Duke Basketball: Blue Devils, Army ready for Veterans Day battle

In a special Veterans Day battle, Duke Basketball will host the Army Black Knights in a game that means much more than basketball.

Whether you have a family member or friend that was or is in the Armed Forces, Veterans Day is a special day throughout the United States of America and that will be no different in Durham, North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.

The 1-0 Duke Blue Devils will host the 1-0 Army Black Knights in the Blue Devils home opener, looking for an encore performance from Tuesday nights demolition of the Kentucky Wildcats.

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Army is coming off of a very close win over the Marist Red Foxes in their opener, but this game will mean much more to both teams.

Mike Krzyzewski played college basketball at West Point under legendary head coach Bobby Knight from 1966 through1969.

Upon graduation from West Point, Krzyzewski was then a officer in the United States Army from 1969 until 1974, where he when went to be an assistant coach for Knight at Indiana University.

Coach K then returned to West Point to be the Head Coach of the Army Men’s Basketball team from 1975 until 1980. Krzyzewski started at Duke in 1980 and the rest is history.

Coach K finished his time at Army with a 73-59 record, leading the Black Knights to one berth in the NIT.

While at Duke, Krzyzewski always kept the values and ideas he learned at Army very close to him and he uses the principles of what he learned then in his coaching today.

Having this game against Army on Veterans Day is very important to Mike Krzyzewski and I’m sure it will be a moving scene in Cameron Indoor Stadium pregame and post game.

While Zion Williamson is going to have highlight dunks, and R.J. Barrett will fill the stat sheet once again, Coach K has too much respect for Army and fairly new head coach Jimmy Allen for the Blue Devils to run the score up on the Black Knights.

Expect the Blue Devils to get their big lead in the first half and then role in bench players throughout the second half.

PREDICTION: Duke 89, Army 65

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