The nightcap of the Champions Classic in Madison Square Garden did not disappoint. In the showdown between some of college basketball's elite, the Jayhawks proved they have the mettle to compete with anyone.
Duke's trio of talented freshmen did not play. The Jayhawks' top freshman fouled out late in the second half. And both sides got into foul trouble as the game came to an end. But it was the Jayhawks who came out winners thanks to a game-clinching jumper from Frank Mason III to take down top-ranked Duke.
Here are some key takeaways from the game.
1. The officiating made it brutal to watch
I may or may not have been whistled for a technical foul just writing this.
Early in the game, the officiating crew called back-to-back offensive charges on Frank Mason III, then on Duke's Luke Kennard. Then a minute later, Frank Mason III got whistled for a touch foul that was met with disdain by Bill Self. The early foul trouble forced Kansas' hand to make adjustments they weren't accustomed to.
"We played with lineups we've never practiced with before," Self said at halftime of the telecast.
The officiating crew set a precedent early on that they were calling it tight with the new freedom of movement rules. It really felt like the last man standing with both teams getting into foul trouble. A combined seven players finished the game with four fouls, and two players -- Kansas' Josh Jackson and Duke's Amile Jefferson -- fouled out.
2. Grayson Allen shows grit, plays through injury
Duke's star had an off night in the Garden in a night I'm sure he would love to re-do. He went 4 for 15 from field-goal range and a lousy 1-of-7 from deep for 12 points, most of which came late in the second half. Allen came down awkwardly after a layup near the end of the first half and was escorted to the locker room with what appeared to be a leg injury, but played the rest of the second half. I thought he favored the leg a little bit and at times came up limping. If Allen isn't at full health, Duke could be down yet another one of their top players. Not exactly ideal for a team that is missing nearly half of its potential starting lineup.
3. Kansas' 3-point woes costly, but not critical
Kansas did a number of things well against Duke. They beat the No. 1 ranked team in the country, after all. But they did not shoot the deep ball well. At all.
They finished 2 for 17 from 3-point range, and I thought they seemed a tad rushed on offense that led to some less than favorable looks. Even one of the makes, a pull-up at the top of the key from Josh Jackson, seemed like a page out of the hero ball playbook as he pulled up to take a deep stepback.
The Jayhawks shot 50.8 percent overall, and caught fire in the second half of the game to finish 20 of 33 in the final 20 minutes. Kansas' true freshman Josh Jackson broke out with a strong performance, finding success by slashing and finishing strong around the rim. The Kansas backcourt caught fire late in the second half that fueled a big rally behind Devonte' Graham and Frank Mason III. Expect much of the same for the Jayhawks for the rest of the season.
