Wow.
That is pretty much everybody's reaction around the nation as they saw four of the best NCAA Men's Basketball programs in action Tuesday night. As a result of the Duke vs. Kansas and Michigan St. vs. Kentucky games taking at the 2013 Champions Classic, the NBA, NCAA and social media sights had plenty to focus on. Here are the final scores as the lowest ranked teams walked out victorious on Tuesday.
It was No. 1 Kentucky making a comeback against the No. 2 Michigan St. Spartans. However, due to there lack of execution in the first minutes of the game, falling behind 10-0, the Wildcats were unable to complete a comeback and win the game. The Spartans held their ground after looking like a completely different team in the second quarter. The final score in this game favored Michigan St. as the scoreboard read, 78-74.
What is more important for Kentucky's coach, John Calipari, though everybody wants to win, at least the team was able to battle back as they trailed by double digits early and often. They trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, but Julius Randle decided to take matters into his own hands. The rookie finished with 22 of his 27 points in the second half, leading a Kentucky charge that saw them tie the game. However, the Spartans proved strong at the end.
The second game of the evening featured No. 4 Duke vs. No. 5 Kansas and how exciting it was! Ladies and gentlemen, you might have missed the game of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball season. It was a back and forth affair that was poorly summarized by the final score. The Kansas Jayhawks won the game 94-83, but it was only because things got out of hand late in the game.
However, Duke received a heck of a performance from its rookie, Jabari Parker. He scored 27 points. He finished at the hoop from close distance, but was also able to space out the floor by immediately hitting 4-5 from three-point range in the first half. Foul trouble removed him from the court in the second half and that was pretty much all she wrote for Duke.
That is when Jayhawks' rookie, Andrew Wiggins took over. He scored 22 points in this game, helping Kansas steal the victory though it was Parker who stole the hype.
The game was extremely close until the 1:51 minute mark in the second half. With the score 83-81, the Jayhawks closed the game on a 11-2 run, capitalizing on Parkers' absence and taking home the well earned victory.
Final Scores: Jayhawks 94-83 Blue Devils
Spartans 78-74 Wildcats
Highlights: Click here for Jayhawks vs. Blue Devils clips by ESPN
