Duke's 2017-18 non-conference schedule, which was released Monday, doesn't have Kansas in a blockbuster neutral-court game at Madison Square Garden like last season, but there are plenty of opportunities for the Blue Devils to prove themselves early in the schedule with a steady mix of cupcakes and tough challenges.

Unlike last season's squad which featured two starting seniors and even more role players with starting experience, Duke will be breaking in a bevy of youngsters such as Trevon Duval, Wendell Carter and Gary Trent Jr. among others who will be tasked with replacing the production of Luke Kennard and Jayson Tatum who were first-round picks in the NBA Draft.

The early part of the season provides a steady crescendo of difficulty that should allow for Mike Krzyzewski to acclimate his young talent from the get-go with games against Elon, Utah Valley, Southern and Furman sandwiching a nice appetizer game against Michigan State at the State Farm Champions Classic.

The biggest early test outside of Michigan State—the No. 3 team in the CBS Sports preseason top-25 (and one)—is the Phil Knight Invitational mega-tournament put on by Nike in Portland. Although the tournament starts with a dud in Portland State, a potential matchup of either Butler or Texas is more than enough to whet the appetite of college hoops fans who may be dreaming of Texas' Mo Bamba and Duke's Wendell Carter—two top-10 2017 5-star prospects—squaring off in college, as both could easily be one-and-done.

Here's Duke's non-conference schedule game-by-game:

Elon (at home, Nov. 10): Grayson Allen's tripping episodes began last season at home against Elon when he knocked over Steven Santa Ana and earned a technical foul and subsequent suspension. Duke would go on to win 72-61, but it was a closer-than-anticipated contest for Duke. Elon finished 18-14 and graduates just one starter.

Utah Valley (at home, Nov. 11): The Wolverines finished fifth in the WAC last season and returns five of their six leading scorers from last season. Utah Valley is a sneaky pick to contend for a WAC title next season behind a veteran-laden backcourt that features Conner Toolson and Jordan Poydras.

Michigan State (Chicago, Ill., Nov. 14): Against Duke last season, the young Spartans looked overwhelmed by the moment fresh off a grueling coast-to-coast early season schedule that featured games against Baylor, Kentucky, Arizona and Wichita State. Michigan State sophomore Miles Bridges battling against Grayson Allen and a trio of five-star recruits will be appointment television at the State Farm Champions Classic.

Southern (at home, Nov. 17): Southern went 15-18 last season and graduates two of its starters from a year ago.

Furman (at home, Nov. 20): Furman was a formidable opponent last season and finished with a 23-12 record, but played in the shadows of ETSU and UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference. Don't sleep on the Paladins, though. They return four of their starting five from last season.

Phil Knight Invitational (in Portland, Ore. Nov. 23-26):

Thu, Nov. 23 vs. Portland State : The PK80 event will be must-watch television, but a snoozer against Portland State is disappointing considering North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, UConn and Ohio State are all teams competing in the mega-tournament.



: The PK80 event will be must-watch television, but a snoozer against Portland State is disappointing considering North Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, UConn and Ohio State are all teams competing in the mega-tournament. Fri, Nov. 24 vs. Butler/Texas : Both Butler and Texas will be entirely different teams from a year ago. Butler replaces Chris Holtmann with LaVall Jordan; Texas replaces a shooting guard with a bona fide point guard in Matt Coleman and a likely top-5 pick in 6-foot-11 freak Mohamed Bamba.



: Both Butler and Texas will be entirely different teams from a year ago. Butler replaces Chris Holtmann with LaVall Jordan; Texas replaces a shooting guard with a bona fide point guard in Matt Coleman and a likely top-5 pick in 6-foot-11 freak Mohamed Bamba. Sun, Nov. 26 TBD

Indiana (at Indiana, Nov. 29): ACC/Big Ten Challenge fun. Indiana is one of only two true road non-conference games, but provides an early test before ACC play starts. The Hoosiers replaced Tom Crean with Archile Miller as their coach and also will have a number of new major contributors that should pave the way for a Duke win although playing in Bloomington is never easy.

South Dakota (at home, Dec. 2): South Dakota won 22 games after a 14-18 season and looks primed to defend its Summit League regular-season crown.

Saint Francis (at home, Dec. 5): The Red Flash was young and fun last season. Saint Francis struggled to achieve a .500 record, but still finished tied for third in the Northeast Conference. It will be Saint Francis youth vs. Duke youth in Durham.

Evansville (at home, Dec. 20): Evansville suffered a brutal 9-game losing streak mid-season in 2016-17, but still managed to finish 16-17 on the season. There will be a lot of turnover replacing outgoing seniors, and they could struggle next season.

St. John's (at New York, Feb. 3): St. John's is the second of only two true road games for the Blue Devils in non-conference play. While it may be a win on paper, traveling to New York to face a disciplined Red Storm team coached by Chris Mullin will be no small task.