Duke MBB Scheduling: 2025-26

brevity said:
Yes, the ACC has made a priority of minimizing cross-country travel. From 2024-25, here are the teams that flew out west.

Virginia: at California Wed 1/8, at Stanford Sat 1/11
Virginia Tech: at Stanford Wed 1/8, at California Sat 1/11

Florida State: at California Wed 1/22, at Stanford Sat 1/25
Miami: at Stanford Wed 1/22, at California Sat 1/25

Syracuse: at Stanford Wed 1/29, at California Sat 2/1

NC State: at California Wed 2/5, at Stanford Sat 2/8
Wake Forest: at Stanford Wed 2/5, at California Sat 2/8

SMU: at California Wed 2/26, at Stanford Sat 3/1
Boston College: at Stanford Wed 2/26, at California Sat 3/1

Every ACC game California and Stanford played last season -- even against each other -- was on a Wednesday or Saturday. (Syracuse is not paired that week because both California and Stanford played at SMU on the day they weren't hosting the Orange.)
Click to expand...
Duke's West Coast trip next year will also be Wed/Sat, since presumably UNC will go with them and play the opposite teams on the same day.
 
msdukie said:
Duke's West Coast trip next year will also be Wed/Sat, since presumably UNC will go with them and play the opposite teams on the same day.
Click to expand...
What I hope is Duke/UNC happens before the semester gets too far in swing (pre-MLK Day). You don't need the December games or can start after 1/1 with 18 games.
 
I always like to compare Duke's non-con schedule to see how it stacks up with those of the other blue bloods and Top 25-ish level P5 + Gonzaga rivals in terms of expected "tough" games -- e.g., anticipated Q1 games or other rivalry games or games against Top 75-ish P5 opponents, based on Torvik's projections for next season. https://barttorvik.com/trankpre.php

My own ratings scale is basically this:
  • 6-8 games = Brave
  • 4-5 games = Table stakes
  • 3 or fewer = Cowards
Based on the reporting/releases/leaks so far, I'd put Alabama, Kansas, Duke, and Auburn at top of the class on scheduling, followed closely by U.Conn, Arizona, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa St. and Purdue (with of course Gonzaga right there, though they've really got no choice).

Here's how my full set of non-con relative schedules currently shakes out (with road games listed first and the rest based on descending order by Torvik's projected rankings of each team):

Largely known but may have more to add and subject to change as MTE matchups get set:
Alabama (7-8): @ St. John’s (T-Rank #8), Purdue (#2), Illinois (N-#9), Arizona (N-#14), [Players Era 2-3 games; ACC/SEC Challenge]
Kansas (7-8): @ N. Carolina (15), @ NC St. (37), Duke (N-3), U.Conn (11), Mizzou (N-27), [2-3 Players Era]
Duke (7): @ Mich St. (17), Mich (N-4), Ark. (N-10), Kansas (N-16), T. Tech (N-26), Texas (N-34), [SEC]
Auburn (6-7): @ Ariz (14), Houston (N-1), Purdue (N-2), [Players Era 2-3; ACC/SEC]
Gonzaga (6-7): UCLA (N-7), Kentucky (N-13), Creighton (24), Oklahoma (29), [Players Era 2-3]
U.Conn (6): @ Kansas (16), Florida (N-5), BYU (N-6), Illinois (N-9), Arizona (14), Texas (34)
Arizona (6): @ U.Conn (11), Florida (N-5), UCLA (N-7), Alabama (N-19), Auburn (31), SDSU (N-41)
Kentucky (6): @ Louisville (18), St. John’s (N-8), Mich. St. (N-17), Gonzaga (N-25), Indiana (40), [ACC]
Iowa St. (5-6): @ Purdue (2), Miss St (N-37), Iowa (39), [2-3 Players Era]
Illinois (5): U.Conn (N-11), Tenn (N-12), Alabama (N-19), Tex Tech (26), Mizzou (N-27)
Purdue (5): @ Alabama (19), Iowa St. (22), Auburn (N-31), Marquette (48), [MTE: Memph or Wake]
St. John’s (4-5): Kentucky (N-13), Alabama (19), [Players Era 2-3]
Michigan (4-5) Duke (N-3), Villanova (47), [Players Era 2-3]
BYU (4-5): U.Conn (N-11), Wisc. (24), Villanova (N-47), Clem (N-49), [MTE: 2 of Miami (57), Dayton, G.Town (72)]

