Would I have rather had it inside Cameron Indoor Stadium or Allen Fieldhouse? Of course I would’ve! College basketball is forever better in true home-road environments, especially in historic, on-campus buildings. So, like I tweeted late Tuesday, if you put me at a table in between Kansas coach Bill Self and Duke coach Jon Scheyer, I’m figuring out a way to get them to agree to a home-and-home series with one meeting at Cameron, another at The Phog.
But that’s a column for another day.
Today, let’s just focus on the fact that Kansas and Duke — two of the sport’s biggest and best brands — met late Tuesday on a neutral-court in Las Vegas. It didn’t pop like it otherwise would’ve in a true home-road environment, but it was still a fun game that likely ensured the Jayhawks will remain No. 1 when the AP Top 25 poll updates Monday regardless of what happens in Maui, Atlantis or anywhere else.
Final score: Kansas 75, Duke 72.
Despite CBS Sports preseason All-American Hunter Dickinson getting ejected after just 24 minutes on the court for kicking Duke’s Maliq Brown in the head, the Jayhwks shot 49.1% from the field to improve to 7-0 with victories over Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State. Needless to say, Bill Self’s program remains No. 1 in Wednesday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings for the 24th straight day of this season.
Duke remains No. 10.
Next up for KU is Saturday’s game against Furman that KenPom.com gives the Jayhawks a 95% chance of winning. So, barring an upset inside Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will enter next week with a 7-0 record.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
3
Purdue
9
North Carolina
In: Mississippi State, Oregon
Out: UConn, Texas A&M
