No. 3 Duke, No. 19 Texas Tech Square Off in SentinelOne Classic at MSG

Saturday, December 20

New York, N.Y.

8 p.m.

Duke University

Texas Tech

Buy Tickets

2025 Duke Mne's Basketball vs Kansas at Madison Square Garden

Photo by: Duke Athletics

No. 3 Duke, No. 19 Texas Tech Square Off in SentinelOne Classic at MSG

12/19/2025 9:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Opening Tip

No. 3 Duke returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 20, to face No. 19 Texas Tech.
Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas will call the action on ESPN, starting at 8 p.m. David Shumate and John Roth team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
Texas Tech will be the Blue Devils' fifth top-25 opponent this season.
In their first 11 games, the Blue Devils secured four top-25 victories with wins over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Florida, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 25 Kansas.
Duke has won nine straight and 10 of its last 11 outings at Madison Square Garden.
The Texas Tech game is head coach Jon Scheyer's 29th at MSG as a Duke player, assistant coach and head coach (23-5).
On Tuesday, Scheyer broke the ACC record for the fastest coach to 100 wins (122 games), exceeding the standard set by Duke's Vic Bubas in 1964 (128 games).
The SentinelOne Classic features the only two Division I players averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game - Duke's Cameron Boozer (23.3/10.2) and Texas Tech's JT Toppin (21.9/10.6). (as of Dec. 17)
Duke's 11-0 start equals the best open to a season since the 2017-18 campaign.
The Blue Devils are No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.346) and rank fourth nationally in scoring defense (60.8) and scoring margin (+26.9).
On the glass, Duke ranks ninth in the country in rebounding (43.4 rpg), seventh in defensive rebounding (30.7) and 12th in rebound margin (+11.5).
Duke is second in the NET rankings, tied for the most Quad 1 wins (4), and is one of only two teams to be unbeaten with four Quad 1 wins, along with Arizona.
Duke is tied for the second-longest active win streak, only trailing Nebraska (15).
Duke is the top-rated defense in the country with a raw defensive efficiency rating of (86.1), while also leading the nation in effective field goal percentage defense (40.5%).
Patrick Ngongba II, the ACC's third-leading shot blocker with 1.6 swats per contest, registered his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds versus Lipscomb on Tuesday.
Boozer, the nation's leading scorer (23.3 ppg), is the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons to collect at least 250 points, 100 rebounds and 40 assists through his first 11 career games. (OptaSTATS)
Isaiah Evans has drained three or more 3-pointers in six games this season. Duke is 17-0 the past two seasons when the sophomore sharp-shooter hits three or more triples.
Caleb Foster is the longest tenured Blue Devil with 76 games played and 33 starts.
Duke is coming off its 18th Final Four appearance, 23rd ACC Tournament title and 21st ACC regular-season championship, finishing with a 35-4 overall record last season.

On This Date - Dec. 20

Duke has an all-time record of 17-8 when playing on Dec. 20.
The Blue Devils have won 10 of their last 12 contests on this date.
Duke's first clash with Texas Tech occurred Dec. 20, 2018, at Madison Square Garden, when No. 2 Duke defeated No. 12 Texas Tech, 69-58.
On Dec. 20, 2008, Jon Scheyer scored a game-high 23 points in an 82-64 win over Xavier, shooting 9-of-11 from the field, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc.

