Duke basketball: Blue Devils ready to express dominance once again

The Duke basketball program is set to dominate in an event that always favors the Blue Devils.

There are not many games or events that the Duke basketball program does not succeed in, and the Blue Devils do not plan on letting that go by the wayside in the 2020-21 season.

Late Thursday afternoon, CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein announced the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge matchups, and Mike Krzyzewski‘s team is set to face an unusual foe.

Rothstein tweeted that the Blue Devils will host the Illinois Fighting Illini in the event.

Duke and Illinois will headline the slate of games in the challenge on December 8, as the two conferences will try and complete all 14 games in two days.

Illinois, led by head coach Brad Underwood, is coming off one of the best seasons in program history, which was trending toward an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Illini posted a 21-10 (13-7 Big Ten) record. Leading the charge was All-Big Ten selection Ayo Dosunmu and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Kofi Cockburn.

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Both players entered their names in the 2020 NBA Draft but withdrew to return to Champagne for at least one more season.

In many early preseason polls, Illinois is considered a consensus Top-15 team, some placing the Illini in the Top-10.

Duke and Illinois have taken the floor together before, seven times to be exact, but it’s an unorthodox matchup that hasn’t been played since 2007, primarily due to the success of the Blue Devils and lack of success by the Illini.

The first matchup between the two teams was in 1986-87, and Illinois won two of the first three meetings between the teams, but there has since been a four-game winning streak for the Blue Devils.

Duke basketball is dominant in the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge.

Since the beginning of the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge, Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke basketball program have been the best team in the games from either conference.

As a program, Duke is 19-2 (.905) in the challenge, which is the most wins and best winning percentage in the history of the games.

The Blue Devils are also riding an eight-game winning streak in the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge, and Duke is 2-0 against Illinois and 9-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the event.

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With the announcement of the latest non-conference game, the Duke basketball non-conference schedule is just about set, with the exception of the Champions Classic matchup against Michigan State:

• Nov. 25 vs. Gardner-Webb
• Nov. 28 vs. Coppin State
• Dec. 4 vs. Bellarmine/Elon
• Dec. 5 vs. Bellarmine/Elon
• Dec. 8 vs. Illinois
• Dec. 12 vs. Charleston Southern
• TBA vs. Michigan State (neutral site game)

The Champions Classic was scheduled to take place inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando on December 1, but games inside the bubble have since been canceled.

Reports have surfaced that Indianapolis is the leader to host the prestigious event, but nothing has been confirmed, although all four teams (Duke, Michigan State, Kansas, Kentucky) are determined to play the games.