Duke Basketball: Tom Izzo's Spartans Won't Keep Coach K from History

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will become men's college basketball all-time winningest coach on Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden.

His Blue Devils will take down Tom Izzo's Michigan State team in the third annual Champions Classic.

This matchup will be directly after the Kentucky vs. Kansas game, and that sets up for a bit of irony that is not lost on this fan.

Duke has too much firepower for the Spartans to handle. They are off to a 2-0 start.

Duke survived a 77-76 scare in their first game over the lightly regarded Belmont Bruins. They bounced back in a big way from their lackluster opener as they showed their true colors and potential with a 96-55 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose in their second game.

Freshman stud Austin Rivers is off to a sensational start. He leads Duke averaging 15.5 points per game over their first two contests. Rivers was not very efficient in Duke's first game, but he bounced back with a nice 5-of-8 night from the field in the second game.

Rivers is also bringing it on the defensive end. He has five steals in two games.

The Duke offensive attack goes far deeper than Rivers. The Blue Devils have four players averaging at least 13 points per game, and six players averaging at least 8.5 points per game.

This depth will be too much for a young Michigan State team to handle.

The Spartans lost their only game of the season to North Carolina, 67-55. The Spartans will now have to make some quick adjustments in this one.

That game was played outdoors on an aircraft carrier. Also, the majority of the Tar Heels offense comes from the frontcourt, and Duke's comes from their backcourt.

Duke likes to put pressure on opposing guards, and this will give the Spartans fits. Their starting guards combined for just one assist against North Carolina, and they are going to have a hard time getting their team into their offense in this one.

Prediction: Duke 68, MSU 54