Last Time Out

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer tallied his 100th career victory, becoming the fastest ACC head coach to the century mark, with Duke's 97-73 win over Lipscomb on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Scheyer reached 100 career wins in just his 122nd game at the helm of the program, surpassing Duke's Vic Bubas, who held the previous conference record of doing so in 128 games.
Nationally, Scheyer is the second-fastest NCAA Division I men's basketball head coach to reach the century mark in wins in the past 45 years. He only trails Brad Stevens during that time frame, who earned his 100th win in his 120th game at Butler in 2011.
After entering halftime with just a three-point advantage, the Blue Devils outscored the Bisons, 49-28, in the second frame to secure the 24-point win.
Cameron Boozer led the way for Duke with a 26-point, 13-rebound double-double, while Patrick Ngongba II posted his first career double-double, with 10 points and 11 boards.
Three other Blue Devils scored in double-figures, with Isaiah Evans adding 16 and the duo of Maliq Brown and Darren Harris both scoring 11. Brown finished one rebound shy of a double-double, grabbing a season-best nine caroms, and Evans' effort was fueled by a game-high four three-pointers.
Duke finished with a +34 margin on the glass, out-rebounding Lipscomb, 55-21. The Blue Devils pulled in 20 offensive rebounds and allowed just three offensive boards by the Bisons, finishing with a 26-0 advantage in second-chance points
The +34 rebound margin is tied for fifth-best in Duke history and is just the second time this century the Blue Devils have out-rebounded their foe by more than 30 caroms.
Duke limited Lipscomb to 39.3% shooting from the field. The Blue Devils have held nine of their opponents under 40% shooting from the field.
Lipscomb entered the contest averaging 80.4 points per game, but were limited to 73 points. The Blue Devils have held each opponent this season under their respective scoring average.
The Blue Devils accumulated a season-high 14 steals on Tuesday, bettering their prior best of 13 steals against Indiana State.
Duke dished 21 assists in the win over Lipscomb, its sixth game this season with at least 20 helpers.
The Blue Devils snapped Lipscomb's five-game winning streak.

Blue Devils Efficient at Both Ends of the Floor

Duke is one of just four teams ranked in the top-10 nationally in both offensive efficiency (123.7, 10th) and defensive efficiency (91.1, 3rd) ratings, according to KenPom.com.
The Blue Devils are the nation's No. 5 rated team, according to KenPom, with an overall rating of 32.59. (through games played on Dec. 17)
The 2024-25 Blue Devils achieved the best offensive efficiency rating (130.1) in the history of KenPom (since 1996-97 season).
In 2024-25, Duke registered the second-highest overall rating (39.29) in KenPom history, trailing only the 1998-99 Duke Blue Devils (43.01).
Last season, Duke was the only team in the country ranked among the top-five in both offensive (130.1, 1st) and defensive (90.8, 5th) adjusted efficiency (KenPom).

Pace of Play

Duke's offense is playing at a faster pace this season than any prior campaign under head coach Jon Scheyer, according to KenPom.com.
The Blue Devils' average length of possession on offense is 15.1 seconds, which is the 17th quickest use of time nationally.
In comparison, Duke's average length of offensive possession was 17.1 seconds in 2024-25, 17.5 in 2023-24 and 18.7 in 2022-23.
Duke maximizes its 15.1 seconds with an effective field goal percentage (58.4%) that ranks 15th in the country and a two-point field goal percentage (63.2%) that's fourth nationally.
On the other end of the floor, Duke's defense is forcing opponents to use 18.6 seconds per possession, which is 10th-highest in the country.
The greater use of time has not yielded improved results for Duke opponents, as the Blue Devils' effective field goal percentage defense (40.5%) is the best in the nation.

Tracking Blue Devil Deflections

Through 11 games, the Blue Devils have accumulated 236 deflections, an average of 21.5 per game.
Duke amassed a season-best 32 deflections versus Niagara (Nov. 21), topping the previous high of 30 against Indiana State (Nov. 14).
Maliq Brown, described as a "defensive menace" by head coach Jon Scheyer, tops Duke with 65 deflections (5.9 avg.).
Brown, who was selected to the 2023-24 ACC All-Defensive Team after leading the league with 71 steals as a sophomore at Syracuse, recorded 12 deflections against Niagara (Nov. 21), the most by a Blue Devil this season.

