Duke’s 2020-21 basketball schedule is out. Here are the games you won’t want to miss
After the coronavirus pandemic caused last college basketball season to end in a way like no other had, this basketball season will start in unique fashion.
That includes No. 9 Duke opening its regular season on Nov. 25 against Gardner-Webb at Cameron Indoor Stadium with no spectators in attendance. Duke’s administration announced Tuesday it will begin the winter sports season with the same rule banning spectators that it has had in place for fall sports, including football.
The game with Gardner-Webb is one of seven Duke will play against non-conference opponents prior to embarking on its 20-game ACC schedule. While the dates for all of Duke’s non-conference games have been set, seven of the Blue Devils’ ACC games don’t have an exact date yet.
The Blue Devils face two of the nation’s better teams in No. 8 Illinois and No. 13 Michigan State during that season-opening, seven-game stretch. Duke faces Illinois at home on Dec. 8 as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The game with Michigan State on Dec. 1, part of the Champions Classic doubleheader, will be played at a venue yet to be determined.
In ACC play, Duke has its usual home-and-home series with rival North Carolina, ranked No. 16, while also playing twice against teams led by former Duke assistant coaches -- Pittsburgh with Jeff Capel and Notre Dame with Mike Brey. The Blue Devils also play Louisville, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech twice.
Duke plays once against No. 4 Virginia, at home on Feb. 20, and once against No. 21 Florida State, on the road Jan. 2.
Here’s a breakdown of the Blue Devils’ full schedule:
Duke’s can’t-miss basketball game
The first of two annual regular-season clashes between the two bitter rivals is always the most anticipated and the Feb. 6 game with North Carolina this year will be no different. Routinely, the two teams build up gaudy records and enter the game ranked in the top 10. Despite UNC’s struggles last season, the Tar Heels still pushed Duke to overtime before losing in Chapel Hill. This season, both teams again project to be ACC title contenders again, which will make for a great game at Cameron in early February.
Toughest stretch for Duke
Duke’s final five games of the regular season Feb. 20-March 6 will certainly prepare the Blue Devils for postseason play while revealing how ready the team will be for the season’s ultimate test. Duke begins the difficult finishing stretch at home with two games in three days against No. 4 Virginia on Feb. 20 and Syracuse on Feb. 22. Louisville comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 27 before Duke plays at Georgia Tech on either March 2 or 3 and travels to Chapel Hill to play UNC on March 6.
Easiest stretch for Duke
Duke’s first game in 2021 is a tough one, at Florida State on Jan. 2. But things lighten up, as much as they can ever lighten up in the ACC, over the next three weeks. The Blue Devils play four consecutive games against teams projected to finish in the bottom part of the league -- home games with Boston College (Jan. 5 or 6) and Wake Forest (Jan. 9) followed by road games at Virginia Tech (Jan. 12 or 13) and Pittsburgh (Jan. 19 or 20).
Duke basketball’s non-conference test
Two of the nation’s premier programs, Duke and Michigan State play on an almost annual basis, be it in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge like last season, the NCAA tournament like in 2019 or once every three years, like this season, in the Champions Classic. The venue for this year’s game on Dec. 1 has yet to be determined by ESPN, which will televise the doubleheader that also includes No. 10 Kentucky against No. 6 Kansas. No. 9 Duke facing No. 13 Michigan State, with Krzyzewski facing fellow Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo’s team, is always a treat and a tough game for either squad.
Duke 2020-21 basketball schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| Nov. 25 | Gardner-Webb |
| Nov. 28 | Coppin State |
| Dec. 1 | Michigan State+ |
| Dec. 4 | Bellarmine |
| Dec. 6 | Elon |
| Dec. 8 | Illinois |
| Dec. 12 | Charleston Southern |
| Dec. 16 | at Notre Dame* |
| Dec. 29/30 | Pittsburgh* |
| Jan. 2 | at Florida State* |
| Jan. 5 or 6 | Boston College* |
| Jan. 9 | Wake Forest* |
| Jan. 12/13 | at Virginia Tech* |
| Jan. 19/20 | at Pittsburgh* |
| Jan. 23 | at Louisville* |
| Jan 26/27 | Georgia Tech* |
| Jan. 30 | Clemson* |
| Feb. 1 | at Miami* |
| Feb. 6 | UNC* |
| Feb 9/10 | Notre Dame* |
| Feb. 13 | at NC State* |
| Feb. 16/17 | at Wake Forest* |
| Feb. 20 | Virginia* |
| Feb. 22 | Syracuse* |
| Feb. 27 | Louisville* |
| March 2 or 3 | at Georgia Tech* |
| March 6 | at UNC* |
| March 9-13 | ACC Tournament, Washington DC |
(+) — Champions Classic, site TBA
(*) — ACC games
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Duke’s 2020-21 basketball schedule is out. Here are the games you won’t want to miss."