Duke Basketball Roundup

Basketball season, at long last, is upon us here at the DBR Podcast. We've now whet our appetites on 16 minutes of Blue-White game scrimmage during Countdown to Craziness, we've survived the collective horror at the small, elevated stage that all the players had to dance on Friday night, and we're ready to dive into all of it. On the game, we're most impressed with presumed redshirt big man Christian Reeves, but plenty of other new guys showed promise, including Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, and Jacob Grandison. The crew is disappointed we didn't get to see stud freshmen Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead, but it sounds like they will be back sooner than later. After some analysis of the various dance moves on display at Countdown, we dive into the football game, which was a stunning display in forcing turnovers, both by punched-out fumbles and interceptions. Duke has recovered nicely from recent losses to get to the precipice of bowl eligibility with four games left on the schedule and a bye week up next. Donald doesn't love seeing Duke his other alma mater, but Jason and Sam are thoroughly enjoying the moment. Finally, we have to break down Duke's first commitment in the class of 2024, four-star guard Darren Harris. He continues Duke's strong pipeline from Virginia's Paul VI, alma mater of Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels. Keep sending stats game topics to dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will see you again soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a jam-packed episode of the DBR podcast! The guys start by looking ahead to Friday's Countdown to Craziness with speculation about who has been tearing it up in practice lately. Will Countdown begin to show us some ways in which Jon Scheyer will be different from Coach K? Then, the podcast gang shifts their attention to the announcement of the pre-season All-ACC teams. They fire off some spicy hot takes about who from Duke will be there come post-season and engage in a little history less about Duke's legacy on the All-ACC First Team. And after the break, Jason, Sam, and Donald discuss the start of the NBA season and the staggering number of Dukies playing major, major roles in The League. And stick around for a couple minutes of amusing post-credit out-takes sure to bring a smile to your face. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils suffered another devastating defeat on the gridiron this weekend, this time to the North Carolina Tar Heels. It leads our discussion on Episode 449. Duke has a lot to be proud of in their effort against UNC, but it’s yet again another moral victory that fans have to have in place of an actual victory. The podcast crew discusses the good and the bad from the game. After the break, we get into basketball. ACC held its Media Day last week, and we discuss some comments from Duke head coach Jon Scheyer about how Duke will play this year. we also heard from ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who is ready for expansion of the NCAA Tournament. We finally end with a quick thought on the NBA seemingly keeping its current NBA Draft eligibility rules in place. Countdown to Craziness is this weekend! We will be back later this week for a quick preview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam and Jason are here to run down Duke's latest football game with Donald off in Europe, and shorthanded is sort of how the Blue Devils felt on Saturday at Georgia Tech. Jason was in attendance at Bobby Dodd Stadium to see Duke's 23-20 overtime loss from the press box, so we have a lot of first-hand account from this one. We walk through Duke's various miscues throughout the game, from play-calling to penalties, as well as Jason's review of the press box set up in Atlanta. After the break, we dive into Jeremy Roach's selection as the sole captain of the men's basketball team for the upcoming season. It's not entirely surprising, but we need to get into some of the alternatives and why we think this makes the most sense for Jon Scheyer and his team. Finally, we have to spend a few minutes on the amazing display that the presumptive top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Victor Wenbanyama put on in Las Vegas a few days ago. If there was any chance of him coming to college, we would be stumbling over the potential that he attends Duke, but alas, it will not be so. Countdown to Craziness is in less than two weeks, so get ready for basketball season, Duke fans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's something special. A loyal listener to The DBR Podcast attended a special private basketball practice inside Cameron Indoor Stadium last week and was allowed to videotape more than 20 minutes of the team scrimmaging. Though the video has not been released to the public, this listener did provide a copy of it to the DBR Podcast gang and they are here to break it all down for you. They saw a Duke team that loves to shoot 3-pointers and one that seems to have a lot of potential on defense. They saw flashes of really impressive play from youngsters Mark Mitchel, Kyle Filipowski, and Tyrese Proctor. But, they also saw a team that seemed very raw and which does not have any transcendent talent like Paolo Banchero or Zion Williamson. Still, this edition of the DBR Podcast gives us our best view yet of what the 