The Duke Blue Devils have remained a powerhouse in college basketball for years and continue their strong legacy under head coach Jon Scheyer.
Scheyer took the reins after the retirement of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski and recently completed his third season leading the program.
Following an impressive 35-4 campaign—boosted by the standout play of consensus No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg—Scheyer shared some exciting news about the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Duke’s schedule will include three games against familiar faces: one matchup against Howard and two against Niagara. These contests will feature coaching reunions with former Blue Devils.
Kenny Blakeney, who played at Duke from 1991 to 1995, is the current head coach at Howard. Greg Paulus, a Blue Devil from 2005 to 2009, has been leading Niagara since 2019.
“Brotherhood Run –> regular-season edition otw,” Duke Basketball’s official social media account posted. “Got Howard (Kenny Blakeney – Duke ’95) & Niagara (HC Greg Paulus – Duke ’09) heading to Cameron!”
Jon Scheyer personally delivered the exciting update, expressing admiration for both programs and emphasizing the significance of the matchups ahead.
“I’m excited to announce the return of the Brotherhood Run,” Scheyer said. “This season, we’ll be playing Howard and Niagara for our MTE exception here in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus have done amazing jobs at Howard and Niagara. … We’ll get them back here. Each team will play each other over the course of a couple days. It will be a great opportunity for our team. It will also be a great opportunity to honor each of them and bring them back home to Cameron Indoor Stadium. Really excited and can’t wait to bring them back here.”
Scheyer’s remarks underscore not only the competitive value of the event but also its personal meaning—celebrating Duke’s extended basketball family and reconnecting with two former Blue Devils now leading programs of their own.
Duke will tip off its “Brotherhood Run” matchups starting November 21. The Blue Devils are scheduled to face Niagara on back-to-back days before wrapping up the event with a showdown against Howard on November 23.
All games will be held at Cameron Indoor Stadium as part of Duke’s MTE (multi-team event) exemption, offering not only a competitive tune-up but also a meaningful reunion with former Blue Devils Kenny Blakeney and Greg Paulus, now head coaches at Howard and Niagara, respectively.
Leave a Reply