Duke gets a quick chance to reset Friday night when SIU-Edwardsville comes to town, and the timing could hardly be better for a Blue Devils team still trying to shake off the mess from Tuesday in Chicago.
That night, Michigan State handed Duke a 79-73 loss in the State Farm Champions Classic and exposed a few early-season cracks. Jon Scheyer didn’t sugarcoat it afterward, saying, "That wasn't Duke basketball."
The Blue Devils looked out of sync, especially in the halfcourt, where the offense bogged down and only really found life when Duke could run. Michigan State deserves credit for making things difficult, but Duke also piled up enough self-inflicted mistakes to make the night even rougher.
Now comes a buy game against a much lighter opponent before the schedule tightens again. After SIUE, Duke turns right around and hosts Illinois on Tuesday, and then the next stretch only gets steeper with UConn and Florida coming in three of the next four games after that. If the Blue Devils want to avoid turning their nonconference slate into a headache, they need to clean things up fast.
SIU-Edwardsville arrives at 2-2 and sits 294th in KenPom. The Cougars have beaten a pair of Division III teams, lost a close one to Lipscomb, and were blown out by Missouri. With all due respect to Duke’s OVC opponent, this matchup should give Scheyer and his team the kind of night they need to sort through some issues before the schedule turns serious again.
How to watch No. 2 Duke basketball vs. SIU-Edwardsville
What are the betting odds for Duke vs. SIU-Edwardsville?
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Spread: Duke -44.5
Over/Under: 147.5
Moneyline: N/A
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Injury reports for Duke and SIU-Edwardsville
Duke should be 100% for this game, barring any mystery illnesses like the one that caused Patrick Ngongba to play on Tuesday at far under his capacity.
Who are the announcers for Duke vs. SIU-Edwardsville?
On the call on the CW tomorrow night will be Tom Werme (play-by-play), former Duke star Mike Gminki (analyst), and Carla Metts (sideline reporter).
Duke vs. SIU-Edwardsville series history
Friday night will bring a rarity for Duke: the Blue Devils will meet SIU-Edwardsville for the first time ever. The Cougars were a Division II basketball program until 2008.
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Former Duke Guard Suddenly Wont Be Part Of UConn Showdown
Nik Khamenias first season at UConn has hit an early snag, and it comes just as the Huskies are trying to settle in with a new-look rotation. The freshman guard, who transferred from Duke after appearing in every game last season, suffered a left foot injury against Wagner and is now set for surgery, according to head coach Dan Hurley. Hurley said the expectation is a full recovery, with Khamenia slated to be reevaluated in 6-8 weeks.
For Duke fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the college game can change for a player who was only recently part of the programs future. Khamenia had started three games for UConn this season, giving him a growing role before the injury interrupted his momentum. His absence leaves UConn without a young guard it was beginning to lean on, and it puts a familiar name on the sideline for the foreseeable future. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Izzo Had Quite A Message For Duke After This Loss
Michigan States 79-73 preseason win over Duke came with the kind of postgame tone you dont always hear after a marquee matchup. Tom Izzo made sure to praise the Blue Devils, while also giving his own group credit for turning in a strong performance in a game that offered an early look at where both programs stand heading into the season.
Izzo also couldnt resist tying the moment back to the bigger campus picture, pointing to Michigan States recent football victory over Michigan and making clear which result carried more weight in East Lansing. For Duke, the basketball loss was only an exhibition, but it still served as a useful measuring stick against a veteran program that left with plenty to feel good about. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Diaz Suddenly Feels Like A Real Florida State Threat
Jake Dickerts new extension at Wake Forest has already changed the temperature around Florida States coaching search, and it has pushed Manny Diaz even closer to the center of the conversation. The Duke coach, a Florida State alumnus with head coaching experience and a 46-26 record, has long made sense on paper for a job that values both familiarity and proven production.
Diazs profile only looks stronger now that Florida State has brought in Jeff Purinton as athletic director, giving the search a new layer of familiarity with a coach who just led Duke to the ACC championship in 2025. For Duke, it is the kind of external buzz that comes with success, but it also means the Blue Devils may have to brace for another round of speculation around a coach who has quickly become one of the more attractive names in the market. [Read more 🡒]