RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish explained in their early days why they were among the top three rookies in the country.

The trio of new freshmen paced the Duke Blue Devils, No. 3, as they sprinted to Kentucky Wildcats No. 2 118-84 at the Champions Classic.

Duke opened a 59-42 lead at half-time – thanks to a quick 21-3 record – in an aeronautical fashion and did not falter after the break.

Barrett, No. 1 (by ESPN) finished with a lead of 33 points. Williamson, No. 2, had 28 points and Reddish had 19 points.

It was only a game, but since it was against a team coached by John Calipari, also responsible for five-star talent, it's hard not to be impressed by what the Blue Devils didand how they did it.

Seriously, look at these highlights.

Duke eclipsed the 100-point mark more than seven minutes from the end of the match.

The 118 points were the most abandoned Kentucky under Calipari.

And if Duke's ultimate goal is to win another national championship, there was still plenty to do for the Blue Devils in the first game.

Contributors: Jon Hale, USA TODAY network

Automatic reading

Thumbnails poster

Show captions

Last slide next