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What we learned from the Champions Classic

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The basketball was rough, the offenses were rusty, and the results ultimately won't matter come the NCAA Tournament in March.

But the top four teams in college hoops gathered on Tuesday at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden, and you really couldn't have asked for a better way to tip off the 2019-20 season.

The lower-ranked team won both games, with No. 4 Duke topping No. 3 Kansas 68-66, and No. 2 Kentucky handling No. 1 Michigan State 69-62.

Here's what we learned about each squad:

Maxey is appointment viewing

In a pregame interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, Kentucky head coach John Calipari insinuated he didn't know what to expect from his team.

"I know nothing," Calipari said. "I don't know where we're going to get a shot, how we're going to get a rebound."

Forty minutes later, Calipari learned one thing: With the game on the line, Tyrese Maxey will have the ball in his hands.

The 6-foot-3 freshman guard was electric and efficient on Tuesday, scoring 26 points during Kentucky's win. He managed a high usage rate with care while shooting 7-of-12 from the field, getting to the free-throw line for 10 attempts, and turning the ball over only once in 32 minutes. He can navigate the pick-and-roll, score in transition, and make big shots at crucial moments.

With the clock ticking down to one minute and Kentucky leading by two late, Maxey pulled up from well behind the 3-point arc to bury a trey and give the Wildcats a cushion.

Maxey, the No. 13 player in the 2019 recruiting class according to the ESPN 100, received interest from Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, and Texas before committing to Kentucky in May 2018. The Dallas native looks like he'll be the gem of the Wildcats' latest star-studded class.

Winston needs some help

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For Michigan State and Kansas, the downside to Tuesday's setup was that their seasons began 0-1. Both games were competitive, albeit sloppy, and neither team showed any major cause for concern.

But for Michigan State to live up to its preseason No. 1 ranking, the Spartans will need more from players not named Cassius Winston.

Winston scored 21 points while finishing only 1-of-7 from 3-point range, but 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. He was Michigan State's only player to post double-digit figures.

The Spartans miss Joshua Langford, who's out until January because of a foot injury suffered last season. The rest of the lineup was inefficient.

Xavier Tillman, MSU's second-best player, scored seven points on eight shots while committing three turnovers, and sophomore Gabe Brown was cold, scoring only eight points in 21 minutes.

Michigan State shot just 5-of-26 from 3-point range, its worst performance since a Champions Classic loss to Kentucky in November 2016.

Jones looks ready to lead Duke

Duke will go as far as its four-man freshman class can take it. In Tuesday's win, three of the four freshmen scored in double digits. Matthew Hurt was especially impressive, notching 11 points in 23 minutes.

But as those players develop, this is Tre Jones' team. And the guard is embracing his role following the departures of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish.

Jones led the Blue Devils in points (15), assists (seven), and rebounds (six) against Kansas. He played strong defense, too, something the sophomore was known for as a freshman.

"I think the difference-maker for us was Tre," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. "We have a lot of young guys and a lot of new guys but we’ve really tried to play good defense in our first 30 practices and it paid off tonight. We played really good defense and it starts off with that kid and the poise he had on offense."

Kansas will be fine

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On one hand, Kansas' disregard for taking care of the basketball was an affront to the sport. The Jayhawks were a turnover machine, with no Kansas player leaving Madison Square Garden with an efficient offensive performance to begin their season.

But for the preseason No. 3 team in the country, there was an obvious silver lining.

Kansas turned the basketball over 28 times on Tuesday, yet the Jayhawks still lost to Duke by just two points.

Assuming Kansas won't need the win over Duke for its resume, we'll view that outcome as an uncanny and impressive feat. Kansas committed a turnover on 34.9 percent of its possessions, the fourth-worst mark during head coach Bill Self's tenure, and the team's worst in six years, according to KenPom.

Yet Kansas still earned a chance to win in the final minute.

Talented point guard Devon Dotson (17 points, six turnovers) will produce better days, and 7-foot senior Udoka Azubuike (eight points, four turnovers) looked like he hadn't played in a game in 10 months (he hasn't). As he shakes the rust off, he'll begin to play like an All-Big 12 talent.

Kansas plays three home games before spending Thanksgiving at the Maui Invitational. The Jayhawks have time to clean things up.

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