Bilas Addresses Duke Team Before Season Opener
Former Duke center and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas spoke to the Blue Devils before their opener against Army.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball
Jon Scheyer asked Jay Bilas, a former Duke center and longtime ESPN commentator, to address the 2026-27 Blue Devils before their season opener. Bilas spoke to the team for 11 minutes ahead of Duke's game against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Why it matters
The address reflects Bilas's continued ties to the Duke program, where he played on the 1985-86 team that won 37 games and reached the national championship game. Duke enters the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason.
The 1985-86 Duke team, on which Bilas played, won 37 games, and Duke opens the 2026-27 season ranked No. 2 in the preseason. The team's early performance against Army and Coastal Carolina has not yet been reported.
The players
Jay Bilas
A former Duke center and longtime ESPN color commentator and studio analyst for over 30 years, Bilas is 62 and previously served as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski.
Jon Scheyer
Duke's head men's basketball coach who asked Bilas to address the team before the season opener.
The details
Bilas, who served as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski, thanked the players and asked them to consider their impact on the program and community. He will also call Duke's season opener against Army on ESPNU, which tips off at 6:30 p.m. ET Monday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Timeline
Monday: Duke vs. Army season opener at Cameron Indoor Stadium, 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU
Thursday: Duke hosts Coastal Carolina, 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network
Tuesday, Nov. 10: Duke vs. Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Chicago, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Season Trajectory
Duke's position as the No. 2 preseason team places the program among the early favorites entering a season in which it faces Michigan State in the Champions Classic. Bilas's connection to the 1985-86 team, which reached the national championship game, links the current squad to one of the program's most successful recent seasons.
Fans attending Monday's opener can watch the Blue Devils open against Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the game broadcast on ESPNU. The early-season schedule includes the Champions Classic on Nov. 10, a marquee matchup for fantasy and bracket watchers tracking Duke's progress.
The takeaway
Leadership voices from a program's history can reinforce expectations for players as a season begins. Bilas's request that players weigh their long-term impact on Duke and its community offers a broader lesson about how teams build identity beyond wins.
What happens next
Duke's season opener against Army tips off Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Cameron Indoor Stadium, followed by Coastal Carolina on Thursday and Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Further reading
For more on the program, explore Basketball coverage from Durham.
