Duke Basketball vs. SIU Edwardsville: Preview, Storylines

Nov 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (left) consoles guard Caleb Foster (1) after he was ejected during the second half against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke Basketball vs. SIU Edwardsville: Preview, Storylines

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Nov 13, 2026 8:00 AM ET

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Duke has a get-right game on deck after suffering its first loss of the 2026-27 campaign.

The Blue Devils will host SIU Edwardsville next after falling to No. 5 Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night, 79-73. Michigan State was clearly the better team and deserved to win the game, but Duke has plenty more opportunities to earn resume-boosting victories through the rest of the non-conference portion of its schedule.

After meeting SIU Edwardsville, three of the Blue Devils' next four games will be against teams currently ranked inside the top five of the AP Poll. Before Duke's matchup with the Cougars, here's everything you need to know.

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How To Watch Duke Basketball vs. SIU Edwardsville

Date: Friday, Nov. 13

Time: 8:00 pm ET

Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium (Durham, NC)

TV: CW

Radio: Blue Devil Network

Duke Basketball vs. SIU Edwardsville Preview

The Blue Devils have some work to do. Duke is still clearly a heavyweight national title contender and one of the deepest and most talented teams in the sport, but the roster still needs time to gel. This year's roster is very different from the last two years in the sense that there wasn't an established guy that everything revolved around from Day 1. Those players have been Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg over the last two seasons.

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With such a unique roster, it's going to take Jon Scheyer and his staff some time to figure out which rotations make the most sense. Duke still ranks No. 2 overall at KenPom, ranking No. 3 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 4 in adjusted defensive efficiency. SIUE ranks 294th overall at KenPom and is coming off back-to-back losses to Lipscomb and Missouri.

Even in a matchup where Duke should be in firm control the entire way, there can certainly still be positives to take away. At the very least, it's just more game time for the guys in the rotation to play together and figure out how each player individually will impact winning games in the biggest way. Overall, the Blue Devils are still in a great spot, but obviously there are things to improve.

Scheyer and Co.'s schedule really ramps up after Friday night's bout with the Cougars. Duke will meet No. 3 Illinois at Cameron Indoor on Nov. 17, No. 4 UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25, then No. 1 Florida in Gainesville for the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 1. The Blue Devils will meet Washington State on Nov. 21, sandwiched in between.