David Cobb of CBS Sports recently put together a list of games that college basketball needs the most.
One of those games is Kentucky vs. Duke.
Here’s what Matt Norlander says about a potential home-and-home series between the Blue Devils and Wildcats:
Kentucky vs. Duke
The two most popular (and polarizing) teams in college basketball should be willing to schedule each other in a home-and-home, and do so as soon as possible. Yes, the Devils and Cats do face off once every three seasons thanks to Champions Classic. It’s better than not having them play at all, obviously. But were it not for that made-for-TV event, these programs (most likely) would be in the midst of a 20-plus-year drought of playing each other. And for as much as the Champions Classic offers, the matchup is always on a neutral court (in a variety of cities) and does lack the playful viciousness that would come with a home-and-home. Picture Kentucky strolling into Cameron Indoor, or likewise, Duke sauntering into Rupp Arena. What a huge event those games would be for college hoops.
The schools have met 20 times in their history. The last time it happened in an on-campus environment? We have to travel back more than 50 years ago, all the way to Dec. 20, 1969. Kentucky beat Duke 98-76. The last time Kentucky played at Duke? More than a decade further back: Dec. 8, 1958 (UK won 78-64). Woof. Let’s end this dry spell.
Fortunately, Jon Scheyer seems more than willing to engage in home-and-homes in the years to come than Mike Krzyzewski was in the final 20 years of his career. I think Duke will be aligning with some big-time programs, and that will be great. Hopefully he can convince John Calipari to do the same, and before the end of this decade we can get Kentucky and Duke to face off in enemy territory. — Matt Norlander
