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The Opening Tip
No. 4 Duke visits Army West Point on Veterans Day for a matchup rich in history and meaning. Tuesday’s contest marks the Blue Devils’ earliest true road game ever—surpassing their previous record, also set at West Point, on November 16, 1997.
The connection between Duke and West Point runs deep. Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, a 1969 West Point graduate, captained the Army team as a senior before returning as head coach from 1975–80, where he compiled a 73–59 record.
Duke leads the all-time series 13–3, including nine straight wins since the rivalry renewed in 1996. The Blue Devils enter the matchup ranked in the top seven nationally in both offensive efficiency (121.6, 7th) and defensive efficiency (93.2, 7th), per KenPom.com.
Head coach Jon Scheyer notched his 91st career win last Saturday as Duke continued its dominant start to the season. The Blue Devils are fresh off an 18th Final Four appearance, their 23rd ACC Tournament title, and a 21st ACC regular-season championship after a 35–4 campaign—the 17th 30-win season in program history.
In preseason polls, Duke ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25, No. 5 in the coaches poll, and No. 10 by ESPN.
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Boozer Brothers Lead the Way
Duke’s success this season begins with one of the most heralded freshmen in college basketball, Cameron Boozer—the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year and centerpiece of the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. In two exhibition games, Boozer averaged 28.5 points and 17.5 rebounds, including a 33-point, 12-rebound effort against UCF.
In Duke’s 95–54 win over Western Carolina on Nov. 8, Boozer poured in 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. His twin brother, freshman guard Cayden Boozer, contributed 14 points, seven boards, and five assists off the bench, finishing with a team-high +32 plus/minus.
Sophomore Isaiah Evans, a Preseason All-ACC Second Team pick, continues to shine as one of Duke’s most consistent scorers. After shooting 41.6% from three-point range last season, Evans exploded for a career-high 23 points in Duke’s 75–60 win over Texas earlier this month.
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Last Time Out: Blue Devils Dominate Home Opener
The Blue Devils extended their streak of home-opening victories to 44 straight with a commanding 95–54 win over Western Carolina. Duke displayed its trademark balance, with four players scoring in double figures—Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Maliq Brown (10 points), and Patrick Ngongba II (10 points).
Caleb Foster added nine points, four assists, and six rebounds, while Evans posted seven points and went a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, extending his streak to 10 consecutive makes.
Team play defined the victory: Duke tallied 21 assists on 30 field goals, forced 14 turnovers, and limited the Catamounts to nine assists. The Blue Devils controlled every statistical category, outpacing Western Carolina in points off turnovers (21–7), points in the paint (40–28), second-chance points (19–8), fast-break points (20–8), and bench points (42–8).
Duke also excelled at the line, going 25-for-33 (.758). After averaging 15.2 made free throws per game last season, the Blue Devils have converted 22 and 25 in their first two contests this year. Under Scheyer, Duke has recorded seven wins by 40 or more points.
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Scouting the Army West Point Black Knights
The Black Knights, led by third-year head coach Kevin Kuwik, opened their season with a 73–49 win over SUNY Maritime. Sophomore Kevin McCarthy led all scorers with 18 points. Army finished 17–16 overall last year, including a 10–8 mark in the Patriot League.
Kuwik brings more than two decades of coaching experience, including a stint as an assistant at Butler under Thad Matta. Historically, Army trails Duke 3–13 in the all-time series, but the two programs share deep ties rooted in respect and tradition.
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Duke’s Tradition on November 11
Duke has thrived on Veterans Day, holding a 6–1 all-time record in games played on November 11. The Blue Devils have won six straight on this date—all at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 2008. Their lone loss came in 1999, an 80–79 overtime heartbreaker to Stanford at Madison Square Garden. Duke last played on Veterans Day in 2018, also against Army West Point.
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A New Season, Same Standard
The 2025–26 season marks Jon Scheyer’s fourth year at the helm. Duke returns six players from last season’s Final Four team and welcomes its seventh No. 1-ranked recruiting class since Scheyer joined the staff.
The Blue Devils are the fourth-tallest team in the nation (average height 79.3 inches) and second among Power Four programs, behind Illinois. Despite their youth—the team averages only 0.8 years of Division I experience (311th nationally per KenPom)—Duke’s talent and depth keep them firmly in national title contention.
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Toughest Non-Conference Schedule in the Country
Duke’s schedule is among the nation’s toughest, featuring eight NCAA Tournament teams from last season: Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan State, Lipscomb, Texas Tech, and Michigan. Five of those teams reached the Sweet 16, and three advanced to the Elite Eight.
In total, Duke will play 10 games against ESPN preseason Top 25 opponents, including No. 2 Florida, No. 6 Louisville (twice), No. 8 Michigan, and archrival No. 25 North Carolina (twice).
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Efficiency and Consistency
Duke’s balance remains its biggest weapon. Last season, the Blue Devils achieved the best offensive efficiency in KenPom history (130.1) and ranked top-five nationally on both ends. This year’s team has started similarly strong, sitting seventh in both offensive and defensive metrics.
The Blue Devils have also connected on at least one three-pointer in 1,266 consecutive games—the longest active streak in the nation. The last time Duke was held without a made three was Dec. 30, 1989, against Hawai‘i.
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All-Access with Coach Scheyer
Fans can go behind the scenes with “Duke All-Access with Jon Scheyer”, now in its fourth season. The 30-minute show, produced by John Roth and Blue Devil Sports Properties from LEARFIELD, airs locally on ABC-11 WTVD Sundays at noon ET, streams on ABC11.com Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET, and is available regionally across the FanDuel Sports Network, MASN, and the Duke Athletics YouTube Channel.
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Tip-off: Tuesday, Nov. 11 • 7 p.m. ET
Location: Christl Arena – West Point, N.Y.
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
