ARIZONA BASKETBALL
Arizona, Duke men’s basketball set for home-and-home series in 2023-24
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd shouts to the team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
The Arizona Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball programs announced Monday their plans to hold a home-and-home series beginning in 2023.
“We felt this was a great opportunity to play two games against an incredible program like Duke,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said in a press release. “Both programs are national brands with a rich history and have played some memorable games against each other, especially in the NCAA Tournament.
“But Coach Scheyer and I both felt these games would benefit our programs and be something that our fans would be excited about.”
The series will tip off Nov. 10, 2023, at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium before returning to Tucson in 2024 for a tilt at Arizona’s McKale Memorial Center.
It will mark the second time the Wildcats have ever played at Cameron Indoor. Arizona last traveled to Durham to take on Duke on Feb. 25, 1990. The Wildcats fell, 78-76.
The second of the two meetings will mark the third such one in Tucson between the two programs. Arizona holds a 2-0 advantage at home, with victories in 1987 and 1991.
“I have tremendous respect for Tommy Lloyd and Arizona,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said in the release. “For our team, I’m grateful for what I know will be important early-season tests.
“For our fans and for college basketball, it will be exciting to see these storied programs over the next two years come together in two of the greatest on-campus venues in the sport.”
Arizona currently holds a 5-4 all-time series lead over Duke and has won the previous two meetings.
The last time the two met was during the 2013 NIT Season Tip-Off. Arizona took home the 72-66 victory.
