Blue Devils Open Season Against Army on Monday

Monday, November 2

Durham, N.C.

6:30 p.m.

Duke University

Army West Point

Photo by: Duke Athletics

11/1/2026 12:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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#2 Duke Blue Devils (0-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Army West Point Black Knights (0-0, 0-0 Patriot)
Game #1 • Home Game #1 • Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 • 6:30 p.m. ET
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD

The Opening Tip

Duke's 122nd season of men's basketball tips off on Monday, Nov. 2, as the No. 2 Blue Devils host Army West Point.
Dave O'Brien and Jay Bilas will call the action on ESPNU. David Shumate, John Roth and Ryan Kelly team up for the broadcast on the Blue Devil Sports Network.
This will be the earliest Duke has opened a season, as the Blue Devils have never played a regular-season game before Nov. 4.
Duke leads the series with Army, 14-3, since the teams first met in 1932.
Duke has won all 10 meetings with Army since the series returned on Dec. 22, 1996.
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.
Duke boasts a record of 69-7 (.908) in season-opening contests since 1950, and has won 26 consecutive season-openers.
Duke owns a record of 78-9 (.897) in home-opening contests since opening the doors to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 6, 1940, a 36-27 win over Princeton.
The Blue Devils have won 44 consecutive home-openers, last falling to Vanderbilt, 76-75, in double overtime on Nov. 28, 1981.
Duke has posted an all-time record of 993-174 (.851) at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including a 63-3 (.955) record under Scheyer with unblemished home records in 2022-23 (16-0), 2024-25 (17-0) and 2025-26 (15-0).
The Blue Devils have won 32 consecutive home games, including 19 straight against non-conference opponents.
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.
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 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 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.
Duke returns four of last season's top six scorers: Patrick Ngongba II, 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.

The Army Black Knights

Duke has won all 10 meetings with Army West Point since the series returned on Dec. 22, 1996.
The Blue Devils and Black Knights played seven times between 1932 and 1939, all in New York, with Duke holding a 4-3 edge in those matchups.
Kevin Kuwik is in his fourth season as head coach at Army West Point. With more than 20 seasons of coaching experience, Kuwik spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at Butler under head coach Thad Matta.
Senior guard Ryan Curry was a 2025-26 Patriot League All-League Third Team honoree after averaging team-highs in points (13.3), assists (4.5), steals (1.1) and minutes (33.9).
Last season, the Black Knights led the Patriot League with 10.6 made 3-point field goals per game.
Mike Krzyzewski, a 1969 West Point graduate, earned three letters and captained the team as a senior before returning as head coach from 1975–80, compiling a 73-59 record.

On This Date (Nov. 2)

Duke has never played on Nov. 2.
This will be the earliest the Blue Devils have opened a season.
Duke has played just twice before Nov. 5 -- a 96-62 win over Maine in Durham on Nov. 4, 2024, and a 75-60 victory over Texas at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Nov. 4, 2025.

Last Time Out

No. 2 Duke pushed past No. 17 Kansas, 90-84, in a road exhibition game at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Patrick Ngongba II paced the Blue Devils with a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, while adding four assists and two blocks. Ngongba II scored 16 of his 28 points in the first half and finished the afternoon shooting 9-of-12 from the field and 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
John Blackwell also posted a 20-point outing with 23 points, fueled by a 4-of-7 shooting performance from beyond the arc.
Duke trailed by two at halftime and opened the second frame with six quick points to rally back into the lead.
A strong response from a slight deficit in the second half remained a common theme for the Blue Devils, as an 11-point scoring run in the closing moments of the game helped Duke seize control for good on the road. The late scoring run spanned more than five minutes, as the Blue Devils' defense held Kansas to seven consecutive misses from the field in crunch time.
The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, 43-30, and tallied 11 second-chance points off of 11 offensive rebounds.

Starting the Season Strong

Duke boasts a record of 69-7 (.908) in season-opening contests since 1950, including a 48-2 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils have won 26 consecutive season-openers.
Duke's last season-opening loss was on Nov. 11, 1999, an overtime setback versus Stanford, 80-79, at Madison Square Garden in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
The Blue Devils have won 32 straight season-openers at Cameron Indoor Stadium, dating back to 1982.

Home Sweet Home-Openers

Duke owns a record of 78-9 (.897) in home-opening contests since opening the doors to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 6, 1940, a 36-27 win over Princeton.
The Blue Devils have won 44 consecutive home-openers, last falling to Vanderbilt, 76-75, in double overtime on Nov. 28, 1981.
Since the 1965-66 season, the Blue Devils are 60-1 in their first home game of the season.

