One of the most prestigious rivalries in all of sports: Kentucky versus Duke. 

A simple matchup that has years of blood, sweat and hatred injected into it. 

The two “blue bloods” have reigned at the top of the college basketball community for years, gaining fans from all of the world, but most of all in Lexington and Durham.

If you ask your grandparents, they’ll know. If you ask your parents, they’ll know. And after the 2024 Champions Classic, ask any college basketball fan and they’ll know. This  rivalry just means more.

The two have battled each other 24 different times, five of those being in the NCAA Tournament, in which Kentucky holds a 3-2 lead. 

Historically, Kentucky has run the table but, more recently, dating back to the two team’s face off in the 1998 NCAA Tournament South Regional Finals, Duke holds a 5-3 winning record over the Cats.

It also wasn’t until this past Tuesday, Nov. 12, that Kentucky, then ranked No. 19, bested Duke, beating the No. 6 Blue Devils 77-72 in the 2024 State Farm Champions Classic, earning its first ranked win under new Head Coach Mark Pope. 

Before recently beating the Blue Devils, Kentucky had fallen to Duke three out of the past four contests dating back to 2012 with its last win coming in 2015, giving the rivalry the look of a one-sided seesaw. 

The win didn’t only bring Kentucky back to national prominence in the college basketball world, it also reincarnated a rich rivalry that had been floundering as of recently. 

Following the departure of long-tenured Head Coach John Calipari, Kentucky has completely revamped its playing style and efforts. 

Thus far, early on in the Pope era, Kentucky fans have nothing but trust after taking down the Blue Devils at a neutral site. 

The win sparked something fans hadn’t seen much of in recent years and that is the confidence and hope. Confidence and hope that UK fans simply “have their swagger back,” again, thanks to Pope. 

With that said, a question could be asked about what actually gets fans their swagger back?

It’s not just the coach that brings the swagger, it’s the players as well.

The Kentucky-Duke rivalry had been nearly silent the past couple of years until UK guard Kerr Kriisa decided to stir the pot ahead of the State Farm Champions Classic following Kentucky’s 100-72 win over Bucknell on Nov. 9.

“The whole world is talking about Cooper Flagg,” Kriisa said. “Excited to play against the No. 1 overall draft pick. Congrats to him on getting that already.”

His comments poked fun at the “foregone conclusion” that Flagg will be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft with analysts labeling him a “generational talent.” Kriisa has, unsurprisingly, not yet actually earned the No. 1 spot for a draft occurring in June 2025.

The “dig” was not taken lightly, causing a social media massacre between Kentucky and Duke fans on all platforms. 

Kriisa finished off the game against the Blue Devils with six points while shooting 2-7 (28.6%) from three — not his best — but enough for the points to matter. Following the large victory, Kriisa left a stinging message to Duke. 

“He’s (Flagg) the number one pick, but we got the win,” Kriisa said. 

Also, following the win, former NBA player, Duke Blue Devil and ESPN Analyst Jay Williams went on a tangent on social media, serving up his own dig at Kentucky fans.

“Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg,” Williams said. “He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

He continued.

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” he said. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

Even if Kentucky and Duke don’t face each other again this season, which the two most likely won’t, all can agree on the fact that the impact the game had, not just on college basketball, but on the rivalry as a whole was pure and much needed.

When it comes to “Blue Bloods” in college basketball, few if any are on the level of Duke and Kentucky and, for the first time in what feels like forever, college basketball has one of its best feuds back.