There is always something brewing when Kansas and Kentucky face off, especially considering that Tyran Stokes picked Kansas over Kentucky to end a feverish recruiting battle in April. The potential future No. 1 pick will lace 'em up against a coach in Mark Pope, who spent months trying to woo Stokes to Lexington and drew heat from every corner of BBN when he came up short.
It's the story of this game, but Tuesday's Champions Classic is also a golden opportunity for both No. 15 Kansas and No. 24 Kentucky to show that they're far better than their current national status.
Let's dive into the nuts and bolts of this blue-blood matchup, starting with projected starting lineups:
Kentucky: G Zoom Diallo, G Alex Wilkins, F Milan Momcilovic, F Ousmane N'Diaye, C Malachi Moreno
Kansas: G Taylen Kinney, G Tre White, G Tyran Stokes, F Trey Kaufman-Renn, F Keanu Dawes
Kentucky vs. Kansas: Need to know
All eyes on Mr. Stokes: Recruiting drama aside, Stokes is also a real matchup problem for Kentucky in this spot. Pope does not have many good options to handle Kansas' 6-8 freshman wing, who is too big for guards and way too fast for most forwards. Sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic is in Lexington to bang 3-pointers, but Kentucky needs him to play the best defensive game of the season. Momcilovic on Stokes is a matchup Kentucky may have to live with, and it's going to be something Kansas coach Bill Self targets from the jump. If Momcilovic can't handle Stokes' bully-ball drives, Kentucky may have to try Zoom Diallo. Maybe redshirt-freshman wing Braydon Hawthorne could also be part of the solution. Hawthorne's got an enormous wingspan and has impressed defensively so far. Stokes is a problem for everybody, but especially this Kentucky roster. If Stokes goes off, Kentucky is in hot water.
Mark Pope's big game woes: Kentucky is 29-26 against high-major teams under Pope. That is far from the standard. One common denominator has been a halfcourt offense gone awry. Self is going to do whatever it takes to keep Kentucky from getting free for its patented transition 3-pointers. If you can make this Kentucky team execute in the halfcourt, there are many more outs for Kansas' defense. But that's easier said than done. Kansas' starting lineup has barely played together this season after Kaufman-Renn's late addition to the roster. Kentucky has plenty of shooting and length surrounding a big man in Malachi Moreno who can really pass the basketball. If Kansas' defense is not connected, Kentucky has the offensive personnel to make it pay.
Melvin Council Jr. broke his foot; what does it mean? Kansas is losing its dawg and its soul. Council is the high-energy sparkplug who is a voracious defender, an all-out competitor and one of the fastest guards in all of college basketball. Kansas will absolutely miss his speed. Self has a decision to make, whether to go big with Keanu Dawes or Christian Reeves to guard Moreno or to stay small and insert Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden Jr., who is quite fast and owns a feathery jumper. That optionality is a good thing. I also think it does just ramp up the usage rate for Stokes and Kaufman-Renn. I'd love to see Stokes and TKR get rolling in the pick-and-roll game together. Those are two giant playmakers who could put Kentucky's defense into some rough positions. They've just barely played together this year, so it's hard to imagine the Stokes-TKR, two-man game humming on all cylinders right away.
Where to watch Kentucky vs. Kansas live
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 10 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: United Center -- Chicago
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Kentucky vs. Kansas prediction
Kansas' full team had only been practicing together for only three (!) weeks. Then starting guard Melvin Council Jr. broke his foot Monday, forcing Bill Self to recalibrate again. Kansas has the more talented roster on paper, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are still some kinks to be ironed out that were not exposed in romps over solid mid-majors like Fordham and Middle Tennessee. Is Kentucky good enough to press those hot spots? Maybe. Kentucky's 3-point shooting is the path to popping the upset. Kansas does not profile as a high-volume 3-point shooting team with Trey Kaufman-Renn, Tre White, Tyran Stokes and Keanu Dawes on the floor together. On the other hand, Milan Momcilovic is the best shooter in the sport. If Kentucky can rebound and run, it is very capable of drilling double-digit treys. That's rarely going to be in the range of potential outcomes for Kansas, who will rely heavily on paint points and free throws to score efficiently.
The Council injury likely means Self will go big, sacrificing some of the pace for even more rebounding. A front line of Dawes, Stokes and Kaufman-Renn might not make many 3s, but it creates some awkward matchups for Kentucky. Can Momcilovic defend Stokes without fouling a freshman who is a foul-drawing machine? Does Kentucky ditch that idea altogether and put a bulldog veteran guard like Zoom Diallo onto Stokes, stay home on everyone else and try to bait Stokes into taking a million shots over a smaller defender? Making Stokes one-dimensional is better than allowing him to shred as a scorer and creator.
Kansas' offensive rebounding feels inevitable, but Kentucky's shooting and length make it very live. Its up-and-down guards just need to play clean in this one, or UK is dead on arrival. The pick: Kentucky +5.5
