If you’re looking for storylines, look no further than Michigan State vs. Duke in the Champions Classic.
The top two teams in the early college basketball rankings will tip off at 7 Tuesday at the United Center in Chicago for the seventh installment of the annual event — No. 4 Kansas takes on No. 5 Kentucky in the nightcap — and the fact it happens to be a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 is just one layer of what makes it such an intriguing early-season game.
That 1-2 battle would be big enough most seasons, but there’s much more.