Duke vs. Bellarmine: 5 biggest storylines for 2020-21 matchup

Duke, one of the most storied programs in Div. I history, will take on Div. I newcomer Bellarmine, one of the most accomplished teams in recent Div. II history, on Friday night.

After having the start of their season postponed due to COVID-19 protocol, the Bellarmine Knights will tip-off their first-ever Div. I season in daunting fashion, battling a win-hungry, sixth-ranked Duke Blue Devils squad in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday.

Duke enters the tilt with an even 1-1 record, coming off a disappointing home loss to eighth-ranked Michigan State on Tuesday, 75-69.  Led by a sensational freshmen class and sophomore forward Matthew Hurt, the Blue Devils began their season with a competitive – but convincing – victory over Coppin State, 81-71.

This is a new-look Duke squad from last year, having returned 30.3% of their scoring from a team that finished 25-6 overall and 15-5 in the ACC last season. Their top returning leading scorer – Hurt – was the team’s fourth-leading scorer last year.  In addition to fellow returner Wendell Moore Jr., the Blue Devils have been powered by the second-highest rated recruiting class in the country, headlined by Jalen Johnson.

The Knights, meanwhile, have already had a tumultuous start to their first campaign as a Div. I institution, having been forced to postpone their first three games of the season – Chattanooga, Transylvania, and Dayton – due to COVID-19 protocol.  What was meant to be their fourth game of the season has now become their opener – against one of the most storied programs in one of the most revered venues.

Bellarmine is anything but an average Div. I newcomer – they are quite the opposite, in fact.  The Knights have been a Div. II national powerhouse under 16th-year head coach Scott Davenport, who, after winning less than 15 games in each of his first three seasons, led the Knights to every 12 consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Div. II Tournaments – with their greatest achievement coming in 2011 when they won the NCAA Div. II national championship.

Davenport does lose a substantial collection of contributors from last season’s 20-8 team, including two 1,000-point scorers and all-conference honorees – but they do return three players who averaged over nine points a game last season.  This will not be a walk in the park for a Duke team that struggled at times with Coppin State.

Div. II schools transitioning to Div. I have done well thus far in the opening weeks of the season.  Billy Gillespie nearly led Tarleton State to an upset win over his former roaming guards in Texas A&M, losing 73-66 on Wednesday, while Dixie State pulled off a one-point win over North Dakota, 74-73, on the same night.

None of this is to say Bellarmine will certainly knock off the young Blue Devils, who are hungry for a win after falling to Michigan State – but they will give them a battle.  On top of that, there are several storylines to keep in mind heading into Friday’s bout.