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The Top Two Teams In The AP Top 25 Set To Clash In Chicago As #1 Duke Takes On #2 Michigan State

The top two teams in the AP Top 25  poll are set to hit the hardwood in Chicago Tuesday in the State Farm Champions Classic as Duke who is ranked number one will take on second ranked Michigan State.

The game marks the 42nd time since 1949 that AP No. 1 faces No. 2, with the No. 1 team holding a 21-20 edge. Duke is 3-2 as the No. 1 playing against the No. 2. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211685326

  • The Blue Devils are 257-75 (.774) in neutral settings under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, including a 3-3 mark in the Champions Classic. Duke has won five straight neutral site games against ranked squads.
  • Duke and Michigan State will meet for the second straight season. Lasts season, the Blue Devils earned a 78-69 victory in Cameron Indoor Stadium, with Grayson Allen scoring a team-high 24 points. Krzyzewski is 11-1 in his career against the Spartans.
  • Saturday,  Krzyzewski picked up his 1,000th career win at Duke. His career record at Duke improved to 1,000-271 in this, his 38th season.
  • Freshman forward Marvin Bagley III became Duke’s first freshman to post double-doubles in each of his first two collegiate games. The rookie also matched the Duke record held by Jabari Parker for most points by a freshman over the first two games of a career (49).
  • Through two games, freshman guard Trevon Duval has 20 assists against just one turnover. He shattered a Duke record set by Chris Duhon in 2000 for most assists through the first two games of a career (12). "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211685326

As for Duke's last game, 

Mike Krzyzewski became the first men's Division I coach to win 1,000 games at one school Saturday night when his top-ranked Blue Devils beat Utah Valley 99-69 behind 24 points and 10 rebounds from freshman Marvin Bagley III. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Grayson Allen added 18 points for Duke (2-0) while three other freshmen also had big nights: Trevon Duval had 15 points and 12 assists, Gary Trent Jr. added 17 points and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Utah Valley, which pestered No. 5 Kentucky a night earlier, gave Duke about 10 minutes' worth of trouble before the Blue Devils pulled away on the strength of arguably the nation's best freshman class."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Each of Duke's first 40 points was scored by a freshman, including every single one during the 27-8 run midway through the first half that gave the Blue Devils a comfortable lead and put Krzyzewski well on his way to the latest milestone of his Hall of Fame career."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Krzyzewski, who in 2015 became the first men's coach at college basketball's top level to reach the 1,000-win mark, improved to 1,073-330 during a 43-year career that also included a half-decade at his alma mater, Army. In 38 seasons at Duke, he is 1,000-271. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Akolda Manyang had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah Valley (0-2)."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

THE TAKEAWAY

Utah Valley: It's bound to get easier for the Wolverines, who took on -- and gave headaches to -- another blueblood program in the top five. One night after leading Kentucky by 12 in the second half of a 10-point loss, Utah Valley handed the Blue Devils their first deficit of the young season and led for nearly 7 minutes of the first half. The Wolverines used four guards and a 7-footer (Manyang) to bother Duke."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

Duke: The freshmen will be the story of the season -- the Blue Devils even used five at once for the 3-minute stretch that sparked the game-breaking run -- and now the focus is how they'll handle their next game, the showdown with second-ranked Michigan State in Chicago. Without question it will be the biggest stage so far for a Duke team that starts four freshmen -- the first time the Blue Devils have done that since Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie were first-year players in 1982-83."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211684999

As for Michigan State's last game,  they beat North Florida despite committing  twenty one turnovers.

Sophomore guard/forward Miles Bridges scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds to lead five players in double figures as No. 2 Michigan State beat North Florida, 98-66, in the season opener for both schools on Friday night at Breslin Center. "according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

Michigan State improves to 1-0 with the win, while North Florida falls to 0-1. "according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

Bridges, the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year and an Associated Press Preseason All-American, hit 9-of-15 shots from the floor to go with 10 rebounds, three blocks and two assists to lead the Spartans."according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

Freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 13 points, had a game-high 13 rebounds, and added four blocked shots and three assists, while sophomore forward Nick Ward added 16 points. Sophomore guard Joshua Langford added 13 points, five assists and three steals and sophomore guard Cassius Winston chipped in 12 points and eight assists."according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

The Spartans led by 26 points (52-26) at halftime and took their biggest lead, 39 points, on a layup from junior guard Matt McQuaid with 2:04 left to play, extending the margin to 94-55."according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

The Spartans opened up a 26-point lead at the half and never looked back. Langford and Ward each scored 11 points in the opening 20 minutes, while Winston had six points and seven assists and Jackson had nine points and nine rebounds."according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

North Florida had taken an early 8-3 lead after a 3-pointer and a layup from Garrett Sams, but the Spartans used a 10-2 run to take a 13-10 lead on a Ward layup at the 16:25 mark. Tied at 13-all after a 3-pointer from Ivan Gandia-Rosa, MSU used a 19-0 run over a span of eight minutes and took a 32-13 lead on a layup by Bridges with 8:13 to play. MSU held the Ospreys without a field goal for 10:12 as a layup from Langford extended the lead to 38-14 with 6:05 on the clock in the opening half."according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

Michigan State finished the game shooting 57.4 percent from the floor (35-of-61), 25.0 percent of its three-pointers (3-of-12) and 78.1 percent from the free throw line (25-of-32). MSU held a 49-26 advantage on the boards, handed out 22 assists and committed 21 turnovers. "according to http://www.msuspartans.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/111017aaa.html

Tip-off is set for 7:00pm. The game will be televised on ESPN. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=1845&SPSID=22726&DB_OEM_ID=4200