The 2026-27 Blue Devils

Five players return: Letterwinners Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr are joined by Sebastian Wilkins.
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 included ranked victories over 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. 24 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 nationally 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; fifth (90.8) in 2024-25; and third (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 Have Won 85% of Games at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Duke has posted an all-time record of 993-174 (.851) at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including a 63-3 (.955) record under head coach Jon Scheyer with unblemished home records in 2022-23 (16-0), 2024-25 (17-0) and 2025-26 (15-0).
The Blue Devils have won 32 consecutive home games, including 19 straight against non-conference opponents.
Duke has won more games at its current home venue than any team in college basketball.
Now in its 88th season as the home of the Blue Devils, Duke has averaged 11.4 home wins since the venue opened Jan. 6, 1940 -- a 36-27 triumph over Princeton.

Sellout Streak Still Staying Strong

Duke has sold out 556 consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The last time Duke did not have a sellout at home was on Nov. 16, 1990, against Boston College.
The sellout figure is the longest current streak (by time) in either men's college basketball or the NBA.
Duke's record at Cameron during the sellout streak is 507-49 (.912).

Jon Scheyer Entering Year Five

Jon Scheyer's 124 wins are the most by a Division I men's basketball head coach through his first four seasons.
Scheyer has guided Duke to three ACC Tournament titles, two ACC regular-season titles, three Elite Eight appearances and the 2025 Final Four.
Scheyer earned the 2026 NABC Division I Coach of the Year award after leading 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 victories over AP-ranked opponents through four seasons are also the most by a Division I head coach during that span.

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 65 consecutive weeks, the second-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.

Duke's Three-Point Streak

Duke has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 1,302 straight games, the longest streak nationally.
It has been more than 35 years since Duke was held without a three-point field goal -- Dec. 30, 1989, versus Hawai'i.

Historic Run of Success

Duke owns the best record in Division I college basketball over the past two seasons at 70-7 (.909), posting records of 35-4 in 2024-25 and 35-3 in 2025-26.
Since Thanksgiving 2024, the Blue Devils have achieved a record of 66-5 (.930).
The 70 wins across the last two seasons set a new program record for best two-year stretch in Duke history, surpassing the 69 victories posted from the 1997-98 (32) and 1998-99 (37) campaigns.
The 2024-25 and 2025-26 Blue Devils, under the direction of head coach Jon Scheyer, posted 35 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in Duke history.
The Blue Devils reached the regional finals of the NCAA Tournament in 2024, 2025 and 2026, including a Final Four trip in 2025. Duke is the only program to have played in the Elite Eight in each of the last three seasons with a Final Four appearance in that span.
Duke spent 32 weeks in the Associated Press top five during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, including six weeks at No. 1. Duke finished No. 3 in the 2024-25 final poll and No. 4 in 2025-26.
Duke has won 42 of its last 44 games against conference opponents, including the regular season and ACC Tournament.
The Blue Devils confronted double-digit deficits in six outings last season, including their largest deficits versus Siena (13), at Louisville (12) and versus SMU (11), and rallied to win all six games.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Duke has sustained just one double-digit defeat — in the 2024 NCAA Elite Eight. Entering the 2026-27 season, Duke's streak of 77 games without a loss by double figures is the longest in NCAA Division I, with Michigan following at 40 games without a double-digit setback.
In that stretch, the Blue Devils have produced 72 double-figure victories, including 48 wins by 20-plus points, 23 by 30-plus and eight by 40-plus.

Youngest Player in Division I Men's Basketball

Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's college basketball this season.
Born in May 2009, the 17-year-old is the second-youngest to play at Duke, trailing only Mike Gminski, who made his Blue Devil debut just three months after turning 17 years old.

Products of Pros

Four members of Duke's 2026-27 roster have a parent who played professional basketball in the NBA or WNBA. Cayden Boozer, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Bryson Howard are sons of former NBA players, while Patrick Ngongba II is the son of a former WNBA player.
Cayden Boozer — His father, Carlos Boozer, was a two-time NBA All-Star who played 13 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Carlos also helped Duke win the 2001 NCAA Championship.
Bryson Howard — His father, Josh Howard, was a 2007 NBA All-Star who played 10 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves. Howard played collegiately at Wake Forest, earning ACC Player of the Year honors in 2003.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje — His father, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, played three NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers (2001-04) after a four-year collegiate career at Georgetown.
Patrick Ngongba II — His mother, Tajama Abraham Ngongba, played two WNBA seasons with the Sacramento Monarchs (1997) and Detroit Shock (1998). She had a hall-of-fame playing career at George Washington before embarking on a coaching career that included five seasons as head coach at Radford.