Duke Hosts Tennessee in Top-10 Exhibition Matchup

Tuesday, October 20

Durham, N.C.

7 p.m.

Duke University

Tennessee

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Duke's Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr during scrimmage with Belmont - 2026

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Duke Hosts Tennessee in Top-10 Exhibition Matchup

10/19/2026 4:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Fan Guide Parking & Traffic Info Game Notes

#2 Duke Blue Devils (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. #8 Tennessee Volunteers (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Preseason Game #2 • Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 • 7:00 p.m. ET
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD

The Opening Tip

Tuesday night's top-10 exhibition contest between No. 2 Duke and No. 8 Tennessee features the only two programs to play in the Elite Eight in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments.
Doug Sherman and Cory Alexander will call the action on ACC Network. David Shumate, John Roth and former Blue Devil Ryan Kelly team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
Jon Scheyer begins his fifth season as head coach of the Blue Devils and his 14th season on the Duke coaching staff.
Scheyer's 124 wins and 25 victories over AP-ranked opponents are the most by a Division I coach in their first four seasons.
The Blue Devils have won 32 consecutive home games, including 19 straight against conference opponents, while posting a 63-3 (.955) home record under Scheyer.
In 2025-26, the Blue Devils made the program's 26th Elite Eight appearance, captured Duke's 24th ACC Tournament title, claimed the conference regular-season championship for the 22nd time and achieved a 35-win season for the second straight season with an overall record of 35-3.
The win total of the last two seasons (70) is the best two-year stretch in Duke history, exceeding the 69 victories posted from the 1997-98 (32) and 1998-99 (37) campaigns.
Duke is the only program in the country with 70 wins in the last two seasons.
Only Duke has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the last three years with a Final Four appearance. The only other school to play in the Elite Eight in each of the last three years is Tennessee.
Duke secured 13 top-25 victories in the 2025-26 campaign, including the most in the regular season (11) in ACC history and tied for the most in a regular season in AP poll history.
Duke was the only team ranked in the top-five nationally in both offensive efficiency (122.0, 5th) and defensive efficiency (95.4, 2nd) ratings in 2025-26. (KenPom)
Duke's 2026-27 regular-season schedule features 10 games against nine teams ranked in the top 20 of the preseason Associated Press poll, including four opponents ranked in the top six: No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Michigan State. The Blue Devils also face No. 9 Virginia twice, No. 11 Louisville, No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Gonzaga and No. 19 Texas Tech. Additionally, Duke's preseason exhibition slate includes matchups against No. 8 Tennessee and No. 17 Kansas.).
Duke returns four of last season's top six scorers: Patrick Ngongba, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr, who combined for 141 games played, 99 starts, 1,131 points, 533 rebounds and 311 assists in 2025-26.

Last Time Out

Duke began preseason action with a scrimmage against Belmont on Oct. 8, as the Blue Devils moved past the visiting Bruins, 102-62, with five different Duke players scoring in double-figures.
Sophomore Dame Sarr and freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje led the way with 19 points each, while Boumtje Boumtje was joined by Patrick Ngongba II with a team-high seven rebounds apiece. Sarr and Sebastian Wilkins were close behind on the glass, reeling in six caroms each and Ngongba II led the team in assists with four dimes.
John Blackwell tallied 15 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 night at the charity stripe. Cayden Boozer scored 12 points and Deron Rippey Jr. rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points.
The Blue Devils shot 23-of-27 overall from the free-throw line, highlighted by Sarr's 9-of-10 night from the stripe.
On defense, Duke limited Belmont to just 20-of-58 (.345) shooting and forced 17 turnovers, fueled by eight different Blue Devils registering at least one steal.

The 2026-27 Blue Devils

Six players return: Letterwinners Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr are joined by Sebastian Wilkins and Brock Davis.
Four of last season's top six scorers are back: Boozer, Foster, Ngongba and Sarr combined for 141 games, 99 starts, 1,131 points, 533 rebounds and 311 assists in 2025-26. Duke's top two scorers from a year ago, Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans, were selected in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Nine newcomers: Transfers John Blackwell, Drew Scharnowski and Jacob Theodosiou join freshmen Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Bryson Howard, Maxime Meyer, Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Nick Arnold.

