Northwest men’s basketball to face Duke University October 27

The Northwest men’s basketball team is traveling to Durham, NC, to play the Duke University Blue Devils on Friday, October 27 at the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium as it begins its quest to defend the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship crown, and Northwest supporters and fans are invited to get in on the action.

Doors at Cameron Indoor open at 6 pm EST with tip-off set for 7 pm EST, that is 6 pm CDT.

Fans who cannot attend the game may view it on espn.com/watch/. Click the play button in the middle of the screen to open a menu and select your cable provider. Click your provider and log in to your account. Once logged in, a list of upcoming events will appear on the right of the screen.

Fans also may tune into the Bearcat Radio Network to listen to the play-by-play. The game will be broadcast on KXCV Maryville 90.5 FM and KRNW Chillicothe 88.9 FM, online at www.kxcv.org and on the KXCV-KRNW app for iOS devices.

The Northwest Alumni Association will host a watch party at Carson’s Sports Grille, 310 North Main Street, Maryville, beginning at 5:30 pm CDT.

In anticipation of the game, Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski talked with legendary Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski for the October edition of “All Things Northwest” on KXCV-KRNW.

During the interview, Krzyzewski talked with Jasinski about the upcoming exhibition game as well as his leadership and passion for education, molding his players into successful men and the importance of family.

Duke has annually invited the defending Division II champion to play on its home court since 2009. The contest is played as an exhibition game and will not count toward either team’s record.

Northwest Head Coach Ben McCollum and the Bearcats went 35-1 last season en route to a 71-61 win against Fairmont State University and the program’s first national championship. Key returners include All-MIAA selections Chris Ebou Ndow and Justin Pitts, who received player of the year honors from a bevy of organizations last season.

The Blue Devils, meanwhile, have been a dominant force in NCAA Division I basketball for decades. Krzyzewski is entering his 38th season with 998 wins at Duke and an NCAA Division I men’s record 1,071 wins overall. His 91 NCAA tournament wins are a record and his 12 Final Four appearances are tied for most all-time. He has led the US Men’s Senior National Team to six gold medals, in addition to his five NCAA championships with Duke.