Champions Classic 2014: Kansas vs Kentucky Live Radio Broadcast: Classic Top-5 Matchup in Indianapolis
ByThere may be no Andrew Wiggins or Joel Embiid, but coach Bill Self is keeping the Kansas Jayhawks (5) competitive going into their game against the Kentucky Wildcats (1).
It is Kentucky coach John Calipari that is used to seeing freshmen sensations leave for the NBA after one season, but this time he retained four such players. But Self has not won the Big 12 10 years running by relying on ultra-talented freshmen and it seems as though junior guard Perry Ellis and sophomore forward Wayne Selden Jr. are ready to take over.
CLICK HERE to listen to the game live via TuneIn. Tip off is set for 9 p.m. ET at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Kentucky held onto its preseason number one ranking after overcoming a halftime deficit to beat Buffalo. Kentucky may not have such fortune if they fall too far behind the Jawyhawks.
"If we play like we did in the first half last game we will get smashed," Calipari told the Wildcats' official website. "If we play like we did in the second half we have a chance because you have to fight on every possession.
"Well, then you can't just say this is good enough. We are learning that. When we play with great energy and match the other team or go beyond the other team, we are long and athletic. But if they are blowing us out of the water with their energy it is going to look like it did."
Aside from being a part of the 2014 Champions Classic, Tuesday night's contest has added significance for Calipari, who currently has 599 wins as a Division I basketball coach. This game will be the fourth time Calipari and Self go head-to-head, with the former taking the last two meetings in the 2011-2012 season.