Report: Texas Tech to play Duke in Madison Square Garden in December

Texas Tech coach Chris Beard will have a much better nonconference schedule next season with the reported addition of a game with Duke at Madison Square Garden in December.

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Posted 3 months ago

Texas Tech basketball has reportedly agreed to play Duke in December 2018 at Madison Square Garden, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

A date for the game has not been announced. Both teams are coming off trips to the Elite Eight in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

Duke and Texas Tech will play a neutral site game at Madison Square Garden in December 2018, per multiple sources.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2018

The matchup with Duke would represent a step up in the level of competition on Texas Tech’s nonconference schedule. The toughest team the Red Raiders faced outside the Big 12 last season was probably Nevada, which eventually made the tournament as a No. 7 seed.

Texas Tech improved dramatically in its second season under head coach Chris Beard. The program achieved its highest ranking in school history, rising all the way to No. 6 nationally.

The Red Raiders earned a No. 3 seed in the tournament and advanced farther in the tournament than ever before.