The 2026-27 college basketball season tips off tonight for Duke, and Jon Scheyer’s fifth team in Durham opens with a matchup that looks lopsided on paper for all the right reasons.
After an exhibition run that ended with a thrilling win over Kansas in Lawrence last Sunday, the Blue Devils now move into games that count. This group doesn’t have a singular star like Cameron Boozer or Cooper Flagg from last season, but it does look deeper than the team Scheyer had a year ago. That matters, especially this early, when Duke is trying to build rhythm before the schedule gets serious.
There are still plenty of familiar pieces in place. Patrick Ngongba II, Dame Sarr, Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer are back, giving Duke a core of returning production.
The new face to watch is Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who projects as the team’s leading scorer. Another name to keep in mind is Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, the 17-year-old freshman who could eventually have a Boozer/Flagg-type impact, even if he needs time to adjust to the college game.
For now, Duke gets a soft landing. The Blue Devils have Army tonight and Coastal Carolina after that before heading to Chicago for a Tuesday matchup with Michigan State, which will be the first real test of the season.
The betting market doesn’t leave much mystery here. FanDuel listed Duke as a 44.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 154.5. Duke was also at -100000 on the moneyline, while Army sat at +8000.
That spread tells the story. The talent gap is enormous, and Duke should be able to control this one from the start. Scheyer will want his team locked in and respectful, but this is also the kind of game that can give younger players valuable minutes if things go the way they’re expected to.
Army comes in ranked No. 338 in KenPom’s preseason rankings and is coming off an 11-21 season. Kevin Kuwick is in his fourth year as the Black Knights’ head coach, and senior guard Ryan Curry is the player to watch after leading the team with 13.3 points per game last season.
Even so, Curry is likely to have a rough night against Duke’s length and pressure on the perimeter. The Blue Devils should make this one uncomfortable quickly.
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Jay Bilas Just Reminded Duke Fans What The Brotherhood Still Means
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Bilas will also be on the call as a color commentator for Dukes season opener against Army, giving fans a familiar voice as the Blue Devils begin an early schedule that will quickly start to reveal what this group is made of. For a program that treats its history as part of its identity, the timing of Bilass return is a small but fitting nod to the standard Duke still expects to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]