The most important non-conference game for Duke basketball could have a strange setting.
Year in and year out, the most important non-conference game of the season for the Duke basketball program is the Champions Classic, and this year the game should have a strange setting.
Originally slated for the United Center in Chicago, the games between Duke and Michigan State and Kentucky and Kansas were then moved to the college basketball bubble in Orlando, which has since been canceled.
As scheduling continues to be a nightmare in the college basketball world, the only problem left for the Blue Devils seems to be finding a place for the Champions Classic.
Reports surfaced last week that Indianapolis could be a host site for the most prestigious event in the non-conference schedule, but now that idea could be changing, according to reports.
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College basketball insider Adam Zagoria tweeted on Monday afternoon that sources are telling him that the Duke vs. Michigan State game could end up in Durham, but he reveals it’s still a fluid situation and that Indianapolis is still in play to host the game.
Source says as of right now there's a 'good chance' Michigan State will play at Duke in their Champions Classic game and UK/KU would also be on a campus.
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) November 2, 2020
But that could change. "Tomorrow could be in Indy," source says.
Games were originally slated for Orlando. https://t.co/Mk421qlUE4
While it will not sit well with Michigan State fans, the idea of playing the Champions Classic at Duke makes sense considering the Blue Devils traveled to East Lansing last season for the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge.
Duke is also scheduled to host Illinois in the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge this season.
The dominance of the Duke basketball program in the Champions Classic is evident.
Mike Krzyzewski knows how to get his players ready for the Champions Classic every season as the Duke basketball program boasts the best record in the event at 6-3.
The Kentucky Wildcats have the second-best record at 5-4.
However, Duke is a perfect 3-0 against the Spartans in the event, all played on a neutral floor, and this game would not be much different considering there would be no fans in attendance at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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In the all-time series between the two teams, Duke is 13-3 against Michigan State, and the Blue Devils hold a 12-2 advantage since Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo became the head coaches at their respective schools.
There is no date yet scheduled for the Champions Classic, but all four programs seem determined to play the event in any capacity possible, even if that means the two games taking place in different locations.