The Champions Classic serves as the unofficial start to the college basketball season. It's also an early introduction for fans and even some NBA executives to the latest batch of McDonald's All-Americans competing at college basketball's most prestigious blue blood programs.
Every NBA team was on hand at the two games in Chicago, many with high-level decision-makers looking to get a head start on their 2024 draft scouting.
Zion Williamson catapulted himself into the national consciousness and became the runaway favorite for the No. 1 pick in 2019 with his exhilarating 28-point in 23-minute performance in Duke's 2018 blowout win over Kentucky, joining the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero, Grayson Allen and others in utilizing the significant platform the event offers to put their stamp on college basketball.
While the high level of competition and pressure-packed environment produces a strong early data point, it's ultimately a long season and NBA teams will be judging a player's full body of work from high school and college in assessing how to evaluate prospects come June.
Here's what we learned on Tuesday night.
