Duke MBB Scheduling: 2025-26

Nugget said:
Rocco Miller reporting Duke to play Lipscomb, Dec. 16. Will be Q4 but even though they lost their coach off of an NCAA tournament team, this should still be a higher-quality challenge than typical buy game cupcakes.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1933199798389153929
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I agree with you, but you may be underselling it just a touch. Lipscomb finished last year #86 in the NET, so if they stay in that range they'd be better Q3 wins than what Wofford and Seattle were for us last year. In fact, 4 ASUN teams finished last year in the Top 200 in the NET, so even if they're competing atop their league rather than winning it there's a chance it's a Q3 game.

I LOVE this type of scheduling. Even if Lipscomb is a 100-200 NET team this year, that is so much better than having a 300+ team weighing down your SOS metrics.
 
OK, so here's where I think things stand, with likely Q1 games bolded and links to the games that are less heavily sourced:
That's 11 games, meaning we have room for just two more to get to 31 (thanks @BlueDevil2K ) now that there are just 18 ACC games. My bet is we aim for something in the high Q3 range (like Seattle/Wofford last year).
 
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I like the way the schedule is structured. A winnable game against a tough top-30 opponent to open the season to see exactly where the team is and what needs to improve. Then 2 weeks of practices and tune-up games to address those areas, before the murderers row of 5 Q1 games in 5 weeks.

Things can go sideways quickly with a young team and a schedule this tough - happened to the Heels last season. But I don't think it will be too much for this squad.
 
scottdude8 said:
That's 11 games, meaning we have room for just one more to get to 30 now that there are just 18 ACC games. My bet is we aim for something in the high Q3 range (like Seattle/Wofford last year).
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Why 30? For years it's been 31:

www.ncaa.org

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Oversight Committees propose 32-game maximum contest limits - NCAA.org

The Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees on Tuesday proposed legislation for basketball seasons to have a 32-game maximum contest limit.
www.ncaa.org www.ncaa.org
The proposal also aligns both sports with equitable participation opportunities. Currently, men's and women's basketball teams can schedule 28 games with an additional three-game, multiple-team event, for a maximum of 31 games. Teams can also choose to schedule 29 games with a two-game, multiple-team event, again with a 31-game maximum. Or teams can schedule 29 regular-season games without a multiple-team event included.
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scottdude8 said:
@Michigan State (road, December)
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Jon Rothstein, who first reported the Duke-Michigan State game back in January, is now putting forth an (unofficial) date.

In his CBS Sports podcast this week, he talks about Duke’s schedule. Go to about the 3:30 mark.


“Duke is going to then in December— the date is not official yet, but from everything I’m gathering, it’s going to be December 6 — Duke is going to play Michigan State in East Lansing.”
 
Looking at sd8’s post #223 ^ summarizing the OOC schedule, and now adding the info from brevity’s post #229 ^, can we guess that Duke will play 2 home games on/about Sat 11/22 and Tues 12/9? (Final exams are 12/10-15.)

Further, maybe we could guess that the first post-Christmas-break game would be on/about Tues 12/30.

Three scenarios:
  • Buy games 11/22 and 12/9, first ACC game 12/30.
  • Buy game 11/22, first ACC game 12/9, buy game 12/30.
  • @ St. John’s 11/22 [team stays in NYC after the Champs Classic game] and @ Purdue/Houston/UConn/BYU 12/9, which would (a) give Duke some needed Q1 opportunities, and (b) assure that Cameron season ticket holders become apoplectic rather than merely really pished.
 
brevity said:
Jon Rothstein, who first reported the Duke-Michigan State game back in January, is now putting forth an (unofficial) date.

In his CBS Sports podcast this week, he talks about Duke’s schedule. Go to about the 3:30 mark.


“Duke is going to then in December— the date is not official yet, but from everything I’m gathering, it’s going to be December 6 — Duke is going to play Michigan State in East Lansing.”
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Okay, now it's official: December 6 at Michigan State. From Duke MBB:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934989213675688057
 
gumbomoop said:
Looking at sd8’s post #223 ^ summarizing the OOC schedule, and now adding the info from brevity’s post #229 ^, can we guess that Duke will play 2 home games on/about Sat 11/22 and Tues 12/9? (Final exams are 12/10-15.)

