Report: Duke Basketball Scheduling Game Against Recent National Champ

Duke basketball's only matchup versus Baylor went well for the Blue Devils.

Last week, the Duke basketball program announced the Blue Devil Challenge, a multi-team event giving the Blue Devils three November home games against three schools coming off losing seasons in Bucknell, La Salle, and Southern Indiana. While those might be cupcake opponents, the non-conference schedule is no cakewalk.

According to a report on Friday morning from CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein, Duke is finalizing an agreement to face 2021 national champion Baylor on Dec. 20 in Madison Square Garden.

Last season, the 20th with Scott Drew at the helm, the Bears posted a 23-11 overall record. Like Duke, Baylor saw its season end in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.

The only time the Blue Devils have squared off against Baylor was in the 2010 Elite Eight. And Duke prevailed in that game, 78-71, on its way to the program's fourth of now-five national championships. Of course, Jon Scheyer was a starting guard on that title squad.

If the matchup is finalized, Scheyer's second non-conference schedule as a head coach will feature at least three teams likely to begin the season in the top 25. Duke basketball hosts Arizona on Nov. 10 before heading to the Champions Classic in Chicago to play Michigan State on Nov. 14.

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Outside of those meetings and the Blue Devil Challenge, the only confirmed outing on Duke's 11-game non-conference slate is a home bout against Queens on Dec. 29.

That leaves four games to schedule, assuming the Baylor matchup becomes a reality. 

However, one of those four unknowns is reserved for the new ACC-SEC Challenge (dates and matchups not yet set).

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