Duke and Kansas, two of the most storied programs in men's college basketball history, will meet in Las Vegas in late November, ESPN announced Thursday.
It's a matchup between Duke's Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 prospect in college basketball, against Kansas, which will likely open the season as the No. 1 team in the country.
The two blue bloods will face off as part of the Vegas Showdown on Nov. 26, which will also see Furman play Seattle. The games will take place at T-Mobile Arena. As part of the event, Seattle will travel to Duke and Furman will head to Kansas the following weekend.
Duke and Kansas are among the winningest programs in college basketball, with the Jayhawks ranking second in all-time wins and Duke ranking fourth. The two programs have combined for nine national championships and 32 Final Four appearances.
The two programs last met in November 2022 at the Champions Classic, with Kansas emerging with a 69-64 victory behind 25 points and 11 rebounds from Jalen Wilson. Duke leads the all-time series 8-6, although the Blue Devils have lost four of the last five meetings between the two teams. They last won in 2019 in the Champions Classic, beating Kansas in the season opener 68-66.
Kansas is currently the number one team in ESPN's Too Early Top 25. The Jayhawks bring back All-America big man Hunter Dickinson and fellow starters KJ Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr., while Bill Self also welcomes back senior players. transfers AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).
Duke is ranked No. 8 in the Top 25 too early, with the Blue Devils' roster led by the nation's No. 1 recruiting class. Flagg is the nation's top recruit and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, while fellow 2024 recruits Khaman Maluach and Isaiah Evans are also potential lottery picks. Tyrese Proctor and incoming transfers Maliq Brown (Syracuse) and Mason Gillis (Purdue) should provide a veteran presence for coach Jon Scheyer.
