Duke Facing Top Team Before Start of Season

The Duke Blue Devils want to be the best team in college basketball this upcoming season. Duke will have a great team once again, with the new freshmen coming in as well as the returning players from the Final Four team a season ago.

Duke's head coach, Jon Scheyer, is looking to get this team playing its best. He will put them in the best position to be successful. Scheyer has a good feeling about the players he gets on his team. He also has a great coaching staff that makes him and the team better.

Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer is introduced during player introductions at the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

It is going to be interesting to see how this team plays as a unit when they are out there on the court together. Also, how they develop their chemistry throughout the season.

Scheyer is not going to wait around for a long time to find out how this team fares with other great teams in College Basketball. This team will have a couple of exhibitions before it opens up its season.

One of those games is against the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee is ranked at No. 18 going into the season. This will be a great game for the Blue Devils to get a feel for how playing against a great team feels, because they will play great teams throughout the season.

rgeger — Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Duke Are Ready for Basketball Season

"Tennessee coach Rick Barnes saw a chance to bring Duke to campus for the first time in nearly 50 years and jumped at it," said the Associated Press.

His No. 18 Volunteers host sixth-ranked Duke in an exhibition that sold out minutes after tickets went on sale, despite the result not counting. It’s much more important to the coaches as a preseason checkup for a pair of programs that finished in the top five last spring.

“I wish we played more of them,” Barnes said. “I really do. I think it would help all of us.”

refr — Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Barnes has lots of company. The last weekend of October now looks like the second week of the NCAA Tournament with a bunch of games between power conference opponents providing a fresh revenue source along with a chance to test team chemistry during this time of roster overhauls through the transfer portal and players cashing in on their athletic fame."

Feb 5, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Detailed view of the Duke Blue Devils logo on a uniform prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

"The star-power games start up with No. 1 Purdue at No. 9 Kentucky, No. 25 North Carolina facing No. 8 BYU in Salt Lake City, and No. 19 Kansas at No. 11 Louisville. The next day, No. 5 St. John’s plays No. 7 Michigan at Madison Square Garden, followed by No. 2 and national runner-up Houston play Mississippi State, while the No. 9 North Carolina State women play No. 10 Maryland."

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