Jon Scheyer's Duke announces major game against Big Ten powerhouse for the first time in 13 years  

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Jon Scheyer's Duke Blue Devils announced a major matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. The two college basketball programs will face off for the first time in 13 years. On Tuesday, Duke’s Instagram account shared that the anticipated "Duel in the District" will take place on Feb. 21, 2026, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

This marks the first meeting between Jon Scheyer's Duke and Michigan since 2013, when they squared off in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. That game was played at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Michigan lost that game, 79-69. Historically, Duke has dominated the head-to-head series (22-8).

“Duel in the District‼️💡🏛️,” the caption said.

The upcoming game will be the seventh neutral-site meeting between the programs. Their past neutral-site clashes included three meetings in the NCAA Tournament.

They faced off in the 1992 national championship game, the 1964 Final Four and the 2011 second round, when Duke secured a narrow 73-71 victory. Their last neutral-site contest occurred during the 2011 Maui Invitational, where Duke won 82-75.

For Michigan, this game marks a return to Washington, D.C., where they last played in 2021, defeating Prairie View A&M in the Coaches vs. Racism event. The Wolverines won four straight games to capture the 2017 Big Ten Tournament title in the Capital One Arena.

In his first season, Michigan coach Dusty May guided the program to a 27-10 record. He also won the Big Ten Tournament and reached the Sweet 16, extending their streak of NCAA Tournament appearances to six straight years.

Duke, under Jon Scheyer, had an impressive 2024-25 season, finishing with a 35-4 record, an ACC regular season title, an ACC Tournament championship and a trip to the Final Four, where they lost 70-67 to Houston.

Duke’s Jon Scheyer speaks about Cooper Flagg ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft

Ahead of potentially becoming the Dallas Mavericks' No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA draft, Jon Scheyer spoke about Cooper Flagg.

Dallas’ unexpected leap from the 11th spot to the top pick in the NBA lottery was reported to be the biggest jump since the current lottery format was introduced in 2019.

Speaking with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes on Tuesday, Jon Scheyer believed that Flagg would be the perfect fit for the Mavericks.

“To me, it’s a dream spot,” Scheyer said. “He’s not going there thinking he has all the answers. He’s going to learn from Kyrie [Irving], from Davis [Bertans], from Derek Lively, and from Jason Kidd and his coaching staff. He’s coming in with the mindset to learn, and that’s what makes him special.”

Scheyer believed Flagg's humility and willingness to grow would serve him well in Dallas. Scheyer also pointed out that Flagg would be stepping into a franchise with a rich history of iconic players, including Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, both of whom made an impact.

While the Mavericks haven’t officially confirmed their pick, it seems all but certain.

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About the author

Victor Isikhueme

Victor Isikhueme is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bachelor’s Degree in Building Technology. His passion for sports led him to become a sports writer and Victor has seven years of experience at V93 Media, Covenant University Premier League and AfroSport Media Network.

Victor ran track and field at high school and university (100m, 200m 4x100m, High Jump and Long Jump) and played football at university and at a semi-professional level.

His favorite basketball players are Zion Williamson and Steph Curry. Williamson because of his immense potential and Curry because of the way he changed the game.

When not working, Victor is a gamer, both competitively and casually. He enjoys listening to sports podcasts, watching sports shows and playing Football Manager.

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