Duke’s long ride in the ACC is finally over, and now, the Blue Devils kick off what they hope will be a long journey in the NCAA tournament.
After 20 conference matchups—including 17 wins—unseeded Duke (27-5) opens postseason play Friday at 7 p.m. against Tennessee (23-7) in Knoxville, Tenn. The Volunteers are also not seeded, but their campus is being used as one of 16 host sites for the tournament’s first round, meaning that Tennessee has the advantage of playing in front of its home crowd tonight.
The Blue Devils and Volunteers are two of four teams playing their first-round contests in Knoxville. The others are No. 11 Minnesota and Louisville, who meet Friday as well, and the winners of the two games will meet Saturday for a spot in the Round of 16. The second-round match is set for Saturday.
Duke has advanced past the first round of the NCAA tournament in its last four appearances.
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