Blue Devil Country

Shh: Duke basketball squad to play in secret scrimmage

It's no secret that the young Blue Devils will benefit from preseason play.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball guard Jaylen Blakes (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)

Until last year, now-retired Duke basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski avoided the secret-scrimmage craze while typically scheduling two exhibition tuneups in Cameron Indoor Stadium instead.

But the 2021-22 Blue Devils' late-October secret scrimmage against Villanova in Washington, D.C., appears to have tipped off a new tradition to continue under first-year head coach Jon Scheyer.

Earlier this week, the program announced its complete non-conference slate for the 2022-23 campaign. And a follow-up tweet from Duke featured the players, one at a time, revealing each game, thereby giving fans a chance to put voices to all the new faces in Durham (only two scholarship players return from last season's bunch):

Sophomore point guard Jaylen Blakes was responsible for telling the fanbase that the Blue Devils plan to play a secret scrimmage for the second year in a row.

Currently, the opponent for that closed-door battle remains a secret.

Potential date for this year's Duke basketball secret scrimmage

Last year, news that Duke would face Villanova in its secret scrimmage did not leak until late August. So perhaps it will be another month or so before regular folks find out the opponent this go-round.

Presumably, judging by the order in which Jaylen Blakes appeared in the above video, the secret scrimmage will occur between Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 21 and the Blue Devils' home exhibition game on Nov. 2 against Fayetteville State.

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Considering Duke's 2021 secret scrimmage was on a Saturday, one could guess that the 2022 version will occur on Oct. 29 (unlikely to be Oct. 22 since that is the day after CTC).

While last year's secret scrimmage imitated real game action — with each team later releasing limited highlights — it was not a standard 40-minute contest. No, it consisted of a 20-minute session, a 10-minute session, and simulated late-game situations.

There was no official final score. However, according to reports, Duke was the better team that day.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball content.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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