DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men’s basketball team is set to host Auburn in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday, Dec. 4, as part of the second edition of the ACC/SEC Challenge. Details regarding the tip-off time and TV broadcast will be announced later.
This matchup will be the fifth meeting between Duke and Auburn, with Duke holding a 4-0 series lead. Their last encounter was a 78-72 win for Duke on Nov. 20, 2018, during the Maui Invitational semifinals. The only previous game between the two teams at Cameron Indoor Stadium was a close 72-71 Duke victory on Dec. 30, 1981.
Auburn’s visit will be the first time an SEC team has played at Duke since the Florida Gators in the 1998-99 season, when Duke secured a 116-86 win on Dec. 9, 1998.
In last season’s ACC/SEC Challenge, Duke lost to Arkansas, 80-75, while Auburn defeated Virginia Tech, 74-57. Duke had entered the challenge with a strong track record, boasting a 20-4 record in the former ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the best overall performance by any team in that event.
Duke’s non-conference schedule for the upcoming season includes games against SEC and Big 12 teams. Besides Auburn, Duke will face Kentucky (in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 12), Kansas (in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 26), and Arizona (in Tucson, Ariz., date TBA). All these teams made the NCAA tournament last season and secured top-four seeds.
Last season, Duke finished 27-9 under second-year head coach Jon Scheyer, reaching the program’s 24th Elite Eight appearance. The Blue Devils return two starters, junior Tyrese Proctor and sophomore Caleb Foster, and have signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, alongside four key transfers.
The incoming freshman class features six players, five of whom are top-20 recruits according to 247Sports: Cooper Flagg (6-9, F, Montverde Academy), Isaiah Evans (6-6, G/F, North Mecklenburg HS), Kon Knueppel (6-6, G/F, Wisconsin Lutheran HS), Patrick Ngongba II (6-11, C, Paul VI Catholic), Khaman Maluach (7-2, C, NBA Academy Africa), and four-star recruit Darren Harris (6-6, G/F, Paul VI Catholic).
Duke also added transfers Sion James (6-6, G, from Tulane), Maliq Brown (6-8, F, from Syracuse), Mason Gillis (6-6, F, from Purdue), and Cameron Sheffield (6-6, G, from Rice) to bolster the roster.
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