Duke basketball: First opponent of Jon Scheyer era confirmed

The first opponent of the Jon Scheyer era has been set for the Duke basketball program. 

The 2021-22 season is not even a month old, but eyes are already shifting to the opening night of the 2022-23 season for the Duke basketball team.

However, the opener will look a little different for the Blue Devils in multiple ways.

Yes, Mike Krzyzewski will not be on the sidelines for the first time since 1979, but Duke will not open the season with the Champions Classic, either.

It had been reported in late February that the annual Champions Classic was being pushed back to November 15 due to November 7, opening night around the country, being Election Day in the United States of America.

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That leaves the likelihood of two mid-major non-conference games before Duke’s showdown with the defending National Champion Kansas Jayhawks in Indianapolis, and one has been revealed.

Jon Scheyer will begin his head coaching career inside Cameron Indoor Stadium against the Jacksonville Dolphins on November 7.

The game was announced at the awards banquet of the Dolphins on Wednesday night.

Jacksonville is coming off of a 21-10 (11-5 ASUN) season, in which it lost in the ASUN Championship Game to Bellarmine, who could not advance to the NCAA Tournament due to the NCAA’s rule of transitioning from Division II to Division I.

The conference’s regular season champion, Jacksonville State, advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.

Jacksonville defeated Jacksonville State in the conference tournament.

Other Duke basketball scheduling dates known

Duke will play Bellarmine this season, who arguably has the toughest non-conference slate in the country with games against Louisville, UCLA, Kentucky, and the Blue Devils.

The game is scheduled for November 21 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Scheyer will also be taking Duke to defend its title in the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon in late November.

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The Blue Devils will be in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament, as opposed to the Phil Knight Invitational Tournament, with the field comprised of Florida, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia, and Xavier.

The bracket has not yet been announced for the event.

Duke will welcome the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation to campus this summer, featuring top overall recruit Dereck Lively in addition to Dariq Whitehead, Kyle Filipowski, Mark Mitchell, Jaden Schutt, and Christian Reeves.