Cameron Boozer's Historical Start

Cameron Boozer is the first Duke freshman to score 35 points or more twice - amassing 35 points versus Indiana State (Nov. 14) and tallying 35 points again versus Arkansas (Nov. 27).
The freshman forward became the first NCAA Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to have an eight-game span with more than 175 points, 75 rebounds and 25 assists, 10 or fewer turnovers, and an undefeated record - doing so in Duke's first eight games. (OptaSTATS)
Boozer became the first ACC player with at least 100 points, 50 rebounds and 20 assists in a five-game span since Craig Smith of Boston College in March 2006. The freshman forward accomplished that standard in his first five college contests. (Nov. 19)
Boozer is the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons to collect at least 250 points, 100 rebounds and 40 assists through his first 11 career games. (Dec. 17; OptaSTATS)
Boozer amassed 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks, connecting on 13-of-16 field goals in a win over Indiana State on Nov. 14, becoming the first major conference freshman to reach 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with no more than one turnover since Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony in 2003 (ESPN), and joined Zion Williamson (2019) and Christian Laettner (1990) as the third Duke player in the past 45 years to score at least 35 points in a double-double performance.
The Miami native has amassed 25 points or more in six out of 11 games, including 35 points against No. 22 Arkansas and 29 points versus No. 15 Florida.
Boozer has been voted ACC Player of the Week three times (Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8) and ACC Rookie of the Week four times (Nov. 17, Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8).
The freshman forward currently leads the nation in scoring with 23.3 points per game, ranks 16th nationally with 10.2 rebounds per contest and sits seventh with six double-doubles.

Better Than 75% Winning Percentage in NBA Arenas

Duke is a combined 106-35 (.752) all-time in 13 current NBA venues.
The Blue Devils have won 36 of their last 45 at NBA venues, including a 3-0 record this year and a 4-1 mark last season.
Duke has a 15-6 (.714) record in NBA facilities under head coach Jon Scheyer, including an 12-3 (.800) ledger in the past three seasons.
During the 2025-26 campaign, the Blue Devils play five regular-season contests at NBA venues - Spectrum Center (Charlotte Hornets) on Nov. 4 vs. Texas, Madison Square Garden (New York Knicks) on Nov. 18 vs. Kansas and Dec. 20 vs. Texas Tech, United Center (Chicago Bulls) on Nov. 27 vs. Arkansas, and Capital One Arena (Washington Wizards) on Feb. 21 vs. Michigan.
The ACC Tournament returns to the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, on March 10-14, 2026.

Madison Square Garden: Has Seen More Duke Wins Than Any Arena Outside of N.C.

The Dec. 20 contest against Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden marks Duke's 62nd game at current MSG, and the Blue Devils are 43-18 (.705) in the venue all-time.
Duke has won nine straight and 10 of its last 11 at the World's Most Famous Arena.
The Texas Tech game is head coach Jon Scheyer's 29th at MSG as a Duke player, assistant coach and head coach (23-5).
Duke is 49-24 in all versions of MSG, dating back to a Jan. 1, 1944, matchup with LIU Brooklyn.
Duke has played at least once at MSG in 12 of the last 13 seasons, in 22 of the last 24, and 25 of the last 28.
Current MSG has seen the fifth-most Duke wins (43) of any venue in the country, behind only Cameron Indoor Stadium (984), Greensboro Coliseum (102), Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh (83), and former Duke home venue Card Gym (57).

Other Notables

Duke has a record of 58-2 (.967) when committing 15 or fewer fouls under head coach Jon Scheyer, compared to 42-20 (.677) when the Blue Devils have 16 or more fouls. (@EvanMiya)
Maliq Brown is the national leader in 2-point field goal percentage (90.6%), having made 29-of-32 shots inside the arc.
The 55-point margin of victory over Army West Point (Nov. 11) was Duke's largest road win in program history.

