Duke's five NCAA championship banners hang over Cameron Indoor Stadium.
DURHAM, N.C. – It's been nearly 27 years. That's a lot of water under the bridges along Tobacco Road.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's Pregame Stuff setup here]
Jump ahead to today. The line of students—known as the Cameron Crazies—stretched through the corridors of this 85-year-old arena, braving rainy, near-freezing conditions as they eagerly awaited the chance to watch their undefeated and fourth-ranked Blue Devils (8-0) take on the 15th-ranked Gators (5-2) in the ACC/SEC Challenge on their home court.
That opponent, of course, is none other than the reigning NCAA champion Gators.
They're going to be fired up for us, UF junior forward Thomas Haugh said. We'll be fired up for them, too.
Xaivian Lee (1) on the move against the Friars on his way to a season-high 20 points.
It was UF—remember?—that stole Duke's Final Four spotlight last March in San Antonio, mounting a second-half comeback from a 12-point deficit to defeat Houston and claim the national title. That’s the same Houston squad that, just 48 hours earlier, shocked the Blue Devils with a rally from 13 down with four minutes remaining (nine with only two to play), effectively ending Cooper Flagg’s college run one game early and launching his NBA journey.
Now, Duke is chasing what Florida already owns. Let that sink in.
And consider this: In the nearly 30 years since that last visit to Cameron, Duke has captured three national championships and reached seven Final Fours. Florida? Also three national championships, with five Final Four appearances.
So when ESPN lined up these ACC/SEC Challenge matchups, they knew exactly what they were doing.
We work pretty hard to get into opportunities like this where you get to coach at places like this and compete against really good programs, UF coach Todd Golden said. You want to make sure that [we] enjoy and kind of take a moment to appreciate the opportunity. But after that, if you don't get locked in, it could be a long night. So, you want to make sure you're fully focused on the right things. I think we'll do a good job of that.
It's amazing that these two programs have played only twice – in the 2016 Coaches vs. Cancer and 2017 PK80 Invitational – since that epic UF upset in the 2000 tournament that marked the program's first victory over a team ranked No. 1.
And it's as if that 30-point loss was the start of something.
UF senior guard Eddie Shannon (3) on defense against Duke counterpart William Avery during the 1998 clash at Cameron.
"We were undefeated and felt invincible, but that was good for us. They spanked us pretty good," recalled former Gators guard Teddy Dupay, now 46. "They were absolutely loaded, which is always the hardest part about playing Duke. They always have really, really good players."
That dynamic remains true in 2025-26. The Blue Devils feature what many consider the nation’s top player in 6-foot-9, versatile power forward Cameron Boozer, son of former Duke standout Carlos Boozer. And beyond individual talent, Tuesday’s matchup carries the added challenge of opponents stepping into the storied home of basketball royalty, often overwhelmed by the aura of competing in their castle for the first time.
I heard the arena is not that big. It's loud, said UF junior Urban Klavzar, who learned all about Cameron (listed capacity of 9,314) even when growing up playing basketball in Slovenia. I think the fans are really close to the court, so it's going to be really fun to play in that environment.
That was the mindset of the Gators back in 1998 as well. They featured two McDonald's All-American freshmen, Teddy Dupay and Mike Miller, alongside rising star center Udonis Haslem, their classmate. They were the newcomers on the collegiate stage, brimming with confidence.
They left battered, but wiser.
"There were places much louder than [Cameron], but the fans made the difference," Dupay said. "They choreographed and synchronized everything. And they were clever about it."
Cruel, too. UF starting point guard Eddie Shannon, who had lost his eye to a degenerative condition the previous summer, was met with a sign that read: There is no 'i' in Shannon. Seriously.
Cameron Indoor Stadium
The score was knotted at 23 nine minutes in when Duke unleashed a decisive surge—a 40-18 run over the final 11 minutes of the half. By the break, Avery had set a school record with eight 3-pointers on 10 attempts, while Langdon contributed 20 points and Maggette added 19 points and nine rebounds. The Blue Devils shot 50% overall, nearly 70% from beyond the arc (16 of 23), and dominated the boards with a 46-32 advantage over UF.
"That was the closest large double-digit game I've ever been involved in," said Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, offering a back-handed compliment. "In fact, I don't know why [the margin] was that much."
Donovan took a more pragmatic view.
"This is why we needed to play a game like this. Hopefully, our guys will understand that if you fall asleep against a good team this is what happens," Donovan said. "It's just one game, but to be the kind of elite team we want to be, we have to play a team like Duke wire to wire for a whole game."
The Gators were the nation’s most elite team last season, but in 2025-26 they are still searching for consistency. They need sharper shooting, better ball control, and stronger defense in the paint.
Florida enters this contest as a 9-point underdog, but if the Gators can improve in those areas at Cameron, they can replicate that success anywhere.
"You don't have to be afraid to fail in this game, so this should be welcomed by our group, because we've been a team that — uniquely for our program — has had all the pressure on us up to this point this year," Golden said. "Hopefully, that loosens us up a little bit. We can go play with a little more freedom and not worry about making shots. Just go in there and just try to play hard."
And enjoy one of the most electric atmospheres in college basketball.
Or, as Dupay put it: "Throw those new guys to the wolves and see what happens."
Hey, it worked before.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
