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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Duke and Kansas, two of the most storied programs in men’s college basketball history, will play each other in Las Vegas in late November, ESPN announced Thursday.
It’s a matchup featuring Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 prospect in college basketball, going against Kansas, which will likely open the season as the No. 1 team in the country.
The two blue bloods will meet as part of the Vegas Showdown on Nov. 26, which also features Furman playing 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 victories and Duke sitting in fourth. The two programs have combined for nine national championships and 32 Final Four appearances.
The two programs last played each other in November 2022 at the Champions Classic, with Kansas coming out with a 69-64 win 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 past five meetings between the two teams. They last won in 2019 at the Champions Classic, beating Kansas in the season opener 68-66.
Kansas is currently the No. 1 team in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. The Jayhawks bring back All-America big man Hunter Dickinson and fellow starters K.J. Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr., while Bill Self also welcomes high-level transfers AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State).
Duke is No. 8 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25, with the Blue Devils’ roster led by the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. 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.