The Duke basketball program is set to play UCF in an exhibition game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on October 21st. Johnny Dawkins, the head coach of the Knights, is a former Blue Devil great who played at Duke from 1982 to 1986. The two-time All-American averaged 19.2 points per game throughout his career as a Blue Devil.
This is the first time Duke will face off against UCF since the 2019 NCAA Tournament, when Dawkins and the 9-seed Knights nearly pulled off the upset of the century against the 1-seed Blue Devils in the Round of 32.
Both Dawkins and Duke head coach Jon Scheyer spoke on the honor to go head-to-head at Cameron this fall.
"We're playing an exhibition game against UCF and Johnny Dawkins," Scheyer said. "I was fortunate to be a player for two years under Johnny, and the job that he's done as a head coach at Stanford, now UCF, has been terrific. It will be an honor to have him back. He's one of the all-time great players. His jersey is up in the rafters. You know, obviously he'll have a really good team with UCF, which will be a great challenge for us, and hopefully for them as well."
Dawkins served as an assistant at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski from 1998 to 2008, winning a national title with the Blue Devils in 2001.
The Knights' head man also spoke on the exciting opportunity to head back to his alma mater.
"It's always special going back to Duke - it's a place that shaped so much of who I am, both as a player and a person," Dawkins said. "To have the opportunity to bring our UCF team there, to compete in that environment and be part of something meaningful, is an honor. It's not just about basketball - it's about giving back to the game and continuing the relationships that helped build my foundation."
This contest is part of the second Brotherhood Run, a charity exhibition game where all proceeds are donated to the Duke Children's Hospital. In the first Brotherhood Run in 2024, Duke took on Arizona State, coached by former Blue Devil great Bobby Hurley.