The 2026 edition of the Champions Classic is the most intriguing one in recent memory.
The annual showdown between Duke, Michigan State, Kansas and Kentucky has always been a core day in the start of the college basketball season with some major brand names, often with some highly ranked numbers next to it. But for the first time since 2022, three of them are ranked inside the top 15 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, meaning there are some pretty high expectations for the 2026-27 season.
It was a night that certainly had some statements, with No. 5 Michigan State pulling off a wire-to-wire win over No. 2 Duke and No. 14 Kansas running away against Kentucky.
In the first major event of the season, what did we learn from every team?
losers: College basketball Week 1 exposed contenders, pretenders in a hurry
Mark Pope's seat only gets hotter
Oh boy.
This was the first opportunity for the Kentucky coach to install some faith his team has improved after another loaded crop of recruits and transfers.
A 20-point loss won't do that.
Kentucky had little business being on the same court as a Jayhawks team that was better in every single phase of the game. The 3-point shooting, which was supposed to be great with Milan Momcilovic, was off. The Wildcats couldn't stop giving Kansas opportunities, turning 15 turnovers into 22 points. The interior that was supposed to be anchored by Malachi Moreno got bullied. The defense was too slow spent too much time waiting for something to happen instead of doing something about it.
Outside of Zoom Diallo being the offense with his game-high 24-points, Kentucky got steamrolled in a type of game it has to start winning. This also came on the heels of the uninspiring effort against James Madison, leading to frustrations of Big Blue Nation continuing on.
Of the four teams, Kentucky looked nowhere near a title contender, and that's a recipe for disaster in a make-or-break season.
Tyran Stokes may be the best freshman in the country
The kid is living up to the hype.
The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country showed why in his first notable game of his college career, dropping 23 points with 10 rebounds in the Kansas win, his first double-double. He missed his first four shot attempts but showed poise and a killer instinct the rest of the way, finishing 8-for-15 from the field the rest of the way.
Stokes was highly touted for his ability to attack from all over the court, but we hadn't seen much of the 3-point shooting yet. He made four of his eight attempts, unafraid from defenders with shot creation you see from someone getting ready for the next level. When that shot is falling, Kansas is going to be winning a bunch of games with Stokes controlling the game alongside guys like Tre White, who had a career-high 30 points.
Pope could only watch Stokes terrorize his defense, wishing he got the commitment instead of Bill Self.
With Jeremy Fears Jr., everything is possible for Michigan State
Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. Jeremy Fears Jr. understood the message loud and clear.
One of the top players in the country looked like it when he put up a whopping 18 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds on the Blue Devils. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny he plays a tough brand of basketball that coach Tom Izzo has to love, relentless running up and down the court with zero fear.
JEREMY FEARS HAS TAKEN OVER THIS GAME 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/HkJqD15qMt
— The College Sports Company (@CollegeSportsCo) November 11, 2026
It was evident Fears' play elevates the Spartans, with everyone on the court feeding off his vision and ball-handling on the offensive end while matching the defensive intensity that was able to limit Duke to just 33% shooting from the field.
Never trailing, this is by far the most impressive performance of the season thus far. Michigan State has a star and experience on its side, and that has been what's working for teams to reach the Final Four and win it all.
Duke needs a star to rise up
Jon Scheyer deserves a ton of credit for crafting his deepest roster yet at Duke. There's just one problem:
Where's the star?
After getting blessed with Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, the Blue Devils don't have a certified No. 1 guy who has proven they can lead the team, which was a big problem against Michigan State. While you can argue anyone in the rotation can, none of them did.
John Blackwell is the most experienced, but he hasn't found his footing yet. He had a team-high 17 points but most of it came during the late comeback effort after he had just five points in the first half. Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje made their impact defensively but were a combined 4-for-12 from the field.
The Blue Devils are still trying to figure out the right combination of people on the court, but someone needs to step up and be the guy anchoring the lineup and can be relied upon in those big games. Michigan State had Fears, Duke didn't have anybody, and that was difference.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Pope is in trouble and Jeremy Fears Jr. is unwordly: Champions Classic takeaways
