Duke basketball’s second annual Brotherhood Run will bring a pair of former Blue Devils back to Cameron Indoor Stadium for two November games in the 2025-26 season.
There’s magic in a return home — and this November, the echoes of past triumphs will thunder once more in Cameron Indoor Stadium. In the second edition of Duke’s Brotherhood Run, the Blue Devils will welcome two of their own — former standout guards Greg Paulus and Kenny Blakeney — back to where their journeys began. Now head coaches of Niagara and Howard, the pair will lead their programs into Durham not just for a game, but for a celebration of legacy, loyalty, and the enduring bond that defines Duke Basketball.
In the return of the run, Duke will host Niagara and head coach Greg Paulus on Nov. 21 before coach Kenny Blakeney and Howard come to Durham on Nov. 23. Game times and TV broadcast details will be announced at a later date for the Blue Devils’ inaugural matchups with those schools.
“We’re excited to bring back the Brotherhood Run this season,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said in a school-issued statement.
“It’s a powerful way for our team to connect with the deeper meaning of wearing a Duke uniform. Expanding the event gives us a great opportunity to grow that connection. Having Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus return as head coaches adds even more to the experience for our players and for everyone who’s part of the Brotherhood.”
Duke hosted Bobby Hurley and Arizona State in an exhibition game last season in the inaugural Brotherhood Run.
Greg Paulus returning to Duke as Niagara head coach
A three-year starter, two-time captain and former teammate of Scheyer, Greg Paulus played at Duke from 2005-09 and helped the Blue Devils compile a 112-28 record. That run included two ACC titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Top 10 at Duke in career assists (468), Paulus was the team’s top facilitator in three straight seasons and finished his career with 1,193 points.
Following his Duke career, Paulus returned home for a graduate year as a quarterback and captain at Syracuse, where he had 2,024 passing yards and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. He set a single-season record with a 67.7% completion percentage. Paulus is in his seventh season as head coach of the Purple Eagles. Before becoming the head coach at Niagara, the former standout guard had coaching stops at George Washington, Louisville, Ohio State and Navy.
Entering his seventh season as Niagara’s head coach, Paulus has guided the Purple Eagles to 78 wins, including a pair of 16-win campaigns. He became the first Niagara coach since 2009 to earn back-to-back first-round byes in the MAAC Championship, leading the team to the program’s first MAAC semifinal appearance in eight years in 2021 and another in 2023.
Kenny Blakeney returning to Duke as Howard head coach
On Duke’s first two national championship rosters in the 1991-92 seasons, Kenny Blakeney was a part of 99 wins with the Blue Devils. He had another national championship appearance as a junior and was a team captain during the 1994-95 season.
Blakeney, who is entering his seventh season as Howard’s head coach, led the Bison to consecutive MEAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023-24. He was named the 2022-23 MEAC Coach of the Year after guiding Howard to 22 victories, the program’s highest win total in 36 years. His previous stops included two Ivy League programs at Columbia and Harvard.
