Bolstered by the addition of the nation's top-ranked recruiting class, the Blue Devils will look to run their record to 7-2 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Duke will take on Minnesota Dec. 3 at Cameron lndoor Stadium in this year's edition of the event, matching up with the Golden Gophers for just the second time in program history. Both teams enter the 2015-16 needing to replace top-five WNBA draft picks and critical components of squads that advanced to the NCAA tournament.
The Blue Devils enter the offseason looking to reload after the graduation of center Elizabeth Williams, who was a stalwart on both ends of the floor for four years in Durham. Head coach Joanne P. McCallie did just that by signing a five-player recruiting class that recently leapfrogged Louisville to become the top-ranked class in the nation, according to ESPNW's HoopGurlz rankings.
With a deep roster of post players ready to compete for Williams' minutes and production, the incoming freshmen will help shore up the backcourt, where the Blue Devils played much of the 2014-15 season without a true point guard. Kyra Lambert and Angela Salvadores will see time handling the ball and Haley Gorecki, Faith Suggs and Crystal Primm will join redshirt sophomore Rebecca Greenwell as weapons on the perimeter.
Like the Blue Devils, Minnesota must replace one of the most dominant interior players in the sport. Amanda Zahui B. left school following her redshirt sophomore season and was the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft—two spots ahead of Williams. At 6-foot-5, Zahui B. averaged 18.8 points and 12.9 rebounds per game en route to First Team All-America honors.
The Golden Gophers also lost their second and third-leading scorers from 2014-15 to graduation and will look to rebuild around sophomore Carlie Wagner, who scored 12.1 points per game and made 28 starts as a freshman. Minnesota finished 23-10 last season, falling to DePaul in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The full lineup for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge can be seen below:
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Illinois at Miami
Georgia Tech at Indiana
Iowa at Virginia
Syracuse at Maryland
Northwestern at North Carolina
Ohio State at Notre Dame
Wisconsin at Wake Forest
Thursday, Dec. 3
Pittsburgh at Michigan
Louisville at Michigan State
Minnesota at Duke
NC State at Nebraska
Virginia Tech at Penn State
Boston College at Purdue
Rutgers at Florida State
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