2022-23 Blue Devils will be like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with more Duke Football flavor than Duke Basketball this week, but alas, the Blue Devils were not able to continue their early season winning streak against Kansas. Jason is out but Sam and Donald are here to bring you positive vibes. Our collective take on the Kansas game is that while we are disappointed that Duke wasn't able to overcome the home favorites, we see Duke's progress so far and the performances across the rest of the ACC, and we don't think that Duke making a bowl game is entirely out of the question in the first year of the Mike Elko era. After the break, we bring you an interview that Jason did with Riley Leonard, Duke's sophomore quarterback who has been a revelation this season. We conducted the interview before the Kansas game, but we'll say that Leonard's answers still hold. We wrap with a quick discussion about Duke commit Jared McCain's NIL deal with Champs Sports. McCain appears to be getting a jump on his sponsorship deals even before he reaches Duke's campus, which is a pretty cool development. Stay in touch with us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we'll be back soon to break down the new episode of Duke Blue Planet and start getting ready for basketball season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could the NBA once again let high school players bypass college and enter the NBA Draft? That’s the primary topic of discussion on Episode 445! The NBA and NBA Players Association are discussing potentially allowing 18 year olds to enter the NBA Draft beginning in 2024. Jason, Sam, and Donald discuss the ramifications of how that would affect Duke’s recruiting and whether it would alleviate the number of players that would leave college early to chase their NBA dreams. After the break, we say goodbye to Jason, but Sam and Donald stick around to discuss the 3-0 Duke Football Team, who pummeled NC A&T over the weekend. They also discuss the upcoming contest against Kansas, who are also 3-0. It has become a fairly significant game as Duke seeks to close out the non-conference portion of their schedule undefeated. Finally, the Point Gawd is once again a WNBA champion! Chelsea Gray won another ring as the Las Vegas Aces won their first title. In the process. Gray was named WNBA Finals MVP. She’s truly a special talent, and Sam and Donald discuss just how great she was for the Aces in the postseason. We end with Sam giving us a couple of favorite memories from his Paris travels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ACC released it full conference schedule this week and you can bet that the DBR Podcast gang spent a good bit of time pouring over the sked to see who got a break and who got a tough assignment from the scheduling gods. The analysis, of course, begins with Duke's schedule. The podcast tells us about the biggest hurdles along the way (hint: the UNC to Miami turnaround is going to be really tough) and which games may be a bit more relaxing. There's also the matter of 3 ACC games in the month of December, something we have not seen very often in the past. After the break, the podcast turns its gaze to the rest of the conference. They see one team projected in the middle of the ACC pack who got a phenomenally easy ACC schedule. And no analysis of the conference schedule would be complete without a look at what UNC faces this coming season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Basketball Report Podcast turns to the Duke Football Report Podcast on this Episode 443! Duke Football won against Northwestern 31-23, and we are here to recap a game that came down to inches. With Jason out for this episode, Sam and Donald break down the key moments of the game as well as the key performances. There were some big plays on offense and defense that are the reason that Duke is 2-0 in the Elko Era. After the break, Mike Elko is reaching out to the student body in a really cool way to get them to come to football games: by giving them Duke Football jerseys with their names on the back. It’s a nice gesture to make the students feel like they’re a part of the foundation of the program. After that salute, we recap a really fun weekend in college football, with some huge upsets and one coach that is already out of a job. The DBR Podcast always wants to hear from our listeners! Drop us a line at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just days ago, the DBR Podcast took a deep dive on a kid named TJ Power, telling you all about how the 6-8 PF exploded on the scene this summer and drew the attention of Coach Scheyer. Well, just hours ago TJ Power announced to the world that he is picking Duke and will be the latest member of the top-rated duke class of 2023. Having already told you a lot about him on our last episode, the podcast crew brought in a special guest to give them the lowdown on TJ... none other than Leo Papile, TJ's summer EYBL coach and one of the true legends in the grassroots basketball world. Coach Papile tells us all about the work ethic and character that has made TJ Power one of his favorite players. It is an episode you won't want to miss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Duke Basketball Report Podcast, we start with Dariq Whitehead, who is expected to be one of Duke's best players this season, and who unfortunately went down with a broken foot last week. While