Nonconference games for Coach K’s last Duke team are set. Here’s the who, where and when.
The final home opener Mike Krzyzewski coaches at Duke will come against schools that equally defines his legacy.
The Blue Devils’ first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium will be Nov. 12 against Army West Point, where Krzyzewski played and coached prior to arriving at Duke in 1980.
The game with Army is one of eight non-conference games the Blue Devils will play at Cameron in Krzyzewski’s 42nd and final season as their head coach.
Duke also plays home games with in-state Division I teams Campbell, Gardner-Webb and Appalachian State in addition to S.C. State, Lafayette and the first-ever meeting with Cleveland State.
As previously announced, Duke opens the regular season Nov. 9 against Kentucky in the Champions Classic doubleheader at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Michigan State and Kansas will also play in that event.
The Blue Devils play their next five games at Cameron, starting with the school’s Veterans Day Weekend Showcase Nov. 12-13. That event includes Duke playing Army and Campbell on consecutive nights.
The fourth team in the Veteran’s Day event, Hartford, which made its first NCAA tournament appearance last year, will also play Campbell and Army.
“We are excited to host three outstanding programs in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Veteran’s Day weekend,” Krzyzewski said in a statement. “It will be an early season test for our young team to play two quality opponents on consecutive days. Certainly, I am particularly honored to face my alma mater, Army, on the opening day of the showcase. We look forward to a great weekend of basketball and celebrating heroes -- our nation’s veterans.”
Following that event, Duke plays Gardner-Webb on Nov. 16, Lafayette on Nov. 19 and The Citadel on Nov. 22.
The Blue Devils hit the road to play Gonzaga on Nov. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas before facing Ohio State on Nov. 30 in Columbus, Ohio, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Duke’s final three home nonconference games are Dec. 14 with S.C. State, Dec. 16 with Appalachian State and Dec. 18 against Cleveland State.
Appalachian State (Sun Belt) and Cleveland State (Horizon) won their conference tournament championships last March and played in the NCAA tournament.
After those three December nonconference games, the Blue Devils will face ACC opponents the remainder of the regular season. The ACC has yet to finalize its basketball schedule so Duke’s conference game dates will be announced at a later date; however, the opponents are known.
The Blue Devils play home and road games with UNC, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Syracuse and Virginia.
They play road games only at Boston College, Louisville, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh and home games only against Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State and Virginia Tech.
Following last season’s pandemic restrictions that kept spectators out of Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first chance to fill the stands again will be Oct. 15 for the Countdown to Craziness scrimmage. Duke’s only public exhibition game this season will be Oct. 30 against Winston-Salem State at Cameron.
Duke 2021-22 nonconference basketball schedule
Nov. 9: vs. Kentucky (at New York)
Nov. 12: Army
Nov. 13: Campbell
Nov. 16: Gardner-Webb
Nov. 19: Lafayette
Nov. 22: The Citadel
Nov. 26: vs. Gonzaga (at Las Vegas)
Nov. 30: at Ohio State
Dec. 14: S.C. State
Dec. 16: Appalachian State
Dec. 18: Cleveland State
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Nonconference games for Coach K’s last Duke team are set. Here’s the who, where and when.."