The Duke basketball team is poised to travel to Madison Square Garden in New York City for a highly-anticipated game against Illinois on February 22nd. This information follows hints from Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood regarding a potential showdown a few weeks ago.
A post by The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman indicates that the game has been confirmed for February 22nd, marking Duke’s latest non-conference game in a regular season since 2011 when they faced Temple. It has been quite some time since the Blue Devils have competed against a non-conference opponent in February, with their most recent game being against St. John’s in 2019.
Both Duke and Illinois had successful seasons, each with nine losses and reaching the Elite Eight. The last encounter between these two teams was in the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, resulting in a victory for Illinois.
The upcoming game in February will be part of an 11-game non-conference schedule for the Duke basketball team. Notable matchups in this lineup include games against Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona, presenting a challenging schedule for the Blue Devils.
This game against Illinois presents an exciting opportunity for fans to witness the team’s performance against a top-tier opponent late in the season. The clash between these two powerhouse basketball programs is expected to garner significant attention and anticipation from college basketball enthusiasts.
The journey of the Duke basketball team to Madison Square Garden in February holds great significance for the players, coaches, and fans alike. With high expectations and a competitive spirit, this game promises to deliver a thrilling showdown between two teams with a rich basketball history.
As the countdown to February 22nd commences, basketball enthusiasts will undoubtedly eagerly await this game, anticipating an exciting and intense match-up between Duke and Illinois on the iconic courts of Madison Square Garden.