Further, maybe we could guess that the first post-Christmas-break game would be on/about Tues 12/30.

Three scenarios:
  • Buy games 11/22 and 12/9, first ACC game 12/30.
  • Buy game 11/22, first ACC game 12/9, buy game 12/30.
  • @ St. John’s 11/22 [team stays in NYC after the Champs Classic game] and @ Purdue/Houston/UConn/BYU 12/9, which would (a) give Duke some needed Q1 opportunities, and (b) assure that Cameron season ticket holders become apoplectic rather than merely really pished.
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I'm betting it's going to be:
Buy game either 11/21 (teams seem to be moving towards November games on Fridays instead of Saturdays to avoid football conflicts) or 11/22
Buy game 12/9
First ACC game either 12/27 or 12/30 (I think with the ACC cutting back from a 20 to 18 game schedule they don't need the very early December dates for conference games anymore).
 
THIS IS AWESOME!!!

DURHAM, N.C. - A trio of former Duke men's basketball team captains will reunite at Cameron Indoor Stadium the weekend of Nov. 21-23, when Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils host Niagara, led by head coach Greg Paulus, and Howard, led by head coach Kenneth Blakeney, in the return of the Brotherhood Run.

Duke will face Niagara on Friday, Nov. 21, and Howard on Sunday, Nov. 23, while the visiting Purple Eagles and Bison will square off on Saturday, Nov. 22. Game times and TV broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

The event will mark Duke’s first hardwood meetings with both Niagara and Howard.

“We’re excited to bring back the Brotherhood Run this season,” Scheyer said. “It’s a powerful way for our team to connect with the deeper meaning of wearing a Duke uniform. Expanding the event gives us a great opportunity to grow that connection. Having Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus return as head coaches adds even more to the experience for our players and for everyone who’s part of the Brotherhood.”
 
JasonEvans said:
THIS IS AWESOME!!!

DURHAM, N.C. - A trio of former Duke men's basketball team captains will reunite at Cameron Indoor Stadium the weekend of Nov. 21-23, when Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils host Niagara, led by head coach Greg Paulus, and Howard, led by head coach Kenneth Blakeney, in the return of the Brotherhood Run.

Duke will face Niagara on Friday, Nov. 21, and Howard on Sunday, Nov. 23, while the visiting Purple Eagles and Bison will square off on Saturday, Nov. 22. Game times and TV broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

The event will mark Duke’s first hardwood meetings with both Niagara and Howard.

“We’re excited to bring back the Brotherhood Run this season,” Scheyer said. “It’s a powerful way for our team to connect with the deeper meaning of wearing a Duke uniform. Expanding the event gives us a great opportunity to grow that connection. Having Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus return as head coaches adds even more to the experience for our players and for everyone who’s part of the Brotherhood.”
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To head off any confusion, calling this an MTE (I’m pretty sure) means these will fill two of our remaining regular season slots… leaving open all those delicious rumors about potential exhibition matchups.

Both teams were in the 300s of KP last year so these are the first true cupcake games we’ve announced in a while… but so cool that we’re finding a way to make those special too!
 
It's near the end of June. Why can't we get an announcement on our exhibition game or games? At least the Brotherhood games are out of the way. I was afraid our exhibition games would be Brotherhood games. UCF might be interesting but none of the others. Now we can get a major exhibition game or games.
 
hallcity said:
It's near the end of June. Why can't we get an announcement on our exhibition game or games? At least the Brotherhood games are out of the way. I was afraid our exhibition games would be Brotherhood games. UCF might be interesting but none of the others. Now we can get a major exhibition game or games.
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The Duke-ASU game was announced last year on August 21st so I would not hold my breath right now in anticipation of something imminent.

That said, I expect we will play a D2 team in one exhibition and we will face a big-time opponent in the other. UConn and Gonzaga are two of the names that seem to be floating around (though perhaps as wishes more than due to any actual info).
 
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