The Champions Classic’s nightcap pitted the No. 4 and No. 7 teams in college basketball against each other, but neither side played like a ranked team. One can chalk it up to youth and inexperience; the other is Kansas, and I think they’re still jacking up contested jumpers in the United Center parking lot.
Unfortunately for the Big Blue Nation, John Calipari’s young Wildcats were on the losing side in the end, 65-61; but the way they fought and hung in there down the stretch is a major positive takeaway going forward. They have several things to learn and improve on after only three college basketball games in their careers, and they were still in the hunt until the final buzzer against a veteran team.