It may have only been one game, but it's extremely difficult not to already crown Duke as the national champion this season after a 118-84 drubbing of Kentucky on Tuesday. The freshman triumvirate of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish showed out, with Williamson and Barrett showing that they're not just ready for college competition. They can run with anyone.
Barrett scored 33 points, Williamson scored 28 (with some absolutely thunderous dunks to boot), and Reddish scored 22. Duke didn't even break a sweat against Kentucky, which has soared under John Calipari and one-and-done athletes. CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander says the win could be the most impressive opener we've ever seen in college basketball, and it's hard to disagree.
On Wednesday's "Off the Bench" podcast, Danny Kanell and Raja Bell talk about the ridiculous showing from Duke's newest Big 3, particularly Williamson and Barrett. While Bell gives credit to Reddish, it's abundantly clear: Williamson and Barrett are NBA-caliber players who will dominate college basketball this season. For all of the hype Williamson got, this still appears to have blindsided the nation. Bell said that they're simply "different," something that was abundantly clear in Tuesday's game.
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