#1 Duke Opens The Regular Season With Elon

The season is finally here as Mike Krzyzewski is starting his 38th season at the helm as  number one Duke will take on Elon who is a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference. 

• Duke opens the 2017-18 regular season on Friday by hosting Elon in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
• Duke has won 17 straight season openers and is 35-2 in season openers under Mike Krzyzewski.
• Duke is entering its 113th season of basketball. The program ranks fourth in both wins (2,237) and winning percentage (.708)
• Duke is ranked No. 1 in both the preseason AP and USA Today Coaches polls for the second consecutive season. It marks the ninth time in program history that the Blue Devils were the AP’s preseason No. 1 and the seventh time they earned the top spot in the preseason coaches’ poll. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211677797
• Mike Krzyzewski owns a 1,071-330 (.764) over 42-plus seasons as a head coach, including a 998-271 (.786) mark at Duke (37-plus seasons).
• Duke has a 504-63 (.889) record at Cameron Indoor Stadium under Coach K, including finishing undefeated at home 11 times.
• Duke has won an NCAA-best 132 non-conference home games. Duke has won 263 of its past 266 non-conference games at home.

Elon returns five starters from last year’s 18-14 team that finished fourth in the CAA. Junior Tyler Seibring is the team’s leading returning scorer at 14.4 ppg. He was a first team All-CAA preseason selection. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211677797

As for Duke's last game they finished up their exhibition slate Saturday with a route of Bowie State.

Ten players scored as No. 1 Duke opened up a 42-point halftime lead en route to a 116-53 win over Bowie State at Cameron Indoor Stadium in its final tune-up before the start of the 2017-18 regular season. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

Three Blue Devils registered double-doubles, with freshman Wendell Carter Jr. scoring 23 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while classmate Marvin Bagley IIIadded a game-best 25 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Grayson Allen rounded out the trio, finishing with 21 points and 11 assists. Freshman Gary Trent Jr. (22 points) finished the group of 20-plus point scorers. "according tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762 

Duke used a dominant defensive effort, holding Bowie State to 27.3 percent shooting (18-of-66) from the floor for the game and pounded the ball in the paint, outscoring the Bulldogs 76-14. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

The outcome was never in doubt with Duke opening up leads of 9-0 and 28-3 within the first eight minutes of the contest. Allen led the way with seven points in the first eight minutes while Bagley III and Trent Jr. poured in six points each. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

By the end of the opening period, Duke led 69-27 after shooting 69.4 percent from the floor. Allen contributed seven assists while Antonio Vrankovic had a pair of blocks in the opening stanza."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

The Blue Devils opened the second half with an 11-5 run over the opening 2:35 and took an 82-32 lead on a Carter dunk. The Duke lead ballooned to 63 points, 101-38, on a layup from Trent Jr. with 9:42 to play in the game. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

For the contest, Duke shot 59.0 percent (46-of-78) from the floor, contributed 27 assists and outrebounded Bowie State 58-27. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211676762

As for Elon's last game, they routed Randolph College in their lone exhibition. 

 Elon University men's basketball had four players score in double figures and put in a solid defensive performance en route to a 99-63 victory in its lone exhibition game on Wednesday, Nov. 1, against Randolph College to tip off the final season inside Alumni Gym. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball
 
Karolis Kundrotas led the way with a double-double scoring 14 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Dainan Swoope added a game-high 17 points, Sheldon Eberhardt scored 14 points and Dmitri Thompson chipped in 13 points of his own. Tyler Seibring tied Kundrotas with a game-high 11 rebounds and dished out a team-high five assists for the Phoenix. The WildCats were led by Sammy Hooper, scored 16 points and made a game-high four three pointers. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball
 
"I thought it was a good night," said head coach Matt Matheny. "The win of course is good but I thought our guys were ready to play and focused and attentive to detail. I thought we competed at the level we're going to have to compete. We made mistakes, but for the first 20 minutes I thought we were really locked in and did some good things, regardless of who we put in there." "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball

Elon took a 13-7 lead into the first media timeout at the 15:23 mark, which included three pointers from Swoope, Kundrotas and Thompson. Hooper drained a quick three 15 seconds later for the Wildcats to make it a 13-10 contest, but that's the closest Randolph College would get to the Phoenix the rest of the way. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball
 
The Phoenix closed out the half with a 23-3 run over the final seven minutes to take a 30-point lead, 57-27, at the break. Elon held the Wildcats to just 30 percent shooting from the floor and scored 17 points off 10 Randolph College turnovers in the half. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball
 
Elon built up to its largest lead in the contest of 39 points just 10 minutes into the second half after freshman guard Nathan Priddy drained a triple to put the Phoenix in front 82-43 at the 9:18 mark. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball
 
The maroon and gold continued to hold on to its large lead over the final minutes, not allowing the Wildcats to make a field goal over the final four minutes. The Phoenix's lead built up to a 38 points in the final minute, and Elon closed out  the victory against Randolph College to tip off the final season in Alumni Gym. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball

The Phoenix defensively held Randolph College to 30 percent shooting, including 28 percent from three. Elon finished at a 46 percent clip from the floor and made 13 triples against the Wildcats. The maroon and gold capitalized with 28 points off 20 Randolph College turnovers. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball

Elon is now 11-0 in exhibition contests with head coach Matt Matheny at the helm.
- The Phoenix did not allow the WildCats to make a field goal in over seven minutes during the second half to take a 43-point lead.
- Elon had 14 of its players see the floor during the exhibition, which included seven scoring six or more points. In addition to the four players in double figures, Seth Fuller chipped in nine points, Seibring added seven, and Priddy scored six for the Phoenix.
- The Phoenix improves to 2-0 in exhibitions against Randolph College with the win. "according to http://www.elonphoenix.com/news/2017/11/1/mens-basketball-elon-routs-randolph-college-99-63-in-preseason-exhibition.aspx?path=mbball

Tip-off is set for 7:00pm from Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be televised on ACC Network Extra. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726