Kentucky, Michigan State, Duke and Kansas on same floor in Champions Classic

It's not the authoritative commencement to the men's assemblage hoops play this year, but the Champions Classic volition inactive diagnostic the archetypal marquee crippled of the run -- and a high-level undercard.

As always, the lawsuit -- taking spot astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis this play -- volition diagnostic 4 of the astir palmy programs successful assemblage hoops history: Kentucky vs. Michigan State astatine 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, followed by Duke vs. Kansas astatine 9:30 p.m. ET. Both games volition aerial connected ESPN.

Because it's being staged successful the 2nd week of the season, each squad already has 80 minutes of hoops nether its belt; therefore, we person immoderate crippled investigation and information points to supply penetration into each 4 squads.

Here are 4 things we're watching for connected Tuesday night:

Kentucky: Will Oscar Tshiebwe play?

The reigning statement nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth underwent a genu process successful October and didn't play successful Kentucky's archetypal 2 games of the season. The timeline for his instrumentality has been vague, with the schoolhouse continuing to telephone him day-to-day. Without Tshiebwe, manager John Calipari utilized Lance Ware successful the starting lineup, and the New Jersey autochthonal has provided physicality and defence successful the post. But it's besides provided Kentucky a accidental to springiness freshman Ugonna Onyenso an extended look, and helium has responded with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks successful 39 full minutes of action.

Michigan State: Was the Spartans' show vs. Gonzaga a motion of things to come?

For 25 minutes connected Friday, Michigan State looked similar a vintage Tom Izzo team. The Spartans were much carnal and much assertive than Gonzaga, bullied the Bulldogs successful the overgarment and were opportunistic successful modulation disconnected turnovers. Foul occupation yet became an issue, and Gonzaga settled down with a smaller lineup and came backmost to win. But the Spartans looked amended than expected truthful aboriginal successful the season. Can they proceed to amusement that committedness against Kentucky? Mady Sissoko outplayed Drew Timme successful the archetypal half, finishing with 14 points and 9 boards, and Sissoko volition request to beryllium up to the task again if Tshiebwe suits up. Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard played escaped and confident, and Malik Hall looked similar a imaginable go-to guy.

Duke: What does a afloat steadfast Blue Devils frontcourt look like?

In the archetypal 2 games, Duke played big, with 6-foot-8 Mark Mitchell astatine the tiny guardant spot, 7-footer Kyle Filipowski astatine the 4 and 6-foot-10 Northwestern transportation Ryan Young astatine the halfway position. And present Jon Scheyer has the services of erstwhile No. 1 enlistee Dereck Lively II, who missed the opening crippled owed to wounded but played 15 minutes against South Carolina Upstate connected Friday. Eventually, projected draught lottery prime Dariq Whitehead volition instrumentality and propulsion for a starting spot connected the wing, though that's improbable to hap Tuesday. But with Kansas playing tiny lineups aboriginal successful the season, volition the Blue Devils proceed to utilize truthful overmuch size up front? And fixed the deficiency of perimeter depth, bash they person a choice?

Kansas: Is Jalen Wilson the guy?

So far, the reply is simply a resounding yes. But the contention volition instrumentality a measurement up Tuesday evening. Wilson, who opened his Kansas vocation backmost successful 2020 with 23 points against Kentucky and 23 points versus Creighton, has mostly struggled for consistency successful the 2 seasons since. But with the departures of Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, Bill Self (and acting caput manager Norm Roberts) needed a go-to scorer connected the violative end, and Wilson has responded. He had 19 points and 11 boards successful the opener and followed with 21 and 9 connected Thursday portion shooting 6-for-13 from 3. Wilson volition request to support it up against Duke.