we try to ward off the evil spirits that seem to haunt Duke Basketball players' lower extremities, we also try to find the silver lining in this news. Whitehead likely won't miss more than one or two conference games, and with the whole ACC season available for Whitehead to learn the offense better, he should be in great shape by February and March. Further, this forces Jon Scheyer to be a bit more creative with the rest of the lineup. We can't even fully agree on whose playing time might be most positively affected by the news. After a quick discussion on Class of 2023 forward TJ Power and his potential pending commitment to Duke or one of its rivals, we get to the surprisingly strong result on the football field from Friday night, when Duke beat Temple 30-0 in front of an opening night crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mike Elko appears to have brought a few defensive tricks to Durham, and Riley Leonard had an awesome night in his first start, completing his first 15 pass attempts and leading the team on multiple impressive scoring drives. Stay in touch with us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will be back soon with another fun interview from the national college basketball media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DBR Podcast got news late in the day about the injury suffered by Dariq Whitehead. What a bummer. The guys will have plenty to say about it on their next podcast, but this episode is the moment we change our name to the DFR because we are previewing the upcoming season for Mike Elko's Duke Football team. Author and journalist Jim Sumner has been attending pre-season football practices and he joins the podcast crew to talk about what he has seen and what we can expect from year one of the Elko era. Plus, after the break, we take a look at the disgusting racist incident that happened to the Duke volleyball team when they played at BYU. We are so proud of the way Duke's young athletes handled themselves in what was a terrible situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DBR Podcast is back with Episode 439, and it’s filled with some discussion about some news topics that affect Duke and the ACC. First, we broach the subject of changes that we’d like to see implemented in the new era of Duke Basketball with Jon Scheyer as head coach. Donald, Jason, and Sam take time to highlight four changes that they hope Jon Scheyer will do as head coach, from non-conference scheduling to taking more 3 pointers. They also discuss ensuring the program has more open door policy and utilizes a deeper bench during games. After the break, there are some newsworthy topics involving Duke and the ACC. Jordyn Donovan committed to Duke Women’s Basketball, and it’s a big deal. Jon Scheyer, Rachel Baker, and Zach Maurides all made The Athletic’s Top 40 Under 40 for college athletics. And you don’t want to miss what they have to say on what the Big Ten’s astronomical TV deal could mean for Duke and the rest of the ACC We always love hearing from our listeners, so drop us a line at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have listened to the Duke Basketball Report podcast team's previews of Duke games, you have heard them talk about the advanced metrics built by basketball stats guru Ken Pomeroy. So, you can probably imagine the team was geeking out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of our listeners sent in some great questions, so Jason, Sam, and Donald discuss some of those topics on Episode 437! The DBR Podcast community is always great at sending in questions that make us think, so we took a few of them to start off this show. We debate which Duke Blue Devils team we would trust to win us $1 million in a bet by running the table in the NCAA Tournament as well as some of the Duke transfers that we wish had stuck around. You’ll definitely want to hear which transfers we really missed! Finally, we answer a question about how Jon Scheyer will coach the team when times get tough. After the break, the SEC commissioner has some thoughts about how to expand the NCAA Tournament field. The guys debate whether expansion is a good idea or even needed, with a few proposals of our own. We end the show by reading a great letter about Coach K’s interaction with a dentist that’s a UNC fan and paying tribute to the great Pete Carril, who passed away Monday. The DBR Podcast will be back later this week with one of its best guests ever! You better mash on that subscribe button to make sure you don’t miss out on what will be an incredible interview! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week has been light on Duke Basketball news, so Jason is here to bring Donald, Sam, and all of you a little game. We are predicting some potentially unlikely outcomes for the 2022-2023 season under new head coach Jon Scheyer. First up, will new veteran Ryan Young score more than freshman phenom Dereck Lively II? Lively comes in with elite grades on defense and athleticism, not to mention incredible length, but Young is a powerful and experienced college big man. Next, will Tyrese Proctor be starting for Duke from Day 1? He's showing up later than the rest of the team this summer, but by all accounts, he could be one of the five most ACC-ready players on the team. Another fun one about the starting lineup, will Mark Mitchell ever start over Kyle Filipowski? After the break, will Jeremy Roach not lead the team in assists? He is the point guard, but we know he's a scorer at heart. And finally, will any the guys we expect to come back next season ultimately decide to transfer? Jason seems more optimistic than Donald and Sam. We leave it with birthday wishes from one special Duke fan to another. Stay in touch with us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com and we will be back again as soon as there is news! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a DBR Podcast episode of firsts: first time we've had an Australian on the show, that's former Blue Devil and now Denver Nugget Jack White, and first time Sam has done this thing solo. Jack goes deep on coming back to the States after a couple of years in Australia and his experience on the Australian national team ("the Boomers"). He is on a two-way contract but the Nuggets seem excited to use him. He also reflects on how cool it was to play for Melbourne in the NBL before his shot with the NBA. Regarding his time at Duke, Jack is one of the rare players to join a high-profile team and stick around for four years as an energy guy off the bench, so he has some rare insight about what that decision meant to him. We should be back soon to discuss the latest practice footage, and as always, email the podcast at dbrpodcast at gmail.com with all of your thoughts and questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first summer scrimmage video is here for the Duke Blue Devils, and despite the fact it’s only 6.5 minutes long, we have to spend 4 times as long discussing it on Episode 434! Duke fans got their first glimpse at how the new team might play this season, and we love overanalyzing these videos. So, Donald, Jason, and Sam do just that, beginning with Jeremy Roach and the guards and moving onto the big men and the incoming freshmen. Some players look incredibly smooth on the court, and of course some players didn’t look as sharp. We speculate as to what it means for the team as they progress through the summer. After the break, Duke and the Arizona Wildcats are playing a home-and-home series beginning in 2023, and we’re excited at Duke adding a big-time opponent to their non-conference schedule. Though, Jason will also bring back memories of when Duke got robbed of a victory in Tucson by the referees back in the early 1990s. Finally, the NBA Summer League just wrapped, and we recap some of the performances of some of The Brotherhood, especially Jack White, who earned a 2-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. We’re ecstatic that he will be getting some NBA time this year, and we discuss some of the rookies and how they did in the Summer League. We end with a member of The Brotherhood who is destroying opponents at the FIBA Asia Cup. Make sure you send some topics of discussion and questions to the pod at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE HOT TOPIC in college sports these days is the future of the conferences. Will the SEC and Big Ten raid the ACC and cause the conference to fall apart? Will the ACC merge with the Big 12 or Pac 12 in an effort to stay relevant? And where does Duke fit (or not fit) in all this realignment talk? The DBR Podcast guys break it all down in one of their longest episodes of the year. They go over the most likely scenarios for Duke and debate the pluses and minuses of each of them. Then, after the break, the podcast crew talks about words of wisdom. From an inspiring speech by Kara Lawson to a pair of Duke legends chatting about their time in Durham to a conversation with Jon Scheyer about how his first summer as head coach is going, the DBR is here to tell you about what (other than this podcast) you should be listening to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know, we know, these are crazy times in college sports. But maybe, amid all the tensions and uncertainty of conference realignment, what we really need at a time like this is some good old fashioned funny sibling rivalry. Toward that end, the DBR Podcast sat down with the Kelly boys. Ryan and Sean Kelly are among a select few brothers in college basketball history to win each win a national title and boy do they have a lot of great stories to tell. From Ryan's amazing 36-point return from injury game against Miami to Sean's one and only field goal attempt in his college career we get all the inside info on how each brother experienced Duke basketball. Sean tells us about his time as a manager for the team and those insane sprints to the locker room while Ryan reflects on his former teammate, Jon Scheyer, who is about to embark on his first season as Duke's head coach. It is one of the most interesting interviews we've ever done on the DBR podcast and we know you will enjoy it. Oh, and Sean mentions that he is running in the NYC Marathon later this year to raise funds for the Jimmy V Foundation and its battle against cancer. Sean says he is running to honor Coach K's final season. He is asking all Duke fans to support this worthy cause by visiting his Jimmy V fundraising website at: https://vfoundation.