Still mostly TBD so too soon to fully judge:
N. Carolina (3-4): Kansas (16), Mich St. (N-17), Ohio St. (N-20), [kind of, Georgetown (72)]
Houston (3-4): Auburn (N-31), [2-3 Players Era]
Texas (3-4): @ U.Conn (6), Duke (N-3) [Maui: maybe 1-2 of USC (22), NC St. (37)]
Florida (3-4): U.Conn (N-6), Arizona (N-14) [MTE: TCU (55)/Prov (57); likely Wisc. (28)]
Creighton (3-4): @ Gonzaga (25), [Players Era 2-3]
Tennessee (3-4): Illinois (N-9), [Players Era 2-3]
Wisconsin (3-4): BYU (N-3), Villanova (N-47), [MTE: TCU (55)/Prov (57), likely Florida (5)]
Mich. St. (3): Duke (3), Kentucky (N-13), N. Carolina (N-15)
Indiana (3): @ Kentucky (13), Louisville (N-18), Marquette (N-48)
Louisville (2-3): Kentucky (13), Indiana (N-40), [kind of, Memphis (71)]
NC St. (2-3): Kansas (16), [Maui: maybe 1-2 of USC (22), Texas (34)]
Texas Tech (2): @ Illinois (9), Duke (N-3)
UCLA (2): Arizona (N-14), Gonzaga (N-25)
Oregon: [Players Era 2-3]
Baylor: [Players Era 2-3]
Ohio St. (1-2): N. Carolina (N-15), [kind of, Notre Dame (66)]
Arkansas (1): Duke (N-3)
 
MartyClark said:
I'd love to take a Bay area road trip and see Duke play at Cal and Stanford.

Any thoughts/suggestions on the availability of tickets at those two venues?
Click to expand...
JMO, but while tix are readily available for basketball, there will be a big demand for the Duke game. Loads of Duke alums, plus general interest in seeing Duke play. We'll see if each school comes up with some sort of multigame "package."
 
scottdude8 said:
Jon said “all but one” of the tough non-con games are away from home, which seems to imply our SEC matchup will be in Cameron…
Click to expand...
I made this inference awhile back and got a lot of pushback. Obviously we don't know for sure. Jon is already going pretty far from Duke norms by scheduling 2 true road games. To me, that would make the most sense if Jon knew the SEC game would be at home. Jon carefully set up the Arizona series to balance against the home/away cycle in the ACC/SEC. It makes sense he would do the same thing here, scheduling the game @Michigan State when he knew we would have a home SEC game. I know some say we are "due" an away game, but we've played 1 home and 1 away so far, so I don't think it would be unusual to get scheduled for a home game this year.
 
Dr. Maturin said:
I made this inference awhile back and got a lot of pushback. Obviously we don't know for sure. Jon is already going pretty far from Duke norms by scheduling 2 true road games. To me, that would make the most sense if Jon knew the SEC game would be at home. Jon carefully set up the Arizona series to balance against the home/away cycle in the ACC/SEC. It makes sense he would do the same thing here, scheduling the game @Michigan State when he knew we would have a home SEC game. I know some say we are "due" an away game, but we've played 1 home and 1 away so far, so I don't think it would be unusual to get scheduled for a home game this year.
Click to expand...
It makes too much sense for Duke not to be playing Defending Champion Florida, either in Durham or Gainsville.
( It hurt to type the words defending champion...)
 
Duke will play Texas in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte on November 4.

espnpressroom.com

ESPN Events Announces Creation of Dick Vitale Invitational Men’s College Basketball Event in Charlotte

ESPN Events, in collaboration with the Charlotte Sports Foundation, has announced the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational, a new men’s college basketball event that will annually honor Dick Vitale, the Hall of Fame broadcaster and one of the sport’s most iconic voices and ambassadors, who...
espnpressroom.com
 
crote said:
Duke will play Texas in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte on November 4.

espnpressroom.com

ESPN Events Announces Creation of Dick Vitale Invitational Men’s College Basketball Event in Charlotte

ESPN Events, in collaboration with the Charlotte Sports Foundation, has announced the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational, a new men’s college basketball event that will annually honor Dick Vitale, the Hall of Fame broadcaster and one of the sport’s most iconic voices and ambassadors, who...
espnpressroom.com
Click to expand...
Hopeful that means that we won't have Bilas as the announcer. ;)
 
azzefkram said:
I have to say I am very impressed with how Jon is scheduling this season. He is either crazypants or very confident in his roster. I'm guessing the latter.
Click to expand...
I would say impressed but not "crazypants" -- I'd more call it "what a blueblood program should be doing for the good of the sport." Duke is one of about 8 teams that will have at least 6 and maybe 7-8 expected Q1-level non con games, along with Kansas, Kentucky, U.Conn, Arizona, Alabama, Auburn and Gonzaga. But, Duke's schedule isn't shaping up to be appreciably tougher than any of the others of those schools.

