WWU to face Duke at Cameron Indoor Oct. 27

Defending NCAA Division II men’s basketball national champion Western Washington University will face Duke University and its Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski in an exhibition game at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., on Saturday, Oct. 27.

The tipoff time has yet to be determined.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for our players, coaches, staff and university," said WWU coach Brad Jackson, who directed the Vikings to the 2012 national title, the program's first in its 110-year history. "We’ll be competing against a program that everyone wants to emulate. It will be a unique experience, and we look forward to playing one of the elite teams in Division I and one of the game’s all-time great coaches.''

"Coach J" has been a moniker for Jackson since he came to WWU in the mid-80s. In 27 seasons directing the Vikings, he has won 518 games, the third-highest figure by a collegiate coach in state of Washington history. Jackson was named the 2012 Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and also the Division II Bulletin.

The game marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that Duke has invited the defending NCAA II champion to play on its home court in an exhibition. Last season, Bellarmine lost 87-62 to the Blue Devils before a crowd of 9,314. Cal Poly Pomona fell 84-60 in 2010, and Findlay lost 84-48 in 2009.

Krzyzewski, known as "Coach K," has won four NCAA I titles and made 11 trips to the Final Four during his 32-year tenure at Duke and is the winningest NCAA I coach in men’s basketball history with an overall record of 927-290 (37 seasons).

Krzyzewski is also the coach of the United States men’s national basketball team, which he led to a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championships. He was an assistant coach on the 1992 "Dream Team."