Duke University is set to kick off its preseason men’s basketball campaign with a slate that pits the Blue Devils against some of the nation’s most competitive programs.
The first test comes on October 8, when the team opens at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Belmont, a program that finished last season with a 26‑6 record and captured the Missouri Valley Conference regular‑season title.
Opening night against Belmont
A week later, on October 20, Duke will host the University of Tennessee, a squad that posted 25 wins a year ago and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.
The schedule then takes the Blue Devils to Lawrence, Kansas, for an exhibition on October 25 at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks concluded the previous season with a 24‑11 record and were ranked No. 20 in the final Associated Press poll.
What makes this non‑conference slate especially intriguing is the caliber of opponents: six of the eight scheduled rivals earned at least a No. 5 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, underscoring the challenge that awaits.
Duke enters the period riding a stretch in which it has won 70 games while dropping only seven since the start of the 2024‑25 season, a run that has seen the team spend 32 weeks inside the Associated Press top five.
The core of that success returns intact, with five players from last year’s roster back in action, including four of the top six scorers who combined for 1,131 points, 533 rebounds and 311 assists.
Head coach Jon Scheyer will rely on the experience of veterans such as Evan Bradds, Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr, who together aim to extend the program’s recent dominance.