Despite Duke basketball’s dominance, Cooper Flagg and the third-ranked Blue Devils accomplished a first on Saturday night by annihilating Illinois at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  After losing its first two neutral-site games to Kentucky and Kansas,

Saturday's Illinois-Duke matchup in New York City was meant to be a priming of the pump, a get-ready non-conference interlude that would allow both teams to get a feel for an NCAA Tournament environment and competition.

Duke basketball and Illinois will play this weekend at Madison Square Garden. Here's why, along with a look at the Blue Devils' history at MSG.