This marks the 21st season in Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 42-year tenure that the Blue Devils have risen to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 at some point. But his team will need a good performance on Tuesday in order to stay atop the polls. On the heels of its 84-81 win over then-No. 1 Gonzaga, Duke faces another tough challenge as it travels to play Ohio State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
The Buckeyes have fallen out of the AP poll after starting the season at No. 17 because of losses to Xavier and Florida. But OSU is still a dangerous squad that will be playing with home court advantage. Duke is 19-3 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, however, and this is familiar territory for Coach K. Duke has been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for 145 weeks in its history, and 127 of those weeks have been during Krzyzewski’s tenure.
Krzyzewski owns 219 wins when Duke is No. 1 vs. 35 losses. Ohio State is 9-11 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams and will pose a challenge.
Krzyzewski is retiring after this season, which will be his 42nd as Duke’s coach, and handing the program over to his assistant and former Duke star Jon Scheyer. As Krzyzewski’s final season continues, we will update this piece with the latest tributes — and tribulations — from the farewell tour of a coaching legend.
How to watch Duke vs. Ohio State live
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 30 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Value City Arena — Columbus, Ohio
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Knocking off the Zags, rising to No. 1
Duke improved to 7-0 with an 84-81 win over No. 1 Gonzaga on Nov. 26 in front of a crowd of 20,389 at T-Mobile Arena. It was the largest crowd to ever see a basketball game in Nevada, and they were treated to a thriller. Paolo Banchero scored 20 points in the first half before dealing with cramps in the second half and going quiet. Wendell Moore Jr. picked up the slack by scoring 16 of his 20 points in the second half.
The victory improved Krzyzewski to 7-11 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams, and it catapulted the Blue Devils to No. 1 in the new set of rankings released three days later.
Getting ready for Gonzaga
Duke easily won games against Lafayette and The Citadel on Nov. 19 and Nov. 22 as it prepared to face No. 1 Gonzaga on Nov. 26. The Blue Devils beat Lafayette 88-55 behind a 23-point outing from Wendell Moore Jr. Duke beat The Citadel 107-81 behind a combined 50 points from Moore and Paolo Banchero. There was a scary moment in the Citadel game, when Bulldogs’ coach Duggar Baucom collapsed on the court in the first half. He stayed overnight at Duke University Hospital and was released the afternoon after the game.
DWI charge for grandson
An otherwise sterling start to Krzyzewski’s final season hit a speed bump in the early morning hours of Nov. 14, when Duke walk-on Michael Savarino, who is Krzyzewski’s grandson, was arrested for suspicion of DWI. Complicating matters, Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero was a passenger in the vehicle and was cited for aiding and abetting DWI. But while Savarino was suspended, Banchero was not held out of any game action, as Krzyzewski explained “it’s two different situations.”
“Headlines might make it look like it’s the same,” he said. “It’s not. I think the decisions we made are in conjunction with our authorities, my superiors.”
West Point flashback
Duke played host to Army West Point on Nov. 12 in its home opener as part of the Duke Veterans Day Weekend Showcase. The Blue Devils won 82-56, but the game carried special significance because Army is where Krzyzewski both played and first served as a head coach. Between his four years as a student at Army and five as the coach, Krzyzewski spent nearly a decade of his young adult life in West Point. Army explored his history with the program in a special tribute video released before the game.
Garden party
Krzyzewski’s final season began on a big stage, with the Blue Devils beating Kentucky at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 9 in the Champions Classic. The venue is one of Krzyzewski’s favorites, and it offered a parting gift to the legendary coach. Krzyzewski is now 34-11 all-time at Madison Square Garden, and that record will remain unchanged unless the Blue Devils end up playing in the NIT, which would be nothing short of a disaster.
More on Coach K’s final season
- Duke makes sure Coach K’s farewell tour starts off on a high note with impressive opening win vs. Kentucky
- Whether Duke’s succession plan is successful will be decided later, but Jon Scheyer is off to a great start
- How Jon Scheyer rose from Duke ‘special assistant’ to Mike Krzyzewski’s successor in eight years
