College Basketball Has Begun

It is a great time of the year for sports fans. NHL, NFL, college football, and now college basketball are all rolling along. NCAA hoops are always exciting, as the long quest for the championship in March begins now. This year the college basketball hype revolves around the talented freshman class that is coming in, and making a significant impact already. The most notable group of outstanding freshman belongs to the Duke Blue Devils. RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson headline a loaded class of recruits, as all three are ranked in the top five for players in their class. These three have already lived up to the hype as they are letting their presence be known on the court. As the Blue Devils opened up their season against the nationally second-ranked Kentucky Wildcats, the whole basketball world was watching to see how the young stars would perform in their first collegiate contest ever. Excited and prepared, it did not take them long to show their ability to the world on the ESPN televised broadcast. Duke jumped out to a huge lead early in the first half, mostly due to the astounding play of the freshmen. The Blue Devils went on to an impressive 118-84 victory over an excellent team that Duke made look mediocre. Williamson finished with 28 points, Barrett finished with 33 points, and Reddish finished with 22 points. This type of production from freshmen in their first games was unheard of, as they combined to score 83 points, one point shy of Kentucky’s whole team’s 84. While the basketball world watches the Blue Devils closely, it will be interesting to see how the youngsters handle the spotlight and all of the attention that comes with being one of the best players in the game. Coach K has been coaching the team long enough to know how to deal with talent like this, but never have there been so many young players performing right out of the gate. With the season just beginning, Duke will look to keep this successful play going all season and turn it into a hopeful championship season, as the Blue Devils are looking for their sixth title.