Duke men's basketball nonconference slate highlighted by Kentucky, Indiana and Texas Tech

A young Blue Devil team highlighted by the nation's top three recruits will be tested from the get-go this season.

Duke's 2018-19 nonconference schedule was officially unveiled in a Thursday morning press release. The Blue Devils will start the season with a battle with Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 6 in Indianapolis, the opening night of the college basketball season.

Duke will also face an early-season test later in the month at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, which will take place Nov. 19-21 in Hawaii. The Blue Devils will open the tournament against San Diego State and possible opponents in later rounds include top-four seeds from last year's NCAA tournament in Gonzaga, Auburn, Arizona and Xavier.

Other notable matchups on the non-conference schedule include a battle with Indiana in Durham during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 27 and a neutral-site game vs. Texas Tech at New York's Madison Square Garden Dec. 20.

Duke will host Army on Veterans Day in its regular-season home opener. Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski played and was an assistant at Army before coming to Duke.

A rematch against St. John's rounds out the nonconference season, when the Blue Devils host the Red Storm Feb. 2—St. John's was the last non-ACC opponent to defeat Duke at Cameron Indoor, winning 83-82 on Feb. 26, 2000.

The Blue Devils will also host Eastern Michigan, Stetson, Hartford, Yale and Princeton to fill out their 2018-19 nonconference schedule.

Here is Duke's full 2018-19 schedule as we know it:

Nov. 20: vs. Auburn/Xavier (in Maui)

Nov. 21: vs. Gonzaga/Arizona/Iowa State/Illinois (in Maui)

Nov. 27: vs. Indiana (ACC/Big Ten Challenge)

Dec. 1: vs. Stetson

Dec. 5: vs. Hartford

Dec. 8: vs. Yale

Dec. 18: vs. Princeton

Dec. 20: vs. Texas Tech (in New York)

Feb. 2: vs. St. John's

ACC home/away opponents: North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia and Wake Forest

ACC home opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami and N.C. State

ACC away opponents: Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech