Jabari Parker Likens 2013 Champions Classic to Preseason Final Four

The Champions Classic is an annual event featuring four of college basketball’s perennial powerhouses, so it’s no surprise Duke freshman Jabari Parker has compared it to the Final Four.

According to Bret Strelow of The Fayetteville Observer, Parker said the following about the magnitude of the Blue Devils' upcoming matchup with Kansas: “Coming in, we all have a lot of hype, every individual, and the programs all have a historical background of doing good. I think it's like a preseason Final Four."

No. 4 Duke is set to take on No. 5 Kansas on Tuesday night at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., which happens to be Parker’s hometown. That game represents the second half of a doubleheader, as the first contest pits No. 1 Kentucky against No. 2 Michigan State in a showdown that will determine which team belongs atop the polls in the early going.

It makes sense that the young star is likening this event to the Final Four—due to the sheer star power of the players, coaches and teams involved—but, unfortunately, the winners will not advance to play one another.

Both matchups are are plenty intriguing, but most college basketball fans likely cannot wait to see Parker take on Jayhawks swingman Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 recruit and potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Parker has reason to show off in this contest, as he was once widely regarded as the top prospect. However, Wiggins reclassified in October of 2012 and took over the coveted pole position.

There doesn’t seem to be any animosity between the two stemming from that occurrence or the fact that they matched up numerous times in high school, but Parker doesn’t consider Wiggins a close friend. He told Strelow that they say hi to each other and not much else.

It will certainly be interesting to see if Parker’s team can win for the third straight time against the side Wiggins plays for. The Chicago native notably beat his Canadian counterpart at the McDonald’s All-American contest and Jordan Brand Classic this past summer, but Wiggins was able to put up better stats in each.

Parker seems to only care about getting the victory. The freshman informed Strelow, "It'll be exciting to play Kansas, playing the alma mater of Wilt Chamberlain and the greats. That's like us when Grant Hill was here. I want to play Kansas. We want to beat Kansas. It's Duke vs. Kansas."

Duke is looking to remain undefeated in the Champions Classic, having eliminated the Wildcats and Spartans over the past two seasons.

Tipoff for this thrilling showdown is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN. Make sure you tune in to see this rare showdown between college basketball’s top two freshman stars.