Duke and Baylor to face off at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 20

NEW YORK — Baylor and Duke will meet at Madison Square Garden in December when the perennial Top 25 teams and former national champions play each other for the first time since an Elite Eight matchup in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Both schools announced the Dec. 20 game on Monday.

“Over the last couple of seasons, we’ve been two of the best teams in college basketball,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “Having our programs meet at one of the most iconic venues in our sport is a fantastic opportunity and one we look forward to in December.”

Baylor finished 23-11 and was ranked No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 poll last season. Duke was 27-9 in coach Jon Scheyer’s first season and was ranked No. 12.

In their only previous meeting, Duke beat Baylor 78-71 in the South Regional final in Houston. Scheyer, then a senior guard for the Blue Devils, scored 20 points with five 3-pointers in the win that sent them to the NCAA Final Four and they won the fourth of their five national championships.

Baylor won its only national title two years ago.

Duke, which is 40-18 at Madison Square Garden, and Baylor are the only two NCAA programs to have top-20 picks in each of the last three NBA drafts.

“We are thrilled to bring our program back to New York and Madison Square Garden,” said Scheyer. “Baylor has established itself as one of the premier programs under Scott Drew, and it will be an incredible test for our team. . . . This arena and this city have always been special to Duke, and we are excited for another chance to play at MSG.”