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LATE NIGHT SNACKS: Denzel Valentine, Tyler Ulis star in Champions Classic

Denzel Valentine, Jamari Traylor

Denzel Valentine, Jamari Traylor

AP

GAME OF THE DAY: No. 13 Michigan State 79, No. 4 Kansas 73

The nightcap of the Champions Classic was the best game of the event, as Denzel Valentine popped off for 29 points, 12 assists and 11 boards as the Spartans rallied back from a double-digit second half deficit to knock off the Jayhawks. We have a column on that performance posted right here.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 3 Maryland 75, Georgetown 71: The Champions Classic is the event that garnered all the hype and the headlines, but the end of college basketball’s 24-Hour Tip-Off Marathon was also highlighted by a battle between two programs located all of ten miles apart. Melo Trimble led Maryland with 24 points as the Fighting SVPs erased a late deficit. More on that game here.

No. 2 Kentucky 74, No. 5 Duke 63: Kentucky’s guards swallowed up Duke’s guards and ... hey, I wrote an entire column on this from Chicago! Go read that!

Tulsa 77, No. 9 Wichita State 67: The Shockers went into Tulsa and got ... shocked. Ugh. Yeah, that was bad, I know. Should we be worried about Wichita State? Was this a result of Fred Van Vleet being less than 100 percent, or is Tulsa really this good?

STARRED

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State: 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists in the Spartans’ 79-73 win over No. 4 Kansas.

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma: Hield went off on Tuesday afternoon, finishing with 30 points, eight boards, three assists and three steals. He looked every bit the all-american that he was in the preseason, and No. 8 Oklahoma needed him to be because ...

Dedric Lawson, Memphis: ... Lawson was awesome. Check out this line: 22 points, 15 boards (10 offensive), three blocks, two assists and two steals. But he missed three free throws with Memphis down four in the final seconds, and the Tigers lost to Oklahoma, 84-78.

STRUGGLED

Grayson Allen, Duke: After standout performances in wins over Siena and Bryant, Allen struggled mightily against Kentucky. Six points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field.

Tommy McCarthy and Corey Johnson, Harvard: In the Crimson’s 69-63 loss to UMass, McCarthy and Johnson combined to shoot 1-for-18 from the field.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25


  • Josh Hart led the way with 19 points as No. 11 Villanova handled Nebraska easily, 87-63.
  • No. 18 Notre Dame got 20 points and seven assists from Demetrius Jackson, putting five players in double-figures as they hung on to beat Milwaukee, 86-78.
  • Rodney Purvis and Sterling Gibbs combined for 41 points while shooting 10-for-19 from three as No. 19 UConn beat New Hampshire 85-66.

NOTABLES


  • Matt Bohannon and Paul Jesperson scored 15 points apiece to lead Northern Iowa to a 70-60 win over Stephen F. Austin, rebounding from a season-opening home loss to Colorado State.
  • Two Four McGlynn three-point attempts in the final seconds missed the mark as Rhode Island fell to Valparaiso, 58-55. Keith Carter scored 12 points for the 2-0 Crusaders.
  • Charles Cooke III scored 21 points to lead Dayton to an 80-48 win over Alabama. Four Flyers scored in double figures.
  • George King and Josh Scott combined to score 51 points as Colorado won 91-84 at Auburn. King, who redshirted last season, is off to a good start this season for the Buffaloes.
  • Michael Gbinije scored 23 points and Trevor Cooney 17 as Syracuse rebounded from a slow start to beat St. Bonaventure 79-66 on Jim Boeheim’s birthday. The game was closer than the final margin would indicate.
  • UMass moved to 2-0 on the season with a six-point win at Harvard, 69-63.
  • Wisconsin won its second straight game Tuesday night, beating North Dakota 78-64 in Madison. Ethan Happ tallied 17 points and seven rebounds for the Badgers.
  • Freshmen Dwayne Bacon (27 points, nine rebounds) and Malik Beasley (21 points) made some history in Florida State’s 98-79 win over Jacksonville, becoming the first FSU freshmen since 1985 to score 20 points or more in each of their first two games.
  • Two Lionheart Leslie layups in the final 26 seconds gave Cal-State Fullerton a 77-76 win at Pacific. Not sure there’s been a better name in college basketball since Chief Kickingstallionsims swatting shots was at Alabama State.