Jon Scheyer and the Duke basketball program will already deal with a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule next season, but it's now been announced that the Blue Devils aren't done with their non-con slate, as another marquee matchup has been scheduled.
It's been reported that Duke will take on Texas Tech on December 20th at Madison Square Garden. This is the sixth big-time opponent that the Blue Devils will face in the non-con, as Scheyer has scheduled games against Texas, Michigan, Michigan State, Arkansas, and Kansas already. So now, Duke will have six high-profile games on the resume before ACC play even begins next season.
NEWS: Duke will play Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20, source told @TheFieldOf68 pic.twitter.com/uqlUDEbV67
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 21, 2025
This will be the second game that Duke will play at Madison Square Garden next season, as the Blue Devils are set to take on the Jayhawks on November 18th at MSG in the annual State Farm Champions Classic.
Since Scheyer took over as the head coach of the Blue Devils, he's never shied away from testing his guys early on. Duke won't even get a "buy game" to begin the 2025-26 campaign, as the program will open up its season against the Longhorns.
Grant McCasland's Red Raiders are poised to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 next season after a successful 2024-25 campaign. Texas Tech earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament and made it to the Elite 8 before falling to the eventual national champion Florida Gators.
The program is slotted at #22 at ESPN's 'Way-Too-Early" top 25 rankings for the 2025-26 season, but those rankings were made before star JT Toppin announced his return to Lubbock, so there's a good chance the Red Raiders could be a top-15 squad heading into the preseason as Toppin has the potential to be a top-three-to-five player in the entire country.
Duke needs this incredibly tough non-con slate with how young next year's team is. After losing the entire starting five from last season and star transfer Cedric Coward likely remaining in the NBA Draft as opposed to playing for the Blue Devils next season, Caleb Foster will probably be the only upperclassman in the starting lineup. Next year's Blue Devils are filled with talent and potential, but they will have to be tested early, and that's what Scheyer is making sure happens.