- How to watch: Duke at Army, 7 p.m., Tuesday; CBS Sports Network
The architect of modern Duke basketball is a West Point man, and the fourth-ranked Blue Devils will pay homage to him and other cadets by playing at Army on Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day.
Mike Krzyzewski played at Army and coached five seasons there (73-59 record) prior to his 42 seasons as Duke coach (1,438-309).
‘To honor all the veterans on Veterans Day, that’s a special thing to be playing at West Point for that reason,’ Duke coach Jon Scheyer said, per the Fayetteville Observer.
Coach K will make the trip with the team to upstate New York, where he played from 1966-69.
‘It’ll be strange being on a flight with him, I don’t know if he’s going to be watching film or not,’ Scheyer said after Duke’s win over Western Carolina on Nov. 8. ‘Maybe my first time on a flight with him where he’s not watching film. Or he probably will be watching film, who knows?’
Maybe he’ll feel nostalgic and put on film from the last time the Blue Devils played at West Point, the 1997 season opener. Duke won, 78-45, as fans were introduced to freshmen Elton Brand and Shane Battier, who were making their college debuts. Battier led with 15 points (6-of-9 shooting), Brand had 12 (5-of-6) and Steve Wojciechowski and Trajan Langdon started in the backcourt.
Only five Army-Navy games had a bigger crowd (5,055) for a game in Christl Arena history.
The teams have played nine times previously, including last season’s 100-58 Duke win. The Blue Devils have won all nine games, with an average margin of victory of 39.3 points.
‘When you combine the opportunity to host a program with the stature of Duke basketball on Veterans Day in Christl with the connection to a legend in our program’s history it is a tremendous thrill for the young men in our program,’ Army coach Kevin Kuwik said in a statement announcing the game. ‘We are grateful to Coach Scheyer for this opportunity and look forward to a memorable experience not just for our team, but for the entire West Point community and alumni.’
Duke guard Caleb Foster says the team will have a USA flag on their shoes for the game.
‘I think it’s going to be a really cool experience.’
What channel is Duke basketball vs Army on?
The game starts at 7 p.m. and will air on the CBS Sports Network.
Duke reporter Anna Snyder of Fayetteville Observer, part of USA TODAY Co., contributed to this story.