Duke Basketball Junior Reveals Heartwarming Thoughts Ahead of Next Game

The Duke basketball team is getting ready for its highly anticipated showdown in Madison Square Garden.

Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Sure, when the No. 25-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) battle the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (4-0, 0-0 ACC) in Madison Square Garden at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN), they won't have the services of five-star freshman guard Darryn Peterson, out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

But the contest is part of the annual Champions Classic, and as third-year Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster recently explained, such a matchup is part of the reason he chose to play for the blueblood in Durham.

Nov 11, 2025; West Point, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) passes the ball against the Army Black Knights during the second half at Christl Arena. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Foster's Thoughts:

• "It’s what dreams are made of," Foster explained about the Kansas game following the Blue Devils' 100-62 win over the unranked Indiana State Sycamores on Friday night.

• "It’s what you come to Duke for. So, I’m very excited. We’re going to start tomorrow to get ready and build. Every time we’ve been up there [to Madison Square Garden] my two years, I love it. We get to go twice this year. The love for Duke is definitely there, and I’m excited to get back and play there again.

• "That’s what we all came to Duke for, to play in big games like this. It’s definitely going to be fun. It’s not going to take anything [to get ready]. Everybody’s going to be ready to go."

Duke basketball guard Caleb Foster | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Foster, now in his third season as a Duke basketball player, posted his best stat line of the season on Friday night, finishing the blowout with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes on the court. As a full-time starter this go-round, the 21-year-old junior from Harrisburg, N.C., a lifelong Blue Devil enthusiast, is now averaging career-highs with his 9.0 points, 3.8 boards, and 3.0 assists per game.

quick 7 straight points for us by CFos pic.twitter.com/15PWEscy9l

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) November 15, 2025

Meanwhile, Duke boasts an 8-6 record in the annual Champions Classic, which always features the Blue Devils, Jayhawks, Michigan State Spartans, and Kentucky Wildcats. Kansas leads the event at 9-5 overall. So, Jon Scheyer and his Blue Devils would move into a tie at the top of that list with a victory over Bill Self's Jayhawks.

In November 2022, just over a week into Scheyer's first season as head coach, the Duke basketball program recorded its first Champions Classic loss to Kansas, as the then-No. 7 Blue Devils fell to the No. 6 Jayhawks, 69-64, in Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Blue Devils currently sit at 3-1 against the Jayhawks at the event.

Nov 15, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer motions to his team during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Both the Blue Devils and Jayhawks were ranked inside the top 10 in each of their previous four Champions Classic meetings.

Duke will return to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20 when the Blue Devils face the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

After squaring off against the Jayhawks, the Duke Blue Devils will return to Durham and gear up for another Friday night home bout, this time against the unranked Niagara Purple Eagles, coached by Duke basketball alum Greg Paulus.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.