Scheyer Continues to Make History

Duke men's basketball head coach Jon Scheyer continues to add historic milestones to his résumé.
In his fourth season as a head coach, Scheyer became the fastest head coach to win 100 games in ACC history and the second-fastest Division I head coach to reach 100 victories in the last 45 years.
When Duke defeated Lipscomb, 97-73, on Dec. 16, Scheyer hit the century mark in just 122 games.
Scheyer broke the ACC record for the fastest head coach to reach 100 career victories by exceeding Duke's Vic Bubas, who achieved the mark in 128 games in 1964.
Scheyer compiled an 89-22 record (.802) in his first three seasons at the helm, establishing new benchmarks in conference and national history.
Scheyer's 89 victories surpassed the standard set by Bill Guthridge (80, North Carolina, 1997-2000) for the most wins by an ACC coach in their first three seasons and tied Brad Underwood and Brad Stevens for the most by any Division I men's basketball head coach over that span.
Scheyer also became the first coach in conference history to win two ACC Tournament championships within his first three seasons.
During the 2022-23 campaign, Scheyer became the first coach in the conference's storied history to post an undefeated home record in a debut season and the first to lead a team to an ACC title as both a player (2009, 2010) and as a head coach (2023).
In 2024-25, Scheyer guided the Blue Devils to one of the most dominant seasons in program history and the school's 18th Final Four appearance, becoming the youngest head coach to reach the Final Four since 2011.
Under Scheyer, Duke posted a 35-4 overall record in 2024-25, joining a rare group as only the sixth team in school history to notch at least 35 wins and the first in a decade to do so.
Ranked inside the AP Top 25 throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Duke spent two weeks at No. 1 and finished the season No. 3 in the final poll, marking the 41st top-10 finish in school history. The Blue Devils closed the year by winning 31 of their final 33 games, riding impressive win streaks of 16 and 15 games, and storming through the NCAA Tournament with an 86.80 points-per-game average – the second-highest by a Duke team in tournament history (min. five games), behind only the 2001 national champions.
Scheyer's Blue Devils were a statistical powerhouse, leading the nation in scoring margin (+20.5) and becoming the first team in ACC history to lead the conference in both scoring offense (83.2) and scoring defense (62.8).
Duke also tallied 394 made three-pointers, the second-most in program history, while becoming the only Division I team to both average over 80 points per game (83.2) and allow fewer than 63 (62.8).
The Blue Devils achieved a KenPom net rating of 39.29, the second-highest in the site's history since 1996-97 – trailing only the 1998-99 Duke squad (43.01).
Scheyer, one of four finalists for the 2025 Naismith Coach of the Year award, was honored as the recipient of the 2024-25 John McLendon National Coach of the Year Award (presented by College Insider) and was named NABC South Atlantic District Coach of the Year.
The Northbrook, Illinois, native has been integral in the recruiting and development of several young Duke stars since joining the staff in 2013-14, and as head coach has landed the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class three times (2022, 2024, 2025) and a No. 2-ranked recruiting class (2023).
Duke has signed a top-three recruiting class per ESPN in every season since Scheyer joined the staff, including the No. 1 class seven times in 12 seasons (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025).

Strength of Schedule

Duke's 2025-26 non-conference lineup features eight opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago: Texas (Nov. 4; Charlotte, N.C.), Kansas (Nov. 18; New York, N.Y.), Arkansas (Nov. 27; Chicago), Florida (Dec. 2; Durham), Michigan State (Dec. 6; East Lansing, Mich.), Lipscomb (Dec. 16; Durham), Texas Tech (Dec. 20; New York, N.Y.) and Michigan (Feb. 21; Washington, D.C.). Of those teams, five advanced to the Sweet 16, with three reaching the Elite Eight.
The Blue Devils play 10 games against teams ranked in ESPN's preseason top 25 - No. 2 Florida, No. 6 Louisville (twice), No. 8 Michigan, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 22 Kansas, No. 24 NC State and No. 25 North Carolina (twice).
Duke has secured top-25 victories over No. 7 Michigan State, No. 15 Florida, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 25 Kansas.

All-Access with Coach Jon Scheyer

The weekly television show, "Duke All-Access with Jon Scheyer," is back for its fourth season in 2025-26.
The 30-minute show features Jon Scheyer and his Blue Devils team. Presented in magazine format and produced by John Roth, the show also includes informative player features and behind-the-scenes access to the Duke program.
A production of Blue Devil Sports Properties from LEARFIELD, the show airs locally on ABC-11 WTVD on Sundays at noon ET and is live streamed on ABC11.com Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET. It is also available regionally across the FanDuel Sports Network on Fridays at 12 p.m. ET; and on MASN Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. ET. It can also be viewed via the Duke Athletics YouTube Channel and archived on GoDuke.com.

To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMBB".

#GoDuke