DURHAM, N.C.- Duke University women's basketball head coach
Joanne P. McCallie announced the 2016-17 non-conference schedule Wednesday, which features three teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
Entering her 10th season with the Blue Devils, McCallie has guided Duke to four ACC regular season titles out of the last seven years, three ACC Championships and five NCAA Elite Eight appearances, while posting a 245-65 record.
“We are extremely excited about a fantastic non-conference schedule once again,” commented McCallie. “Having South Carolina, Kentucky and Villanova all at home gives us a wide variety of conferences and great teams. Taking Oderah, Kendall, and Leaonna back home to California is a real treat for them and is something that we love to do, especially for our seniors. We're just very, very excited to enjoy each game.”
Duke will feature its annual Blue/White Scrimmage Sunday, Oct. 30 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, before hosting an exhibition contest against University of Charleston (WV) Nov. 6.
The Blue Devils will open the 2016-17 campaign on the road for the third straight season as Duke will play at Liberty Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Duke will return home for three straight contests in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils will welcome Penn Sunday, Nov. 13, Longwood on Tuesday, Nov. 15 and Grand Canyon Thursday, Nov. 17.
With Longwood and Grand Canyon making the trip to Durham, N.C., it will mark the homecoming for 2011 Duke graduate Krystal Thomas, who is an assistant coach for the Antelopes, and 2008 Blue Devil graduate
Wanisha Smith, an assistant coach with the Lancers.
“Bringing Krystal Thomas and
Wanisha Smith home to Cameron is really special and that's exactly why we scheduled them,” commented McCallie.
On Sunday, Nov. 20, Duke will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for a contest against Vanderbilt, before returning home for a single game against Old Dominion Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The Blue Devils will take
Oderah Chidom,
Kendall Cooper and incoming freshman
Leaonna Odom back to their home state of California during the Thanksgiving holiday week. Duke will travel to Long Beach State for a game on Friday, Nov. 25 and then will face Pepperdine Sunday, Nov. 27 in Malibu, Calif.
In the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Duke will hit the road for Piscataway, N.J., to face Rutgers Thursday, Dec. 1.
Duke will close non-conference play with four consecutive home contests in December. For the third straight year, South Carolina and Duke will meet with the game slated for Sunday, Dec. 4 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
McCallie will have to coach against her daughter, Maddie, when Elon and Duke play Thursday, Dec. 8 in Durham, N.C. A senior at Elon, Maddie McCallie went to high school at Riverside, while spending two years at Miami of Ohio, before transferring to Elon.
“Very, very excited about the upcoming season,” said McCallie. “We are a faster team as we have found that out through measuring sprints. So we're a quicker team and a faster team. We have more players that could really go, which is a great thing, but at the same time, too, we are working on our strength in the weight room. Some players are stronger; some are not as strong, so we're going to really have a great rest of the summer, building on that quickness down the floor and also building on that strength in the weight room.”
Duke returns three starters off its squad that totaled a 20-12 overall record a year ago, while welcoming in former Maryland All-America
Lexie Brown to the mix. Brown, a product of Suwanee, Ga., redshirted the 2015-16 campaign after two seasons with the Terrapins.
The Blue Devil returning starters include All-ACC selection
Rebecca Greenwell, Chidom and sophomore
Kyra Lambert. Duke also welcomes back sophomore
Crystal Primm, sophomore
Haley Gorecki, sophomore
Lyneé Belton, sophomore
Faith Suggs and junior
Erin Mathias. Cooper, a senior from Carson, Calif., is expected to return after missing the second half of the season.
McCallie will add Odom, a McDonald's All-America, and freshman
Emily Schubert to the mix in 2016-17 as well.
#GoDuke
