In what will go down as one of the most anticipated and watched games of the 2018-19 college basketball team. The No. 4 ranked Duke Blue Devils behind a record setting 33 point, 6 assists and four rebounds debut by Canadian sensation RJ Barrett thumped the No. 2 ranked Duke Blue Devils 118-84 at Champions Classic in Indianapolis.
Canadian basketball fans have long awaited the highly debut of the potential No. 1 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and he didn’t disappoint on his way to setting a Blue Devils record for most points scored by a freshman in his debut.
#Canadian sensation RJ Barrett (#Mississauga, ON) sets Duke freshman scoring record w/ 33 points + 6 assists + 4 rebounds on 13/26 shooting, 3-of-7 from downtown & 4-of-8 from the charity stripe. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils route No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats 118-84 #NCAA pic.twitter.com/FIaou8Bqlb
— BasketballBuzz.ca 🇨🇦🏀🍁 (@basketballbuzz) November 7, 2018
The complete raw package was on display as Barrett surpassed Marvin Bagley Jr. (Sacramento Kings) previous record of 25 points by a freshman scoring in a variety of ways. The lefty finished through contact, drilled three-pointers and setup teammates and most importantly of all, stayed humble and calm even as the large Kentucky cheers louder as the game went on. Fellow team and high-flyer Zion Williamson also topped Bagley’s record with 28 points and 7 rebounds.
The 34 point victory marks the largest point deficit and in the John Calpriri era and earns Duke their eight straight win over Kentucky in their last 10 meetings.
