Duke and Michigan State battled it out before Kansas took on Kentucky. We’ll recap it for you and get you ready for the biggest games on Wednesday!
Welcome to today’s Daily Dunk. We recap all of college basketball’s biggest games from yesterday and give you a look at the matchups to watch later today!
Yesterday’s Biggest Games
#8 Michigan State-75 vs #6 Duke-69
Duke was favored going into the game, but Michigan State held a 37-33 lead at halftime thanks to Aaron Henry and Julius Marble combining to score 18 points in the first 20 minutes.
The Blue Devils couldn’t find much offense. They shot a combined 32.3% of the field and were 5-23 from beyond the arc. Duke’s two best players, Jalen Johnson and Matthew Hurt combined for 28 points–three less than their combined total against Coppin State.
#20 Kentucky-62 vs #7 Kansas-65
We learned shortly before tip-off that Jayhawks guard Marcus Garrett was dealing with a sickness that head coach Bill Self described as something unrelated to COVID-19. Garrett had been touted as the best defensive guard in the country. He wasn’t going to miss a game vs Kentucky.
Kansas’ offense struggled to get things going early in the game. They scored just nine points in the first 12 minutes with eight turnovers. In the final seconds of the second half, Kentucky’s Davion Mintz had a chance to tie the game at 65 with a three-pointer but it was well contested and Kansas’ Christian Braun grabbed the rebound to seal the three-point win for the Jayhawks.
Games to Watch Today
#17 Texas vs #14 North Carolina
How to Watch: Wednesday, December 2, 4:00 PM ET, ESPN
Two ranked teams will go at it in the Maui Invitational championship game. Texas slaughtered Indiana and the Tar Heels beat Stanford in their semifinal matchups yesterday.
#1 Gonzaga vs #11 West Virginia
How to Watch: Wednesday, December 2, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN
This will be Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ second test of the season. They passed their first with a 12-point season-opening win over Kansas. Just like every Gonzaga game you’ll watch this year, look out for Jalen Suggs and Drew Timme–two players who figure to be on NBA teams after the Draft next year.
In what will be West Virginia’s best opponent of the season (yes, I know they play Baylor), Bob Huggins will need to try to find a way to get out to an early lead because Gonzaga is known for being able to run away and hide in the second half.
#5 Illinois vs #2 Baylor
How to Watch: Wednesday, December 2, 10:00 PM ET, ESPN
This will be the best game of the night. Both teams won all of their games in the first week of the season. Illinois benefitted from Virginia and Villanova losing. They were bumped up into the top five behind Gonzaga, Baylor, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
In the second half of the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader, Illinois will look to get the biggest win in their program’s recent memory while Baylor will try to get their first win in a very challenging week on their schedule. #1 Gonzaga awaits the Bears on Saturday in what will be must-watch television.
Baylor head coach, Scott Drew, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this season but was able to re-join his team in Indianapolis and will be coaching tonight for the first time this season.
Make sure to check back here tomorrow for a recap of today’s games and we’ll get you ready for tomorrow’s best matchups in college basketball!
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