Duke, Kentucky Scouting Notes
I collaborated with Rich Stayman to break down the highly-anticipated Duke and Kentucky matchup at Champions Classic
Duke and Kentucky squared off in this week’s Champions Classic — offering the first test for the former’s loaded freshman class and the latter’s new-look veteran squad.
With these notes, I collaborated with Rich Stayman — aka Mavs Draft — to gather first impressions for this season on these prospects, including projected number 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
Cooper Flagg, Duke, Wing
Me: People are going to point to Flagg’s two late-game turnovers. The first one, he didn’t have the space to really create an advantage downhill, and Oweh played the gap well to force the turnover. The second one, he was simply sped up and lost the ball. It happens, he’s a teenager, but it also does show that he has some ways to go as a creator. He did dribble quite a bit, and I can’t draw it up to “his bag,” Duke’s spacing, or guys growing accustomed to playing with each other. Nonetheless, Flagg’s performance was impeccable. He sought mismatches frequently in the pick-and-roll as both an initiator and roller. He thrives in contact and plays with tons of physicality – leads me very bullish on how he looks as a creator when he gets into an NBA weight room. The jump-shot was off, but his touch on his free throws and in the mid-range served as a good indicator that it’ll come around. Defensively, he’s as advertised. Though he fell for some fakes, his motor, length, and speed make him a threat all across the floor defensively – blowing up pick-and-roll actions, and deter layups on drives. He looks every bit of the two-way star scouts and analysts have proclaimed, and he’s only going to get better.
Rich: Defensive feel has translated to college 1:1 and it will be 1:1 again to the NBA. There’s no winning against him when he reads the play, which is something he does quite often. Shot-making is nice, and he isn’t scared to shoot over contests or off the dribble with what the defense gives him. The decision-making from the middle was good. He’d beat one layer of the defense then have a quick next move mapped out while en route to the second line of defense. Makes life a living hell at the rim for offensive players. Not worried about the shooting woes from this game; he gets a deep follow through and has strong numbers from high school against top competition with tougher shot diets than he showed vs Kentucky. His physical brand of basketball and general scoring chart scales up well to be a two-way star, even if the shots aren’t falling at the rates he is expected to be at. Will need to improve the handle with speed; got sped up at the end for two turnovers.
Khaman Maluach, Duke, Big
Me: Maluach’s motor is absolutely awesome. He’s enormous and plays to that advantage as the anchor of Duke’s defense. In post defense, he keeps his arms long and his hands active in order to shut down different angles his man could have as a ball-handler, scorer, or passer. He has a ways to go in reading coverages defensively, mainly with falling for fakes, but I’m impressed with his ability to come up in space and to also be a force in drop coverage. His offense is strictly motor-based right now – offensive rebounds and finishing rolls. He needs to improve with his hands, as he bobbled some rebounds here and there. Nonetheless, he came across more ready than I expected
Rich: Incredible defensive range and successfully challenged the first 2-on-1 P&R he faced with a mighty block. His length does wonders everywhere: defense, rebounding, and finishing at the rim. It’s a very functional tool that is put to great use in the halfcourt. Got called for a second foul in the first half that wasn’t his fault (teammate gave up on the play and Maluach saved an easy layup), which showcased the motor. I admire the toughness to fight through injury early in the second half. Even if he does not become a good shooter, his interior presence combined with toughness and motor will get him to an NBA rotation.
Kon Knueppel, Duke, Wing
Me: It was an off night from Kon Knueppel, but I was impressed with his process. He’s a deft off-ball mover, coming off wide pindowns more often than not. He can also put the ball on the deck and drive his way into favorable spots in the mid-range, possessing good separation indicators with his physicality and elevation on his jumper. He was met at the rim a few times, which could be a weak spot to monitor, as he’s not an absolute above-the-rim finisher. I’m keeping an eye on his defense. I’m not sure how well he’ll ultimately defend at the NBA-level, but he uses his size well in drive defense and in the gaps – an advantage for him when slotted at the 2.
Rich: Separation was hard to come by early in the first half. Played extremely hard and was always the one diving and first one to a loose ball. Tough as nails and never shied away from the big moments despite having all the reasons to lose confidence. Loved the willingness of the left hand and drives left, and in general taking what the defense gave him. Once he got settled in (around halfway through the first half), he looked the part of the prospect we saw in high school. A smooth mid-range when accidentally given space, high-level shooter with a uniquely versatile shooting arsenal, and a good decision-maker (although he missed Khaman Maluach wide open in the corner one play and took on the big and his man at the rim). Will do a lot of damage coming off of screens. Don’t judge Knueppel on his statline and efficiency. Judge him on the correct processes he took before each shot and decision with the ball, and it is clear the efficiency will eventually follow throughout a larger sample size.
