Countdown To Craziness is Here

Big cheers for the team after their final drill.
Big cheers for the team after their final drill.

DURHAM, N.C. – The 2016-17 Duke men’s basketball team will get its first taste of game action on Saturday when the program hosts Countdown to Craziness presented by Delta Air Lines at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Countdown to Craziness presented by Delta Air Lines features a night of entertainment, games, engaging videos and on-court contests all leading up to the introduction of the 2016-17 Blue Devils, the unveiling of this season’s team poster and the annual Blue-White Scrimmage.

The festivities begin in Krzyzewskiville, adjacent to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where fans can enjoy various activities, music and games. Doors to Cameron open at 6 p.m. ET for students and 6:15 p.m. ET for the general public.

The Blue-White Scrimmage is set to tip off at approximately 8:25 p.m. ET.

A limited number of tickets to Countdown for Craziness remain available and can be purchased in person at the Duke Athletic Ticket Office in the Scott Family Athletics Performance Center, online at GoDuke.com or over the phone by calling (919) 681-BLUE.

Fans who are unable to attend Countdown to Craziness have the opportunity to view the action live via ACC Network Extra as Ryan Craig and Chris Spatola provide commentary and analysis. ACC Network Extra is an Atlantic Coast Conference-dedicated live-events digital network available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN3 available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.

On the heels of a 25-win season and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2016, Duke welcomes back a veteran core led by graduate student Amile Jefferson, senior Matt Jones and junior All-American Grayson Allen for the 2016-17 campaign. The three veteran leaders were named captains for the 2016-17 season during the summer.

The Blue Devils also add one of the nation’s most heralded recruiting classes to the fold, a group of six headlined by center Marques Bolden, forward Harry Giles, guard Frank Jackson and forward Jayson Tatum.

Mike Krzyzewski is set for his 42nd season as a head coach and 37th at the helm of the Duke program after leading the U.S. Men’s National Team to its third consecutive gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Coach K wrapped up his tenure as the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach with an 88-1 record, including an active 76-game winning streak. He is the first coach – man or woman – to lead a country to three Olympic basketball gold medals.

The winningest coach in men’s college basketball history and the first Division I men’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, Coach K has a 1,043-321 overall record as a head coach and a 970-262 mark at Duke.

Duke will open the 2016-17 regular season when it welcomes Marist to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday, Nov. 11. Prior to the start of the regular season, Duke will host exhibition games against Virginia State on Oct. 28 and Augustana (S.D.) on Nov. 4.

Countdown to Craziness presented by Delta Air Lines Schedule of Events (subject to change)

6 p.m. – Doors open for students

6:15 p.m. – Doors open for general public

7:55 p.m. – National anthem

8 p.m. – Introduction of the 2016-17 Blue Devils

8:25 p.m. – Blue-White Scrimmage