\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Context is everything when it comes to sports. Without it, the game really isn't that interesting. You need to know that the Warriors could have traded Klay Thompson for Kevin Love, but decided against it. You need to know everything that went into LeBron James' return to Cleveland. You need to know Jan Vesely got drafted ahead of Kawhi Leonard. Mostly, you need to know why this thing you obsess over is worth watching.<\/p>\n There's no better place to start paying attention than at the college level. There's two premium examples that immediately come to mind: Kevin Durant at Texas and Anthony Davis at Kentucky.<\/p>\n Durant seems like the first star of the modern generation. When he burst onto the national scene at Texas in 2006-07, it immediately felt like you were watching future greatness. To see a 6'10 perimeter player do the things Durant was doing at 18 years old was incredible. That he entered the NBA just as League Pass was catching on and Internet basketball writing started to gain steam made it even better.<\/p>\n Davis was the same way on a Kentucky team that blitzed everyone on the path to a 38-2 record and a championship season. A lot of people complain about the impact of the one-and-done era on both the college game and the NBA, but it has a way of making college hoops more compelling while giving the players a fanbase that'll always love them and a taste of high-leverage situations against their peers before they start playing against adults. Adam Silver is going to get his way eventually with the raising of the age limit, but as much as the opposition to such a move makes sense, that could also be a net positive for both levels.<\/p>\n There's going to be stud freshmen every year, and this season is no exception. Even when they don't pan out as planned (Harrison Barnes comes to mind), it still provides an essential prologue to a future NBA career.<\/p>\n This year, you need to watch Duke's Jahlil Okafor (the consensus Player of the Year before he ever played a college game), Arizona's Stanley Johnson (a 245-pound wing already bigger than half of the NBA's centers), Texas' Myles Turner (he's already got the Dirk fade!<\/a>) and Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Mike Rutherford<\/a> @CardChronicle<\/a> on Nov 18 2014, 9:10p 1<\/a><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n The Blue Devils have long been considered the kings of college basketball in November, a reputation they added to with a decisive victory over Michigan State in the Champions Classic Tuesday night.<\/p>\n The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils<\/a> continued to build on their legacy of getting off to hot starts by taking down No. 19 Michigan State<\/a>, 81-71, in the first game of the Champions Classic.<\/p>\n Despite a game effort from the Spartans, Coach K's team was in command of things from start to finish. After trailing by seven at halftime, the Spartans cut the lead to three at 51-48, but Duke responded with a 7-0 run and remained in control from there.<\/p>\n Four players scored in double figures for Duke, which shot 54 percent from the field and won convincingly despite being out-rebounded by Michigan State, 35-25.<\/p>\n 1. Jahlil Okafor is going to be this season's freshman obsession … and it's going to be justified<\/b><\/p>\n Earlier this month, Jahlil Okafor became the third freshmen in five years to be named a preseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press. The previous two honorees — Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes — did not finish their first year of college ball as first-team All-Americans. Based on his first real spotlight performance, it's safe to say Okafor is in line to change that trend.<\/p>\n Okafor scored 17 points, snagged five rebounds and was a force on the defensive end both when he was blocking shots and altering them. The big man connected on 8 of 10 field goal attempts to improve to a ridiculous 25-for-31 from the field in his first three collegiate games.<\/p>\n ESPN and the like are going to talk so much about Okafor in the first few weeks of the season that it's going to make people sick, but hopefully that doesn't keep folks from appreciating just how good the kid is. College basketball hasn't seen a first-year big man this polished since … Greg Oden?<\/p>\n 2. The Blue Devils have another freshman star, but they're a much more complete team this season<\/b><\/p>\n Jabari Parker<\/a> was fantastic last season, but as a team, Duke was neither complete enough nor dedicated enough on defense to win a national title. The result was an exciting regular season that came to a somewhat predictable early conclusion. This Blue Devils team is a different beast.<\/p>\n When Okafor went to the bench with four fouls and his team leading by just seven, the common thought was that Michigan State would make a run. Instead, the Blue Devils added to their advantage and the final outcome was never really in doubt.<\/p>\n After going scoreless in the first half, Tyus Jones — who was the highest-ranked point guard in the 2014 recruiting class — poured in 17 second-half points to spearhead Duke's post-break onslaught. His performance served as the perfect accent to veteran backcourt mate Quinn Cook<\/a>, who scored 19 and dished out six assists. Then there was the play of yet another freshman in Justise Winslow, who scored 15 and at times looked like the most talented player on the court.<\/p>\n Duke is the real deal when it comes to being a legitimate threat to cut down the nets in April, and I'm not sure that was ever the case when Parker was their frontman.<\/p>\n 3. Duke still owns Michigan State <\/b><\/p>\n There aren't many programs in the country that can claim a decisive advantage over either Michigan State or Tom Izzo, but Duke has been dominant against both. The loss dropped Izzo's career record against Coach K to 1-8, and Michigan State to 2-9 all-time against the Blue Devils.<\/p>\n The victory also guaranteed that Duke will own the best record in the Champions Classic for at least the next year. Both the Blue Devils and Spartans entered Tuesday night with records of 2-1 in the event, while Kansas and Kentucky have each gone 1-2.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Speaking of Kentucky ….<\/p>\n If you put every Kentucky alum on the same team, would it win an NBA championship? You'd have DeMarcus Cousins and Davis in the front court, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Eric Bledsoe on the wings and John Wall running point. The bench would have Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight, Patrick Patterson, Julius Randle and ….. you get the point.<\/p>\n Almost every college basketball fan is tied directly to their school, and that's fine. As a liberated college basketball and football fan, though, I can tell you this sport is so much better when you're not living and dying with every mistake a 19-year-old playing for your alma mater makes.<\/p>\n Most college fans hate Kentucky because they're brash, win a lot and recruit so many future NBA players. But if you're an NBA fan looking to get into college ball in your free time, doesn't that make Kentucky an ideal favorite team?<\/p>\n John Caliipari is the perfect ring leader for this traveling circus. Playerslove<\/i>\u00a0Calipari. While Jim Boeheim is selfishly trying to\u00a0shame his stars into coming back to school<\/a>, Cal just wants everyone to\u00a0get rich and be happy<\/a>.<\/p>\nMeet the NBA's future stars<\/h3>\n
Duke vs. Michigan State final score: 3 things we learned from the Blue Devils'\u00a081-71\u00a0win<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nThree things we learned<\/h4>\n
More from SBNation.com<\/em><\/h3>\n
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Kentucky is insane<\/h3>\n