Duke and Illinois face off tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City for a non-conference matchup billed as the Sentinel One Classic.
The Blue Devils and Fighting Illini are playing against each another for the first time since 2020 that the Blue Devils and Fighting Illini. Illinois won that meeting in what would be an off season for Duke, which did not make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.
Duke has since regained steam. They’re currently ranked No. 3 in the country, while Illinois is unranked — and barely above .500 in the Big Ten.
Potential Lottery Picks to Watch
Tonight’s game is not just one to watch because the Blue Devils are playing. There will be four potential 2025 NBA Draft lottery picks on the court this evening: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach of Duke, and Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois.
Flagg has dominated the national media this season, but Jakucionis may be a player who deserves a lot more attention. Tonight’s nationally televised game may give him that platform to showcase his skills to a national audience.
The 6-foot-6 freshman guard from Lithuania can do it all. He leads the team with 15.6 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 34% from beyond the arc.
How to Watch Duke vs. Illinois
Tonight’s Duke-Illinois game airs nationally on Fox. That means you can watch the game for free with an antenna — if you’re among the ones who have one — or even just with a basic cable or satellite subscription.
The game also streams on the Fox Sports app, which you can access with many cable, satellite, and streaming platform subscriptions.
Duke vs. Illinois
Sentinel One Classic
Date and Time: February 22, 2025, 8:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: Fox
Streaming: Fox Sports website and app
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