No. 23 Kentucky men’s basketball is set to duel against No. 7 Duke in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, Nov. 12, as a part of the annual StateFarm Champions Classic. 

The annual contest features Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan State with the matchups and locations changing each year. Starting in 2011, the event was set to run through 2025 until its renewal through 2028.

Both teams are heading into the matchup with a 2-0 record under their belts, but this game will be the first time each program has faced a brawny opponent this season. 

Kentucky has totaled 203 combined points in its first two games, beating Wright State 103-62 and Bucknell 100-72. It’s worth noting that Kentucky hit the 100-point mark just six times last season.

Senior Koby Brea currently leads UK in points per game, averaging 19, scoring 18 against Wright State and 20 against Bucknell. The 6-foot-7 guard has gone 10-12 from beyond the three-point arch in the first two games, good for a strong 83.3%.

Duke has amounted 196 total points, overruling Maine 96-62 and Army 100-58.

Five-star freshman Kon Knueppel leads the Blue Devils in points per game, averaging 18.5. The shooting guard scored 22 against the Black Bears and 15 against the Black Nights. As of now, Knueppel is shooting 56.5% from the field. 

Five-star freshman and projected NBA lottery pick Cooper Flagg is also having a substantial start to the season, averaging 15.5 points, nine rebounds and four assists. 

Through the first two contests, UK has averaged 26.5 assists per game while Duke trails behind with 18 assists per game. 

The Cats have meshed with each other better than fans would have imagined this early on, given that first-year head coach Mark Pope only had the summer to equip his players with the right tools to succeed while trying to build their chemistry on the court. 

This highly touted matchup can be viewed on ESPN at 9:00 p.m.