Strength of Schedule

Duke's challenging 2026-27 regular-season schedule features 10 games against nine teams ranked in the top 20 of the preseason Associated Press poll, including four opponents ranked in the top six: No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Michigan State.
The Blue Devils also face No. 9 Virginia twice, No. 11 Louisville, No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Gonzaga and No. 19 Texas Tech.
Additionally, Duke's preseason exhibition slate includes matchups against No. 8 Tennessee and No. 17 Kansas.
Seven of Duke's 14 nonconference games are away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, including a road contest at preseason No. 1 Florida.
In 2025-26, Duke secured 13 top-25 victories with wins over No. 1 Michigan, No. 7 Michigan State, No. 10 St. John's, No. 10 and No. 11 Virginia, No. 15 Florida, No. 17 North Carolina, No. 20 Louisville (twice), No. 20 Clemson, No. 22 Arkansas, No. 24 SMU and No. 25 Kansas.
The 2025-26 Blue Devils became the first team in the history of the ACC to win at least 10 regular-season games against ranked opponents.
The Blue Devils' 11 wins over AP-ranked teams in 2025-26 tied the record for the most in a regular season in AP poll history.

ACC's Preseason Favorite

Duke was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2026-27 ACC Men's Basketball Championship, following a vote of a select media panel.
The Blue Devils are the preseason ACC favorites for the third straight year and the 11th time in the last 14 seasons.
The media panelists selected Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje as the ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year.
Duke guard John Blackwell and center Patrick Ngongba II were named to the Preseason All-ACC First Team, while Boumtje Boumtje garnered Preseason All-ACC Second Team recognition.

Blue Devils Projected to Continue Efficiency at Both Ends of the Floor

Duke is the only team ranked in the top-six nationaly in both projected offensive efficiency (125.1, 3rd) and defensive efficiency (90.7, 3rd), according to KenPom.com.
Last season, Duke was the only team to finish in the top five in both raw offensive efficiency (122.0, 5th) and raw defensive efficiency (95.4, 2nd)
In 2024-25, 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.
The 2024-25 Blue Devils achieved the best offensive efficiency rating (130.1) in the history of KenPom (since 1996-97 season).
Duke finished the 2024-25 season with the second-highest overall rating (39.29) in KenPom history, trailing only the 1998-99 Duke Blue Devils (43.01).
Duke has boasted a top-20 defense in all four seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer: 16th (93.9) in 2022-23; 16th (95.2) in 2023-24; 5th (90.8) in 2024-25; and currently 3rd (90.7) in 2025-26.
Duke is the top-rated team entering the 2026-27 season, according to the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings. The Blue Devils

AP Poll Streak Extends

With the release of the Associated Press preseason poll on Oct. 19, in which Duke was ranked at No. 2, a notable streak was extended.
The Blue Devils have now been ranked in the top 10 at least once in 31 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak nationally. The next closest program is Kansas, which has held a top-10 ranking at some point in each of the last 20 seasons.
The No. 2 ranking also marked the 19th consecutive season that the Blue Devils made their debut in the top 10.
Duke's current run in the AP top-25 poll is 64 consecutive weeks, the third-longest active streak. (as of Oct. 19)
Duke is positioned at No. 2 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls, announced Oct. 19.

The Recent Run

70-7 across two seasons: Duke went 35-4 in 2024-25 and 35-3 in 2025-26, winning 90.9 percent of its games. The Blue Devils went 36-2 in ACC play, a 94.7 percent winning percentage. Duke is the nation's only program with 70 wins over that span.
A Duke record: The 70 victories surpassed the program's previous two-season high of 69, set in 1997-98 and 1998-99. These are Duke's first consecutive 35-win seasons.
Three straight Elite Eights: Duke reached the regional finals in 2024, 2025 and 2026, including a Final Four trip in 2025. Tennessee also reached all three Elite Eights; Duke is the only one of the two with a Final Four appearance in that span.
32 weeks in the AP top five over the past two seasons, including six weeks at No. 1. Duke finished No. 3 in the 2024-25 final poll and No. 4 in 2025-26.

Jon Scheyer Entering Year Five

124 victories in four seasons: The most by a Division I men's basketball head coach through his first four seasons. Jon Scheyer has led Duke to three ACC Tournament titles, two ACC regular-season titles, three Elite Eights and the 2025 Final Four.
2026 NABC Division I Coach of the Year: Scheyer led Duke to a 35-3 record, a 17-1 ACC mark and the NCAA Tournament's No. 1 overall seed in 2025-26. His 25 wins over AP-ranked opponents through four seasons also lead Division I.

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