Here we go -- the bluest of blues. Kansas and Duke are just two of the five programs with 2,000 victories. They're third and fourth, respectively, in all-time winning percentage. And they're both national title contenders this season. Consider this our first indulgence of the holiday week.
Venue: T-Mobile Arena -- Las Vegas
Time: Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
The Blue Devils are 8-6 in the historic head-to-head series, but the Jayhawks have won four of the last five meetings. Kansas is the top-ranked team in the country, but Duke touts the higher KenPom rating through five games. These two sides combine for high-wattage star power and a national allure befitting Vegas Boulevard.
Hunter Dickinson is enjoying a second consecutive season averaging at least 17 points and 10 rebounds with the Jayhawks. He's also at a career high in blocks and career low in turnovers. While the Blue Devils roll with two dynamic freshman bigs, the fifth-year Dickinson is a steadying presence inside for Kansas. Encircling him are three bucket-getters from the transfer portal -- Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State), AJ Storr (Wisconsin) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama). And freshman Flory Bidunga is doing wild things with his limited playing time, shooting 82.6 percent from the floor (!) to average more than eight points in less than 13 minutes per game.
Kansas point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. has a clean assist-to-turnover rate. And KJ Adams Jr. is the team's fulcrum -- coach Bill Self said his senior forward is "as valuable as any player we've ever had." Adams has put up a 4.0 win share in each of his last two seasons, and he led the Big 12 in field goal percentage last year.
Duke washed out the taste of that early Kentucky loss with an inspired road win over Arizona Friday night. Cooper Flagg scored 24 points -- on 22 shots -- and added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
Teammates Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor have a green light from behind the arc, as they're both on pace to shoot the most 3s in a Duke season since Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett in 2018-19. Jon Scheyer's group enters the game fifth in defensive rating, especially impressive given their two ranked nonconference opponents. Khaman Maluach, the 7-foot-2 South Sudanese freshman, will be primarily tasked with containing Dickinson down low. He's ninth in the ACC in blocked shots and 13th in offensive rebounds.
November college basketball doesn't normally offer top-line coolness like this. It's well worth the late tip-off time.
Memorable Matchup: 1991 NCAA championship -- the first of 32 straight title games called by Jim Nantz and the first of five natties for Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils slayed its dragon in UNLV, then won it all behind Christian Laettner's 18 points and 10 rebounds. Mark Randall also had 18 and 10 in the losing effort.