No Cupcakes for Duke

Despite having a young and inexperienced team this year, Coach K did not shy away from scheduling some tough games. Outside of the three cupcakes they played earlier in the year, they won't play a legitimate easy game until December 31st against San Jose State. Just look at the non-conference schedule: Air Force (NCAA Team from last year), Marquette (a legitimate Final 4 Team), Davidson (powerhouse in the Southern Conference), Indiana (easily an NCAA Tournament Team), Georgetown (a Top 10 Team who beat Duke last season), Holy Cross (powerhouse in the Patriot League), George Mason (a Final 4 team from last season), Kent State (powerhouse in the MAC and is only a few years removed from an Elite 8 appearance), Gonzaga (national powerhouse who may be more balanced without Morrison), Temple (even though Cheney's gone, Duke always has trouble with them) and St. John's (granted this isn't the Ron Artest team that took them to overtime at the Garden and then beat them in Cameron the next year but they are much improved and well-coached).

That's just the non-conference schedule! It seems like they play every single good mid-major team along with a number of Top 25 teams. Remember, this is excluding the two games they will play against UNC, Maryland (who just won the Coaches v. Cancer Classic), Georgia Tech (who is the final of the Maui Invitational), and Boston College.

That's a brutal schedule! So, expect them to lose a number of games this year but since they are playing such a tough schedule, the freshmen should develop enormously come tournament time.