Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan criticized Duke's "rent-a-player" system after the national championship game, and a potential title game rematch in the 2K Classic featuring the Blue Devils' latest top-ranked recruiting class highlights Duke's 2015-16 schedule.
The Blue Devils and Badgers will be joined by Georgetown and Virginia Commonwealth in the championship rounds of this year's 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York. Duke will open the season with two home games Nov. 13 and 14 against Siena and Bryant as part of the event benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. The Blue Devils will then take on VCU on Nov. 20 before finishing the tournament against either the Hoyas or the Badgers on Nov. 22. Duke's matchup against Virginia Commonwealth will pit assistant coach Jeff Capel against the program he coached for from 2002-06.
Before traveling to New York, the Blue Devils will kick off a key week early in the season when they face Kentucky Nov. 17 at the United Center in Chicago as part of the annual Champions Classic.
Duke will host Indiana Dec. 2 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge after home contests against Yale and Utah State and play its last marquee nonconference game against Utah Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden in a Sweet Sixteen rematch. Other home nonconference opponents for the Blue Devils include Buffalo—which was coached by former Duke guard Bobby Hurley before he became the new head coach at Arizona State—Georgia Southern, Elon and Long Beach State.
After capping its nonconference slate against Long Beach State Dec. 30, the Blue Devils will kick off conference play. Although the ACC schedule has yet to be announced, Duke knows it will take on North Carolina, Louisville, N.C. State and Wake Forest both at Cameron Indoor Stadium and on the road.
The Blue Devils will play Virginia, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Florida State and Virginia Tech only at home and Pittsburgh, Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Boston College only on the road. The dates of Duke's ACC games will be announced in August, along with the Blue Devils' first two opponents of the season.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski's top-ranked recruiting class will once again be challenged early and often, as Duke will play 14 games against teams that made the 2015 NCAA tournament and some of the nation's most storied programs throughout the season.
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