No. 4 Duke has never lost in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, winning all nine of its games.
But in order to maintain perfection Tuesday at 9 p.m., the Blue Devils will have to beat the toughest opponent they have faced yet in No. 9 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
Duke's domination in the annual clash between the game's two most storied conferences is even more impressive given its opponents. The ACC as a whole has controlled the rivalry, too, winning the overall series in all nine years. The Blue Devils (7-0) have beaten top-ranked programs-including Indiana, Michigan State and Illinois-and now face the Boilermakers (4-1) because the two squads finished second in their respective conferences last year.
And while the Blue Devils have looked strong in the early part of the season, they have yet to face an opponent of Purdue's caliber. A highly anticipated matchup with then-No. 4 UCLA escaped Duke when the Bruins were upset by Michigan in the semifinal of the 2K Sports Classic. Duke won the tournament, but lost the chance to test itself against one of the nation's best teams.
So now, it will be highly regarded Purdue that just may provide the challenge that the Blue Devils seek.
"It's a great week for us, to go to two established programs on their home courts," said head coach Mike Krzyzewski, alluding to Duke's Saturday game at Michigan. "Purdue is, I think, the best in the Big Ten, and probably one of the five or six top teams in the country. You know their crowd will make a great setting for us. We have such an opportunity to grow."
Fresh off its sole loss of the season to No. 6 Oklahoma Saturday, Purdue could benefit from its chance to rebound against a team like Duke. Because despite the loss, there is little doubt about Purdue's ability to play with the Blue Devils.
Among the five returning starters from last year's squad are the Big Ten's preseason player of the year Robbie Hummel, Big Ten defensive player of the year Chris Kramer and second-team All-Big Ten guard E'Twaun Moore.
One aspect of tonight's game that Duke will be used to, though, is the national television audience and the chance to headline a tournament that figures to dominate college basketball for the next week. If anything, the Boilermakers have intensified the attention, with Purdue students uncharacteristically beginning to camp out for tickets Monday.
"The main thing it does is it takes over college basketball. For those few days, you're the centerpiece for college basketball," Krzyzewski said.
And whether it does it with superior guard play or through its increasingly proficient frontcourt, Duke knows it needs perhaps the best performance of the year to go to hostile territory, beat the highest-ranked team it has faced and extend its streak of perfection.
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