Duke’s regular season finally gets going Monday night, and the Blue Devils open with a matchup that should let Jon Scheyer’s group ease into the year at Cameron Indoor. After a 3-0 exhibition run that included blowout wins over Belmont and Tennessee, plus a tight road victory at Kansas, No. 2 Duke now starts playing for real against Army.
The opener also sets up a softer landing before the schedule turns up. Army comes in ranked No. 338 in KenPom, the lowest-rated opponent Duke will see all season. The Blue Devils have two tune-up games this week - Army first, then Coastal Carolina - before a much stiffer test next Tuesday in Chicago against Michigan State.
Duke’s preseason work suggested this team belongs in the national-title conversation again, even if those games didn’t count. The Blue Devils looked sharp enough across the three exhibitions to reinforce the idea that Scheyer’s fifth team could be built for another deep March run.
FanDuel lists Duke as a massive favorite, with the Blue Devils at -42.5. The over/under is 151.5, and the moneyline sits at Duke -100000 and Army +8000.
On the injury front, Duke was nearly at full strength against Kansas. Caleb Foster returned after missing the first two exhibition games, leaving Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski as the only player who sat out all three preseason contests. His status for Monday remains unclear, though he did warm up without restrictions against Kansas.
ESPN’s broadcast crew for the game will feature Dave O’Brien on play-by-play and former Duke forward Jay Bilas as the analyst.
This will be the 18th meeting between Duke and Army on the hardwood, with the Blue Devils holding a 14-3 lead in the series. Duke has won the last 10 matchups, and Army’s last win in the series came in 1939.
The teams are meeting for the third straight season. Duke beat Army 114-59 last year and 100-58 in 2024.
In Other News...
Duke Football Just Gave Fans One More Reason To Worry About Manny Diaz
Dukes football season has already delivered one of its most lopsided wins in years, with a 47-2 rout of Boston College that locked up bowl eligibility and featured Nate Sheppard setting a school record with five rushing touchdowns. It was the kind of afternoon that gave the Blue Devils a clear on-field lift, even as the program suddenly found itself pulled into a much bigger conversation off the field.
Florida States decision to fire Mike Norvell has immediately put Manny Diaz in the mix for the opening, and that is the sort of attention Duke would rather not be fielding in November. With the football team trying to build on its momentum and Duke basketball set to open its season against Army under Jon Scheyer, the last thing Blue Devils fans want is uncertainty around the coach who has helped steady the program. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Diaz Saw One Crucial Sign In Dukes Bounce-Back Win
After two straight losses, Duke got the kind of response Manny Diaz was looking for in a 47-2 home win over Boston College. The Blue Devils looked sharper on both sides of the ball, but it was the defense that set the tone by shutting down the Eagles on the ground and helping turn the game into a runaway. Nate Sheppards five touchdowns only added to a day that felt like a reset for a team trying to steady itself.
Diaz pointed to the improvement as a sign the group is moving in the right direction, while also making it clear the win should not be mistaken for a finish line. For Duke, the challenge now is carrying that edge forward instead of letting a dominant afternoon become a one-off. The next stretch will show whether this was the start of a true bounce back or just a needed break from the skid. [Read more 🡒]
Jay Bilas Just Reminded Duke Fans What The Brotherhood Still Means
Jay Bilas spent time with the 2026-27 Duke basketball team at Jon Scheyers request, another reminder that the program still leans on voices that know what it means to wear the uniform. A former Blue Devils player and assistant coach, Bilas has long been part of the schools basketball fabric, and his presence around the team fits neatly with the way Duke continues to blend its past with the present as a new season gets rolling.
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 🡒]