Kentucky is ranked 23rd on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early top 25 college basketball rankings.

Kentucky is ranked 23rd on ESPN’s Way-Too-Early top 25 college basketball rankings.
–
Do you agree with ESPN’s ranking and projected starting lineup?

One of the most challenging games of the non-conference slate for the Kentucky Wildcats is when they head to Atlanta, Georgia, to take on the Duke Blue Devils in the State Farm Champions Classic.

The last time Kentucky played in Atlanta, they took down North Carolina in a thriller. Now, Mark Pope will try to get his Kentucky career going with a bang.

The issue with this matchup against Duke is that this is one of the most talented college basketball teams we have seen in a long time. This class is highlighted by Cooper Flagg, who projects to be the number one player in taken in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg recently practiced with the Team USA Olympic team made up of players like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry, but the college freshman was holding his own.

When it comes to talent and NBA upside, Duke has the advantage by a wide margin, but that isn’t always what wins games in college, as Kentucky fans learned during the Calipari era.

Kentucky’s team is full of veteran players who have all played under the bright lights of March Madness, and big games like this one in Atlanta will be.

This gives Kentucky an advantage, knowing it will be an early game on the schedule for both teams being played on November 12th.

While the Blue Devils have the advantage in talent, the Wildcats have the advantage in experience, and sometimes, in games like this, that can be the difference maker. The Kentucky Wildcats will take down the Duke Blue Devils in Atlanta in what will be one of the best games of the college basketball season.

By now, you’ve likely heard about the reputation Kerr Kriisa has brought with him to Lexington as one of nine transfer portal additions to Mark Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team.

The fifth-year guard — born in Estonia and formerly a standout at both Arizona and West Virginia — has serious swagger, with significant trash-talking bravado and a distinct personality.

“He’s just nuts,” new UK assistant coach Cody Fueger told the Herald-Leader this offseason about Kriisa, a 6-foot-2 guard who has previously played in 99 college basketball games.