Champions Classic 2026 Predictions: Duke vs. Michigan State & Kansas vs. Kentucky
Champions Classic 2026
CHICAGO · UNITED CENTER · TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Two marquee matchups headline the college basketball 2026 State Farm Champions Classic: Michigan State vs. Duke at 6 p.m. CT, followed by Kansas vs. Kentucky at 8:30 p.m. CT. Here are SportsFormulator’s projected finals and simulated box scores.
These are projections, not actual game results. Player statistics and scores below are simulated.
Game 1 · Michigan State vs. Duke
Duke 82, Michigan State 78
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 37 | 41 | 78 |
| Duke | 39 | 43 | 82 |
Simulation read: Duke’s early scoring pace gives it a slight edge, while Michigan State’s rebounding and transition game keep the Spartans close. Through their first two games, Duke averaged 98.5 points per game and Michigan State averaged 93.5. Those figures come from a very small early-season sample.
Michigan State · Projected Box Score
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Fears Jr. | 34 | 6–11 | 0–2 | 6–7 | 3 | 9 | 18 |
| Jordan Scott | 31 | 5–12 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| Coen Carr | 29 | 4–8 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| Jasiah Jervis | 27 | 3–8 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| Anton Bonke | 25 | 4–7 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 10 | 1 | 8 |
| Kaleb Glenn | 21 | 3–7 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| Kur Teng | 15 | 2–5 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Cameron Ward | 10 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Ethan Taylor | 8 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Team | 200 | 78 |
Duke · Projected Box Score
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayden Boozer | 34 | 6–14 | 1–4 | 5–6 | 7 | 4 | 18 |
| Patrick Ngongba II | 30 | 6–10 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| John Blackwell | 32 | 5–12 | 2–6 | 3–4 | 5 | 3 | 15 |
| Dame Sarr | 30 | 4–9 | 1–3 | 3–4 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje | 22 | 3–6 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Caleb Foster | 18 | 2–6 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Darius Washington III | 14 | 2–5 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Cameron Williams | 10 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Bryson Howard | 10 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Team | 200 | 82 |
Duke’s projected scoring group follows the rotation from its first two games. Patrick Ngongba II scored 28 points and John Blackwell scored 15 against Coastal Carolina.
Game 2 · Kansas vs. Kentucky
Kansas 83, Kentucky 77
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 36 | 41 | 77 |
| Kansas | 40 | 43 | 83 |
Simulation read: Kansas gets the narrow win with a balanced scoring spread. The Jayhawks averaged 92 points per game over their first two games; Kentucky averaged 87 across its first two. Milan Momcilovic’s 24-point opener makes him the matchup’s leading projected scorer.
Kansas · Projected Box Score
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre White | 32 | 7–13 | 2–5 | 2–3 | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| Tyran Stokes | 29 | 5–10 | 1–3 | 3–5 | 7 | 2 | 14 |
| Trey Kaufman-Renn | 30 | 5–9 | 0–1 | 3–4 | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| Melvin Council Jr. | 28 | 4–9 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| Leroy Blyden Jr. | 27 | 4–8 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Keanu Dawes | 21 | 3–6 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| Taylen Kinney | 17 | 2–5 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Christian Reeves | 10 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Dennis Parker Jr. | 6 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Team | 200 | 83 |
Kentucky · Projected Box Score
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan Momcilovic | 33 | 7–14 | 4–9 | 1–2 | 5 | 2 | 19 |
| Zoom Diallo | 29 | 5–11 | 1–4 | 3–4 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Alex Wilkins | 28 | 4–9 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Malachi Moreno | 23 | 3–5 | 0–0 | 3–4 | 8 | 2 | 9 |
| Ousmane Ndiaye | 24 | 3–7 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| Braydon Hawthorne | 19 | 2–5 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Franck Kepnang | 17 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Mason Williams | 15 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Justin McBride | 12 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Team | 200 | 77 |
Kansas’s projected leaders reflect its early scoring distribution: Tre White, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Tyran Stokes and Leroy Blyden Jr. led the Jayhawks in scoring through two games. Kentucky opened with Milan Momcilovic scoring 24 against Manhattan.
Projection Notes & Sources
The 2026–27 season is only beginning, so these projections use a limited sample of early-season team results and player rotations. The individual box-score lines, scores and halftime splits are simulated.