On one of men’s college basketball’s biggest regular-season stages, Kentucky coaching made a decisive difference as the No. 19 Wildcats upset No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the Champions Classic before an exuberant crowd of 16,107 at State Farm Arena.

It didn’t take long for Mark Pope to win over Big Blue Nation. pic.twitter.com/9o1umXbMVc Kentucky rallied from a 9-point halftime deficit to stun superstar Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils, who missed 11 of their final 14 field goal attempts down the stretch.

When longtime Kentucky coach John Calipari left for Arkansas, replacement Mark Pope had only one way to build a roster: the transfer portal. Tuesday's win over Duke showed he made all the right choices.

A quieter early signing window still has a potential battle for the No. 1 class, top recruiting announcements and commits with immediate impact potential.

Iowa State men's basketball officially announced the signings of four players. Meet the Cyclones' highest-ranked recruiting class in school history.