Duke Head Coach on Travel, Stanford as a Tough Challenge

Stanford has been knocking off ranked opponents left and right at home. Could Duke be next?

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer yells in the first half as his team fell behind by 10 points in the first half. The Duke Blue Devils rallied from being down nine points at the half to beat Louisville 84-73 Tuesday night at KFC Yum Center January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wednesday night’s huge upset over No. 14 UNC put Stanford in a prime position to compete in the ACC. With multiple big quad one wins, it looks like the Cardinal could potentially compete for a top spot in the ACC, and look to be on their way to becoming a March Madness team. But it’s going to take grit, consistency, and more wins if Stanford wants to reach their goals.

Following the impressive win over North Carolina, the Cardinal now have one more day to prepare for their toughest test to date. On Saturday, Stanford will host the sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, also at Maples Pavilion. Duke faced off against Cal on Wednesday night, taking down the Golden Bears 71-56.

As we approach what will be one of the biggest games in recent Stanford history, here is what Duke basketball's head coach, Jon Scheyer, had to say regarding the underrated challenges of playing the Cardinal.

“Look, I’ve never gone to Stanford yet, but I have a ton of respect for Kyle Smith, his staff, and the job that he’s done,” Scheyer said. “They play tough nose defense, and they really have an understanding of who they are.”

Schayer pays respect to coach Smith, and the incredible job that he has done since taking over the Stanford job back a year and a half ago. He also highlighted the phenomenal defense that Stanford has played this season.

Schayer also talked about his feelings on the travel that comes with playing in the ACC these days with the additions of Stanford and Cal, and the struggles that both the Blue Devils and Cardinal each face.

“They have to travel, we have to travel, it doesn’t matter. But I know it’s going to be a really good opponent, and we are excited to play at Stanford. But we know it’s going to be a really tough game too.”

Both Stanford and Duke each won their games on Wednesday since the ACC coaches call on Monday. In Duke's win, they looked great. They were streaky, often going on big scoring runs. They played great defense all night, and got a lot out of their star, Cameron Boozer.

The freshman put up 21 points in 31 minutes, adding 13 rebounds and three assists to his totals. That's roughly in line with what he has averaged this season at 22.8 PPG, 9.7 boards, and 4.1 assists.

But now the Blue Devils have a tough battle ahead of them against the Cardinal on Saturday, and it’s going to be quite the trap game for the visiting team. Stanford has gone 11-2 at home since joining the ACC, and are now coming off back-to-back home wins against No. 16 Louisville and No. 14 North Carolina. Stanford has been lethal at home in recent games, and now Duke is in thier crosshairs.

It’s clear that Schayer and Duke have an abundance of respect for the Cardinal, but they'll also be ready for a tough game against Stanford this weekend. This contest figures to be a good one, with top-off scheduled for 3 p.m. (PT).