On Tuesday night, Madison Square Garden hosted a showcase that raised the curtain on the men’s college basketball season. 9 Duke beating Kentucky, 79-71, and No. 3 Kansas topping Michigan State, 87-74, in front of a big crowd.

"To be on this stage, be in this moment, lead my team to a win -- that's why I came back," said Ochai Agbaji of Kansas, who led the Jayhawks with 29 points after spending part of the off-season considering whether to enter the N.B.A. draft.