Things are subject to change when the Players Era MTE (Auburn, Alabama, Kansas, Gonzaga) and ACC/SEC Challenge games are finalized, but based on the average projected (per Torvik) rankings of the known opponents of the teams in this group expecting to play 6-8 tough non-games, Duke's schedule currently ranks about in the middle -- though you'd need to give some bump to Kansas for scheduling 2 road games and ding Gonzaga for scheduling none (everyone else has 1 scheduled tough road game), and maybe have some skepticism of Auburn/Alabama based on their relatively fewer known opponents at this point:

Auburn (6-7): Avg. projected opponent ranking: 5.7 (3 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Arizona (14), Houston (N-1), Purdue (N-2), [Players Era 2-3; ACC/SEC]

Alabama (7-8): Avg. projected ranking: 8.3 (4 known opponents, 1 road)
@ St. John’s (8), Purdue (2), Illinois (N-9), Arizona (N-14), [Players Era 2-3; ACC/SEC]

U.Conn (6): Avg. projected ranking: 14 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Kansas (16), Florida (N-5), BYU (N-6), Illinois (N-9), Arizona (14), Texas (34)

Gonzaga (6-7): Avg. projected ranking: 15.8 (4 known opponents, 0 road)
UCLA (N-7), Kentucky (N-13), Creighton (24), Oklahoma (29), [Players Era 2-3]

Duke (7): Avg. projected ranking: 16.2 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Mich St. (17), Mich (N-4), Ark. (N-10), Kansas (N-16), T. Tech (N-26), Texas (N-34), [SEC]

Kansas (7-8): Avg. projected ranking: 18.6 (5 known opponents, 2 road)
@ N. Carolina (15), @ NC St. (37), Duke (N-3), U.Conn (11), Mizzou (N-27), [2-3 Players Era]

Arizona (6): Avg. projected ranking: 20.1 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ U.Conn (11), Florida (N-5), UCLA (N-7), Alabama (N-19), Auburn (31), SDSU (N-41)

Kentucky (6): Avg. projected ranking: 21.6 (5 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Louisville (18), St. John’s (N-8), Mich. St. (N-17), Gonzaga (N-25), Indiana (40), [ACC]
 
Torvik has Texas Tech at #26?!?! What is he smoking?

They made the Elite 8 and came darn close to knocking off Florida and making the Final Four. They bring back their leading scorer in JT Topin who will be a trendy preseason POY contender. They've also got Christian Anderson back and he was one of the better freshman sharpshooters in the country a year ago. He's fairly likely to make the soph leap and be a mid-teens scorer. They brought in several really nice portal guys who were double-digit scorers at smaller schools like UNC-G and Santa Clara. I feel like Texas Tech should be preseason top 10. This is gonna be a really good team.

They are one of the few teams believed to have spent as much as UNC did on NIL deals this portal season.
 
JasonEvans said:
Torvik has Texas Tech at #26?!?! What is he smoking?

They made the Elite 8 and came darn close to knocking off Florida and making the Final Four. They bring back their leading scorer in JT Topin who will be a trendy preseason POY contender. They've also got Christian Anderson back and he was one of the better freshman sharpshooters in the country a year ago. He's fairly likely to make the soph leap and be a mid-teens scorer. They brought in several really nice portal guys who were double-digit scorers at smaller schools like UNC-G and Santa Clara. I feel like Texas Tech should be preseason top 10. This is gonna be a really good team.

They are one of the few teams believed to have spent as much as UNC did on NIL deals this portal season.
Click to expand...
For sure, Torvik's projections do appear to be underrating Texas Tech compared to the various "Way-too-early Top 25" human rankings. The consensus of 7 such rankings (from CBS, ESPN, Jon Rothstein, Field of 68, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated and Busting Brackets) has Texas Tech at #8, tied with Duke and Kentucky.

I don't know what all goes into Torvik's model -- have to assume it's a combination of last seasons efficiency metrics adjusted somehow for departures, recruits and incoming transfers -- and my reference of it wasn't necessarily to vouch for it as accurate in its projections, but really was just using it because it was the most readily available means of comprehensively comparing anticipated schedule strength for next season.

