CHICAGO — The funny thing is, Jabari Parker-Andrew Wiggins wasn't supposed to be a head-to-head matchup Tuesday in the second game of the Champions Classic.
It wasn't until No. 6 Kansas seemingly ran out of defensive options – Parker had scored 19 points by halftime – that the Jayhawks had to resort to putting their star freshman on No. 4 Duke's. The matchup didn't happen often, but in those moments, it felt like a college basketball fan's dream.
4-POINT PLAY: Instant analysis on Kansas-Duke
Or, at least it was Wiggins'.
"I kind of wish we would have played Andrew on Jabari the whole time – he wanted to do that," Kansas coach Bill Self said later. "But I was nervous about fouls. … He is competitive. That dude wanted (Parker). 'I want to guard Jabari. Let me guard Jabari.' I said, 'That's not how we practice.'
"Midway through the second half, at the 13-minute mark, I didn't put him on Jabari. He just went to guard him. I think he got a piece of his shot that possession. I said, 'Well, he's probably right.' I should have been listening to him the whole time."
In bars, across coffee tables and on television for the next seven months, people will debate who is the best freshman in college basketball. For awhile, the Chicago-bred Parker had held the title of best in this class. Then, Wiggins reclassified and knocked him off his perch.
Neither player tried to turn Tuesday's game – a 94-83 Jayhawks win – into a Parker-Wiggins showdown, at least not vocally ahead of time. But of course it would be, even with Kansas sophomore Perry Ellis grabbing much of the attention in-game by adding 24 points.
BOX SCORE: Kansas 94, Duke 83
With the game seesawing back and forth, Parker and Wiggins both picked up their fourth fouls, but they didn't let that slow them.
With Kansas clinging to a two-point lead with little over a minute left in the game, Wiggins drained a step-back jumper. Ellis stole the ball, and Wiggins added an emphatic dunk to pad the Jayhawks lead.
If that wasn't enough, he drew Parker's fifth foul on the play.
"He's good," Parker said. "He's a good player. But most importantly, Kansas beat us."
JABARI PARKER: Lands monster Grant Hill-esque dunk
Wiggins finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds; Parker had 27 and nine.
"I need to get a little more experience and be hungry to learn," Parker said. "I've got a long ways to go."
Four different Duke players scored in double-digits, as did four Kansas players. The game's final scoring margin was the largest difference of the game.
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