Duke and Arizona schedule Home-and-Home series for 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons

[DavidBenAkiva]

Big news! Duke will be playing a home-and-home series with Arizona for the fall of 2023 with a return trip to Tucson scheduled for 2024.

[Bluedog]

Big news! Duke will be playing a home-and-home series with Arizona for the fall of 2023 with a return trip to Tucson scheduled for 2024.

Duke playing a true OOC road game that isn't the ACC-Big Ten Challenge? Never!

Very cool. Thanks for reporting it.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

The final four in April 2024 is in Arizona so hopefully the game at University of Arizona in fall 2024 will be our second trip to the state that year.

[LasVegas]

Finally. Much better for fans when we can see some great matchups in the non-conf schedule.

[Phoenix22]

Looks like I'll be making the drive down to Tucson. Any other Arizonans on here?

[crote]

Looks like I'll be making the drive down to Tucson. Any other Arizonans on here?

Present. Am in Tucson and have already warned my co-workers that I will be insufferable that week (it may take them two years to prepare). Someone remind me in 2024 and I will do a way too long list of places to eat for any visiting Dukies. We're a UNESCO City of Gastronomy doncha know.

[Wander]

Awesome. I've really hated the lack of true non-conference home-road games in the past. Hopefully this is a trend for years to come.

[Bluedog]

Random note: on my computer, I don't see the image of the Duke IG post that DBA included, but on my phone I do. What's up with that? Is that just me? Wondering if I've been missing other attachments to posts...I'm using Chrome and in "Blue"/desktop mode OR mobile on my computer, no image.

[Phredd3]

Duke playing a true OOC road game that isn't the ACC-Big Ten Challenge? Never!

Is this part of the ACC-PACX "partnership"? Good news, in any event.

[Dr. Maturin]

I've long understood Coach K's policy of scheduling the big OOC games at neutral sites: 1) it's great for exposure to play in NBA gyms and places like MSG; 2) it simulates the NCAA tournament experience; and 3) the selection committee has long undervalued the difficulty of road games, such that a neutral site win is almost as valuable as a road win, while being a bit easier.

All that said, I've wondered if Jon would veer from that approach. College basketball is best when played in on-campus home gyms. This should be a fun series.

[Bluedog]

I've long understood Coach K's policy of scheduling the big OOC games at neutral sites: 1) it's great for exposure to play in NBA gyms and places like MSG; 2) it simulates the NCAA tournament experience; and 3) the selection committee has long undervalued the difficulty of road games, such that a neutral site win is almost as valuable as a road win, while being a bit easier.

All that said, I've wondered if Jon would veer from that approach. College basketball is best when played in on-campus home gyms. This should be a fun series.

They definitely used to under-value road wins as they just looked at Wins/Losses with little to no consideration of where the game took place, but over the last few years with NET being introduced, it's HUGE. Top 75 road is same as top 30 home...neutral is top 50 or something. (Q1)

[Dr. Maturin]

They definitely used to under-value road wins as they just looked at Wins/Losses with little to no consideration of where the game took place, but over the last few years with NET being introduced, it's HUGE. Top 75 road is same as top 30 home...neutral is top 50 or something. (Q1)

Yeah, the Quadrant system, while arbitrary and oversimplistic, was a step in the right direction on that front. I still think the difficulty of away games is undervalued generally. Of course, there's a trade off to playing major OOC games at a neutral site instead of a home-and-home: you're not only giving up a road game, you're giving up a home game as well. Somehow that fact escapes the haters.

[duke2x]

I've long understood Coach K's policy of scheduling the big OOC games at neutral sites: 1) it's great for exposure to play in NBA gyms and places like MSG; 2) it simulates the NCAA tournament experience; and 3) the selection committee has long undervalued the difficulty of road games, such that a neutral site win is almost as valuable as a road win, while being a bit easier.

All that said, I've wondered if Jon would veer from that approach. College basketball is best when played in on-campus home gyms. This should be a fun series.

You forgot #4: Cameron is small and 8+ hours away for most of our donors after graduation. MSG is not. It's too bad those AZ tickets won't make a public sale.

[hallcity]

Doesn't that game in 2023 conflict with the Champion's Classic?

[JasonEvans]

I'm thrilled Duke is playing a high-profile opponent in a home-and-home series. Love it and want to see more of it!

But Arizona and those cheating, lying, thieving Pac 12 referees can $*@!^@& themselves.

Go to the 5:10 mark of this video and tell me what you see...


That's a 3 pointer to give Duke a 1 point lead in overtime. I'm sorry, but it isn't even close to being a 2. Koubek's feet are clearly well behind the line.

Two minutes later, the refs ruled it a 2 and take a point away from Duke. As a result, Arizona ties the game up and it goes to a second overtime where the Cats manage to hang on and win. It was a record-setting game as Duke was called for more fouls than any team in the history of the McKale Center.

Coach K vowed to never, ever, ever play in Arizona again after that game.

[tommy]

I've long understood Coach K's policy of scheduling the big OOC games at neutral sites: 1) it's great for exposure to play in NBA gyms and places like MSG; 2) it simulates the NCAA tournament experience; and 3) the selection committee has long undervalued the difficulty of road games, such that a neutral site win is almost as valuable as a road win, while being a bit easier.

All that said, I've wondered if Jon would veer from that approach. College basketball is best when played in on-campus home gyms. This should be a fun series.

Coach K said he would never schedule Arizona again after they totally jobbed us at McKale in 1991, including calling 35 fouls on us, and he never did.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Doesn't that game in 2023 conflict with the Champion's Classic?

Good point - I didn't even focus on the specific dates in the pictures. 2023 is on 11/10. That is a Friday night. Odd time for a high profile non-conference game. Champions Classic is usually around 11/15 so is likely Tuesday 11/14 or Wednesday 11/15, though it has been moving earlier so perhaps it is around 11/7 before the AZ game.

[Bluedog]

Good point - I didn't even focus on the specific dates in the pictures. 2023 is on 11/10. That is a Friday night. Odd time for a high profile non-conference game. Champions Classic is usually around 11/15 so is likely Tuesday 11/14 or Wednesday 11/15, though it has been moving earlier so perhaps it is around 11/7 before the AZ game.

I thought I heard that the Champions Classic timing is getting moved from the first game of the season to a slightly later date...

[sagegrouse]

I'm thrilled Duke is playing a high-profile opponent in a home-and-home series. Love it and want to see more of it!

But Arizona and those cheating, lying, thieving Pac 12 referees can $*@!^@& themselves.

Go to the 5:10 mark of this video and tell me what you see...


That's a 3 pointer to give Duke a 1 point lead in overtime. I'm sorry, but it isn't even close to being a 2. Koubek's feet are clearly well behind the line.

Two minutes later, the refs ruled it a 2 and take a point away from Duke. As a result, Arizona ties the game up and it goes to a second overtime where the Cats manage to hang on and win. It was a record-setting game as Duke was called for more fouls than any team in the history of the McKale Center.

Coach K vowed to never, ever, ever play in Arizona again after that game.

I am assuming we won't be seeing the referee who robbed us of a win on Feb. 25, 1991 by not giving Duke credit for Koubek's three-point shot in the first OT.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I thought I heard that the Champions Classic timing is getting moved from the first game of the season to a slightly later date...

I thought the plan was to have one or two easier games before it as warm-ups, but not to move it too much later - I assume that worst case they want it the week before Thanksgiving (so by Nov. 20 or so at the very latest). Arizona obviously doesn't qualify as an easier warm-up.