Michigan State walked into the United Center and took control of the night.
No. 5 Michigan State knocked off No.
2 Duke 79-73 on Tuesday in the State Farm Champions Classic, riding Duke’s shaky shooting and a pile of turnovers to a statement win in Chicago. The Blue Devils finished at just 33.3% from the field and 24.1% from 3-point range, never finding a steady rhythm against the Spartans’ pressure.
The game started slipping away early for Duke. Ngongba was whistled for two travels in the first two minutes, and Michigan State turned those extra chances into an 8-2 lead. Jervis buried a jumper, Carr knocked down a 3-pointer, and when Boumtje Boumtje coughed up the ball, Jervis answered with another three to make it 11-2.
Duke briefly steadied itself. Dame Sarr hit two free throws, and the Blue Devils finally got some life from the defensive end when Ngongba blocked a shot, Boozer and Sarr finished layups, and Boumtje Boumtje came up with a steal before throwing down a dunk. His and-one trimmed the margin to 15-13, and for a moment the comeback looked real.
Michigan State shut that door fast.
A jumper, a 3-pointer and a tipped-in layup pushed the Spartans back in front 22-14, and they kept the pressure on from there. Duke did manage to close to 24-21, but Michigan State answered again and carried a 34-25 lead into halftime. The Blue Devils were stuck at 25.9% shooting from the floor and 16.7% from deep in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half didn’t bring much relief. Duke kept bleeding possessions, and Michigan State kept cashing in.
Boozer tipped in a missed Boumtje Boumtje 3-pointer early in the period, but the Spartans kept stretching the margin, eventually pushing it to 14 points. Every time Duke found a little momentum, Michigan State had a response waiting.
Caleb Foster hit a timely 3-pointer, but Coen Carr answered with a layup. Sebastian Wilkins drilled a trey and added two more on his next trip down the floor, only for Carlos Medlock Jr. to answer right back. With 10 minutes left, Duke was still staring at a nine-point hole.
The Spartans then delivered the sequence that really put the game out of reach. Jeremy Fears Jr. knocked down two free throws, Carr followed with a second-chance dunk, and Scheyer called timeout with a little more than eight minutes remaining and his team down 64-51.
Duke made a few more pushes. Blackwell hit a corner 3 to get the Blue Devils within nine, and Patrick Ngongba II scored through contact after two Michigan State free throws. But Jasiah Jervis came right back with a stepback 3, and that was the story of the night: Duke would score, and Michigan State would answer.
The crowd at the United Center never really tilted in Duke’s favor, either. Even with Scheyer in his hometown, the Blue Devils were met by jeers from the Spartan contingent, and the atmosphere stayed uncomfortable as the game slipped further away.
For Duke, the first half set the tone. Ngongba’s early travels, the missed 3s, the blocked layup, the loose passes - it all piled up quickly.
Michigan State didn’t need to be perfect to take control. It just needed to be steadier.
And on this night, that was enough.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Suddenly Feels Like A Real Florida State Threat
Jake Dickerts contract extension at Wake Forest changed the shape of Florida States coaching search almost overnight, and it pushed Manny Diaz even more firmly into the conversation. Diaz, who is now at Duke and also a Florida State alumnus, has long been a name to watch if the Seminoles ever went looking for a familiar face with Power Four credibility. His resume helps, too: he has a 46-26 record as a head coach and just guided Duke to the ACC championship in 2025.
Florida States hiring of Jeff Purinton as athletic director adds another layer to the speculation, since Purinton has ties to Diaz. With Dickert effectively off the board, the pool of realistic options looks different now, and Diazs profile fits a search that could lean on both familiarity and proven results. For Duke, it is the kind of outside noise that comes with success, especially when a coachs name starts circulating this loudly in another ACC programs opening. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Izzo Had Quite A Message For Duke After This Loss
Michigan States 79-73 preseason win over Duke came with the kind of postgame perspective that only Tom Izzo can deliver. He praised the Blue Devils for the team they put on the floor, while also giving his own group credit for turning in a strong performance in a game that offered an early look at both programs.
Izzo also made sure the moment did not get lost in the shuffle of a basketball exhibition. He pointed back to Michigan States recent football victory over Michigan and framed that as the bigger deal, a reminder that for all the attention a win over Duke can bring, the Spartans had already experienced a different kind of high just days earlier. [Read more 🡒]
Darian Mensah Brings Real Bad Blood Into Miamis Duke Showdown
The buildup to Dukes trip to Miami already had enough juice because of the usual conference stakes, but the subplot around Darian Mensah has given the matchup a sharper edge. Mensah and teammate Cooper Barkate both left Duke for Miami, and the move carried extra weight because Mensah arrived in Coral Gables after leading the FBS in passing completion percentage and landing a significant NIL deal that reportedly created friction in Durham.
Gino Torretta, the former Miami quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, recently weighed in on the situation, underscoring how much attention this one has drawn beyond the field. Duke even sued to enforce Mensahs NIL agreement before the matter was settled, clearing the way for him to transfer, and now the Blue Devils have to line up against two players who know their former program well and have plenty of reason to make this one feel personal. [Read more 🡒]