Recruiting Nation's Top 100:^[9]

• 1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
• 2. Jabari Parker, SF, Duke
• 3. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky

#2 Michigan State vs. #1 Kentucky

Entering this game, Kentucky was ranked #1 and Michigan State was ranked #2 indicating the 1st 1 vs. 2 matchup in College Basketball since the 2008 Tennessee vs. Memphis game. This is the 39th time the #1 team faced the #2 team.^[10] Michigan State got off to a 10-0 lead in the 1st four minutes of play as Kentucky called two timeouts before there was an official TV Timeout. James Young and Julius Randle got the Wildcats going scoring seven points in the next four minutes. Gary Harris would then prevent Kentucky from doing any more damage by scoring seven points within the next four minutes as Michigan State would have a 26-14 lead. Adreian Payne kept the momentum on Michigan State's side as he would score eight points within the next four minutes and Michigan State lead would be 34-19. Michigan State would have a 44-32 lead at halftime.

Julius Randle got off to a strong start in the 2nd half as he scored six points to cut the Michigan State lead to 44-38. Keith Appling would extend Michigan State's lead to 50-40 before Kentucky would call timeout. Then, the teams traded baskets and Michigan State would have a 59-46 lead. Kentucky would then have an 11-1 run to cut the Michigan State lead to 60-57 and the Spartans would be forced to call timeout. Three minutes later, Michigan State would have a 66-62 lead. Then, Andrew Harrison and Julius Randle each made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 66-66. A Keith Appling three-pointer and a Gary Harris steal and layup would give Michigan State a 71-66 lead which forced Kentucky to call timeout. Julius Randle followed by making a pair of free throws to cut the Michigan State lead to 71-68. Then, Adreian Payne and Keith Appling each made a pair of free throws to give Michigan State a 75-68 lead. James Young followed with a basket to cut the Michigan State lead to 75-70 and Gary Harris would make one of his free throws which gave Michigan State a 76-70 lead. Julius Randle would miss two free throws which would have cut the Spartans lead to 76-72 had he made them but he missed them both. Andrew Harrison would make a pair of free throws to cut the Michigan State lead to 76-72. Julius Randle followed up with a jump shot with 42 seconds remaining. Branden Dawson made a tip shot with 10 seconds remaining to give Michigan State a 76-74 victory over Kentucky and the #1 spot in the rankings.^[11]

No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 4 Duke

The second game of the 2013 Champions Classic (between Kansas and Duke) was played between the top two freshman in the country: No. 1 Andrew Wiggins of Kansas and No. 2 Jabari Parker of Duke.^[12] Duke got off to a hot start with an 8–2 lead after three and a quarter minutes of game time. After Quinn Cook made a layup to give Duke a 10-5 lead, Kansas went on an 8-0 run to take a 13-10 lead. Parker made two three-pointers and a free throw within the next minute to give Duke a 17-15 lead. Duke and Kansas kept trading baskets until Kansas ended up with a 30-26 lead. They did the same thing and then Kansas was ahead 34-30. Parker led Duke with a 3-pointer and two free throws within the next one and a quarter minutes to give Duke a 37-36 lead and Kansas called timeout. Duke had a 42-40 lead at halftime.

The two teams traded baskets throughout the first four minutes of the second half and Duke ended up with a 50-49 lead. Duke had a 56-51 lead when Kansas called timeout. Perry Ellis made two baskets within the next minute which cut the Duke lead to 56–55 and caused them to call timeout. Rodney Hood and Parker each made a pair of free throws within the next two minutes but Frank Mason, Joel Embiid, and Wiggins each made a basket in that same period and Kansas was up, 61–60. The two teams traded baskets during the next three minutes and Duke ended up with a 67-66 lead. In the next one and a half minutes, Wiggins and Ellis each made a pair of free throws but Embiid also missed a pair and in that same period, Amile Jefferson missed a pair of free throws and Rasheed Sulaimon made both free throws and Kansas was ahead 70-69 and Duke called timeout. Parker scored four points in the next one and a half minutes and Duke had a 73-72 lead and Kansas called timeout. Naadir Tharpe and Wayne Selden Jr. would each make a pair of free throws to give Kansas a 76-73 lead. Sulaimon made a basket but had the opportunity to make it a three-point play but he missed the free throw so Kansas had a 76-75 lead. Perry Ellis was only able to make 1 of 2 free throws and Sulaimon followed by making a basket to tie the game at 77-77. Selden Jr. made a pair of free throws and then Jefferson followed with a layup to tie the game at 79-79. Within a minute, Selden Jr. and Jamari Traylor each made a basket for an 83-79 lead and Sulaimon made a basket to cut the Kansas lead to 83-81 before Duke would call timeout. Wiggins made two baskets in 15 seconds and rebounded his own missed free throw and 15 seconds later, Tharpe made 1 of 2 free throws to put Kansas ahead 88-81. Quinn Cook made a layup to cut the Kansas lead to 88-83 and Duke spent their final timeout. In the final minute, Frank Mason made four free throws, Wiggins made two free throws, and Kansas took a 94-83 victory.^[13]

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