This spring, the Duke Blue Devils and head coach Jon Scheyer have created one of the most daunting non-conference schedules in the country to kick off their 2025-26 season. However, one big-name program is missing from the lineup: The UConn Huskies.
People took to social media to voice their own thoughts on the Blue Devils not facing the Huskies in the foreseeable future, saying that Scheyer was dodging UConn head coach Dan Hurley and vice versa.
However, when Scheyer joined The Field of 68's Crazie Cast to talk about the upcoming season and his formidable offense, he quickly shut down rumors that he was ducking the challenge to face any head coach.
"Is this schedule not hard enough?" Scheyer joked before giving a genuine answer about whether Duke would play UConn: "I'm sure that we're gonna play sometime soon, I'm sure of it... A lot of respect for them and how good they've been and what they've done."
Scheyer went on to say that the schedule, as of now, is focused on playing Texas, Kansas, Michigan State, and Michigan, as well as a few other dominant programs.
Duke men's basketball 2025-26 non-conference schedule
- The ACC/SEC Challenge
- vs. Kansas (Champions Classic)
- vs. Texas - Charlotte, Nov. 4
- at Army - Nov. 11 (Veterans' Day)
- vs. Arkansas - Chicago, Nov. 27
- at Michigan State - December
- vs. Texas Tech - Madison Square Garden, Dec. 20
- vs. Michigan - Washington, D.C., February
It isn't like the two programs have never played each other; it has just been a while. Actually, it has been over a decade since Duke and UConn last shared a court. Currently, the Blue Devils hold a 5-4 advantage over the Huskies, winning the most recent matchup (2014) by double digits.
Duke vs. UConn men's basketball series history
- Overall record: 5-4, Duke
- First matchup: 64-64, Duke, Dec. 14, 1976
- Most recent matchup: 66-56, Duke, Dec. 18, 2014
Beyond squashing any rumors of hesitancy around facing Hurley and the Huskies, Scheyer also talked about his impressive roster rebuild, including the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. Yes, losing stars like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are major blows to the lineup, but an incoming class of blue-chip prospects should set up the Blue Devils perfectly for the upcoming season.