Fifth-Year Signings Boost Expectations for Duke Non-Conference Game

The Duke Blue Devils will be very battle-tested by the time their grueling non-conference schedule is over.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his club won’t have much time to ease into the regular season before Duke’s premier contests commence. The Blue Devils will take on Michigan State on Nov. 10, Illinois on Nov. 17, UConn on Nov. 25, and Florida on Dec. 1.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is the third year in a row that the Blue Devils will play a marquee non-conference game in late February. Two seasons ago, Duke throttled Illinois 110-67 at Madison Square Garden. Last season, it defeated Michigan 68-63 in Washington, D.C.

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Gonzaga, Duke’s February opponent in 2027, was hit with some late roster blows this summer, but Mark Few has rebounded with fifth-year players, boosting the expectations between the Blue Devils and Bulldogs.

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few during action against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Nov. 14, 2025, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga Fifth-Year Signings Boost Matchup With Duke

Duke will face Gonzaga on Feb. 20 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. This is one of the Blue Devils’ three games as part of their broadcast deal with Amazon, allowing the network to stream three neutral-site, non-conference games for the program next season.

The Zags were hit with a major roster blow when rising sophomore Mario Saint-Supery announced he was leaving the program to sign a multi-year deal with Valencia in the EuroLeague, heading back to his home country of Spain.

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Saint-Supery was entering his sophomore season in Spokane with lofty expectations after averaging 8.6 points and 3.8 rebounds on 40.3% shooting from…

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Publish date : 2026-08-14 12:00:00

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