Sion James, Duke, Wing
Me: James left the game early with a shoulder injury after getting cracked with a screen. However, he’s a physical 3-and-D wing that plays off Flagg and Koneuppel quite well. He’s also a strong defender capable of stonewalling drives and actions at multiple levels.
Rich: More of the same from Tulane but more moderated. Great athlete, great team defender, and strong connective piece with an NBA ready frame. I echo everything Parker said about him.
Otega Oweh, Kentucky, Wing
Me: Oweh was Kentucky’s most impressive prospect. He’s a big wing that plays with a ton of force on both sides of the ball. Defensively, not only did he play a huge role in slowing down Knueppel, but he also made two pivotal stops down the stretch on Cooper Flagg – one being a help turnover that led to drawing a foul, and the other one forcing a miss in isolation defense in the last two minutes. Offensively, he shot the ball well but his main skill is his powerful, decisive driving downhill.
Rich: Shot mechanics need work; lots of extra movements, and until then his game is extremely limited in scaling up. I like his play style, of a bully that can play fast, but his shot worries me so much that I think it could profile as a fatal flaw. Strong motor and good rebounder, both of which went hand-in-hand to seal the game.
Tyrese Proctor, Guard, Duke
Me: I didn’t come away with any takeaways that indicated progress from Proctor over the past few years. His lack of strength is evident defensively, as he’s not a super forceful defender. Offensively, he’s an adequate – but not necessarily great – playmaker. He loves to generate separation in the mid-range with his off hand and with turnarounds. He just seemed kind of there in this game.
Rich: Again, I echo Parker’s sentiments towards Proctor. He looks like the same prospect as he was 2 years ago as a freshman, but with an improved jumper. That’s not enough for him playing the most saturated position in the sport.
Koby Brea, Wing, Kentucky
Me: Koby Brea didn’t hoist up the ideal 3’s in terms of volume, as Duke’s length on the perimeter played a role in slowing him down. However, he still showed how elite of a shooter he is with comfortable space. The question with Brea, and what could hinder his draft stock, is what he provides aside from shooting. He was targeted defensively, as he’s a poor screen navigator that surrenders advantages in pick-and-roll actions – a component of that is his poor positioning defensively. He has size and is fine when off the ball against a stationary player, but I fear he’ll be someone that’s routinely targeted in mismatch-hunting, as Cooper Flagg sought in this game. Offensively, he keeps things simple as a ball-handler and playmaker, which makes him a safe bet to not turn the ball over.
Rich: Got picked on defensively a lot but fought through it. Airballed and early 3 but didn’t lose his confidence from it. Absolutely beautiful stroke and the jump shot should translate up given the quality of players he shot over will not be dissimilar to NBA defenders.
Rich and I each had different players we monitored in this game as well. I focused in on Brandon Garrison, the backup big man from Kentucky and sophomore transfer from Oklahoma State. Rich had some notes on Duke guard Caleb Foster and Kentucky wing Jaxson Robinson.
Brandon Garrison: Garrison may be a 2026 guy, but his motor as a defender and play-finisher is rock solid. He closes out on shooters, runs the floor, and defends hard. He needs to be more polished as an anchor and as a “Delay” action big man. Nonetheless, he has nice tools to at least monitor moving forward.
Caleb Foster: Love the defensive intensity and clearly improved pass/shot balance and tendencies. Still as crafty of a scorer as ever, but much more controlled which should lead to sustainable efficiency. Has a great head fake and change of pace towards/at the rim. Needs to move with more urgency when he knows he isn’t getting the ball back; can jog out of passes sometimes, which hurts the already tough spacing for his teammates. I still have some shot selection concerns, but it is toned down from last season. Can stay in front of his man well defensively, which goes a long way being a 6’5 guard. Also had a clutch defensive play in the final minute switched onto Kentucky’s big and had to patrol the paint, which he did effectively by physically preventing an entry pass.
Jaxson Robinson: Completely invisible when he wasn’t shooting (away from one deflection early in the 2nd half), and he got noticeably scared of the moment, hence only four shots. Like at BYU, the question of what Robinson contributes to an NBA team when his shot isn’t falling is still to be determined. At the 16’ mark, Robinson had a shot clock violation because he panicked about dribbling into oblivion against Flagg and Knueppel, while ignoring the clock. Mistakes like these and knowing his strengths and weaknesses in the situation are essential for likely role players like Robinson. Struggles to defend up in the lineup.
Follow Rich on all platforms. Genuinely one of the very best doing basketball scouting that’s not working for a team. His work is on X, Bluesky, his own “Mavs Draft” Substack, and No Ceilings.
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