Looking to open the season 2-0, No. 9 Duke welcomes No. 13 Michigan State for a marquee matchup in the 2020 State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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The Blue Devils are riding a three-game winning streak in the Champions Classic and their 6-3 record in the annual event is the best among the four Blue Blood programs. Duke and Michigan State are meeting for the fifth consecutive season with the Blue Devils winning three of those four contests, including an 88-81 win in the 2017 Champion Classic in Chicago.
Behind 19 points and 19 rebounds from freshman Jalen Johnson and a 24-point, nine-board effort off the bench from classmate DJ Steward, the Blue Devils opened the season with an 81-71 win over Coppin State on Saturday at Cameron Indoor. Johnson’s debut also included five assists and four blocked shots as he became the first Blue Devil all time with a stat-line of 19+ points, 19+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 4+ blocks.
Michigan State goes into Tuesday with a 2-0 record having beaten Eastern Michigan (83-67) and Notre Dame by 10 (80-70). Forward Joey Hauser is leading the Spartans in both rebounds and points in the early going averaging 12.5 for each category. Forward Aaron Henry leads the Spartans in assists averaging 5 per game.