But, you raise a good point -- maybe worth re-doing the exercise based on the consensus Top 25 human rankings (problem is those really only go to about 30-35 teams.

Besides Texas Tech, it looks like in comparison to the consensus human rankings that Torvik is also meaningfully lower on U.Conn and San Diego St., and meaningfully higher on Tennessee, Carolina, Ohio St., (especially) Vandy and USC, for whatever those distinctions are worth.

Torvik

1-5: Houston, Purdue, Duke, Michigan, Florida
6-10: BYU, UCLA, St. John’s, Illinois, Arkansas
11-15: U.Conn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina
16-20: Louisville, Kansas, Michigan St., Alabama, Ohio St.
21-25: Iowa St., Vandy, Creighton, Gonzaga, USC
26-30: Oregon, Texas Tech, Mizzou, Wisconsin, Oklahoma

Consensus of CBS (Parrish), ESPN (Borzello), Rothstein, Field of 68 (Dauster/Goodman), The Athletic (Marks), Sports Illustrated, Busting Brackets

1-5: Purdue, Houston, Florida, U.Conn, St. John’s
6-10: BYU, Michigan, Kentucky, Duke, Texas Tech
11-15: Louisville, Arkansas, Auburn, UCLA, Arizona
16-20: Iowa St., Alabama, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas
21-25: Tennessee, Michigan St., Creighton, San Diego St.
26-30: Wisconsin, NC St., North Carolina, Ohio St., Mizzou, Baylor
 
Adjusting it to look at the consensus way-too-early rankings (which as noted have Texas Tech/Duke/Kentucky tied at T#8 and also have Houston/Purdue tied at T#1) doesn't change things much. The biggest differences are it makes Arizona's schedule look tougher---the human rankings are higher on Florida, San Diego St. and Auburn than Torvik--and it makes Gonzaga's look easier. The others net out about the same.

Top non-con schedules, by opponent consensus way-too-early rankings

Auburn (6-7): Avg. projected opponent ranking: 5.7 (3 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Ariz (15), Houston (N-1), Purdue (N-1), [Players Era 2-3; ACC/SEC]

Alabama (7-8): Avg. projected ranking: 10 (4 known opponents, 1 road)
@ St. John’s (5), Purdue (1), Illinois (N-19), Arizona (N-15), [Players Era 2-3; ACC/SEC]

Arizona (6): Avg. projected ranking: 12.5 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ U.Conn (4), Florida (N-3), UCLA (N-14), Alabama (N-17), Auburn (13), SDSU (N-24)

U.Conn (6): Avg. projected ranking: 15.8 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Kansas (20), Florida (N-3), BYU (N-6), Illinois (N-19), Arizona (15), Texas (32)

Duke (7): Avg. projected ranking: 16.8 (6 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Mich St. (22), Mich (N-7), Ark. (N-12), Kansas (N-20), T. Tech (N-8), Texas (N-32), [SEC]

Kansas (7-8): Avg. projected ranking: 18.8 (5 known opponents, 2 road)
@ N. Carolina (27), @ NC St. (26), Duke (N-8), U.Conn (4), Mizzou (N-29), [2-3 Players Era]

Kentucky (6): Avg. projected ranking: 18.8 (5 known opponents, 1 road)
@ Louisville (11), St. John’s (N-5), Mich. St. (N-22), Gonzaga (N-18), Indiana (38), [ACC]

Gonzaga (6-7): Avg. projected ranking: 20 (4 known opponents, 0 road)
UCLA (N-14), Kentucky (N-8), Creighton (23), Oklahoma (35), [Players Era 2-3]
 
JasonEvans said:
Torvik has Texas Tech at #26?!?! What is he smoking?

They made the Elite 8 and came darn close to knocking off Florida and making the Final Four. They bring back their leading scorer in JT Topin who will be a trendy preseason POY contender. They've also got Christian Anderson back and he was one of the better freshman sharpshooters in the country a year ago. He's fairly likely to make the soph leap and be a mid-teens scorer. They brought in several really nice portal guys who were double-digit scorers at smaller schools like UNC-G and Santa Clara. I feel like Texas Tech should be preseason top 10. This is gonna be a really good team.

They are one of the few teams believed to have spent as much as UNC did on NIL deals this portal season.
Click to expand...
Torvik’s 2026 rankings have Tyrese Proctor, Cedric Coward and Cam Sheffield getting the most minutes for Duke. Don’t think he’s worked the kinks out yet, lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top