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=3446 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans of Duke Blue Devils Men’s Basketball and Football have a lot of schedule information to dissect, and the DBR Podcast crew discusses it all on Episode 431! Through the grapevine, we now know most of the Men’s Basketball schedule, so the crew gets into the non-conference schedule as well as the teams Duke will face twice in ACC play. There are a couple of key dates that should be circled on the calendar, as the non-conference slate is a pretty decent one for Jon Scheyer’s first season as head coach. After the break, the ACC has done away with divisions in football, and a new schedule format will be in place beginning in 2023. We discuss Duke Football getting Tobacco Road as permanent, annual opponents and how it sets up where Duke will rarely have to leave the state of North Carolina to play football each season. It leads into new head coach Mike Elko’s successes on the recruiting trail, which is generating a lot of renewed excitement about the program. We end with some thoughts on Theo John and Jack White signing Summer League deals as well as travel spiritually to Donald’s birthplace, home of a highly touted basketball player who has decided to return to find his basketball mojo. And finally, we have a couple of outtakes you won’t want to miss! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five, count 'em, five Dukies heard their names called on Thursday night at the NBA Draft. It is a record number for Duke and included Paolo Banchero becoming the record 5th Dukie to be picked #1 overall by the NBA. The DBR Podcast gang has plenty to say about who got taken where and how each of our Duke heroes fit with their new teams. One intriguing aspect of all this is the number of new Dukies who will be joining older Dukies already on NBA rosters, including at least 2 guys who figure to be battling each other for playing time and perhaps a starting job. Plus, the podcast crew does a deep dive into perhaps the most controversial aspect of the evening, the blinged-out suits and tuxedos being worn in the NBA green room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NBA Draft is this week, and we conclude our preview of the 5 Duke Blue Devils whose names we expect to be called on Episode 429! We welcome back the Czar of the Bilastrator, Jay Bilas, to discuss both Wendell Moore and Trevor Keels, from what they accomplished in college to how they can have long pro careers. Of course, we talk about their strengths and deficiencies as well as how their game will translate to the NBA level. Donald and Jason react to Jay’s comments on both players and give their predictions on where each player will be drafted on Thursday. We were also able to ask Jay about his thoughts on Duke’s addition of Jacob Grandison and what he adds to what could be a Top 5 team. We also get his thoughts on the general discussion of Duke jersey retirement criteria and how Hall of Honor and jersey retirement discussions might unfairly focus on outside accolades. We will definitely speak more on it during a future episode, but let us know your thoughts at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! We also speak quickly on Joey Baker’s decision to transfer to play for the Michigan Wolverines this upcoming season and where he could fit into a team that could push to be one of the better teams in the country. It’s a longer episode, but with Jay Bilas, you know it’s an incredible discussion that will kick off your week well! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time for a deep dive into what Duke's newest recruit, "old man" Jacob Grandison means for the 2022-23 Blue Devils. The DBR Podcast crew has plenty to say about how his experience, defensive leadership, and shooting will impact all those freshmen surrounding him. You will really love some of the cool stats the podcast guys found to back up their assertion that Grandison is the perfect missing piece to the puzzle being constructed by Jon Scheyer. Plus, the podcast guys continue their look at the NBA prospects of the five Blue Devils who are in the NBA Draft this year. This time, they sit down with ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jay Bilas to talk about Mark Williams, the shot-blocker extraordinaire who could end up being much more than just a rim protector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was supposed to be a quiet few days for the DBR Podcast crew. The guys were all set to do a few NBA draft preview episodes and just enjoy the early days of summer... and then Jon Scheyer went out and did it again. The new Duke coach landed another huge piece for the 2022-23 Blue Devils bringing in transfer wing Jacob Grandison, formerly of the Fighting Illini. The podcast guys plan to do a deep dive into what Jacob means for next year's team in coming days but they do have a few initial thoughts on this weekend edition of the pod. Plus, they continue their journey through the Dukes in the NBA draft by sitting down with ESPN's Jay Bilas to talk about AJ Griffin's draft stock and how his college success could translate at the next level. And they wrap it all up with a listener question -- which Duke games from history must a new Duke fan see to be educated about the history of the team? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back with Episode 426 of the DBR Podcast, and we begin a 5-part series on each of the Duke Blue Devils that hope to hear their names called in this month’s NBA Draft. For that, we call in Friend of the Podcast and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas to begin our series with Paolo Banchero! However, before we start on the series, we discuss the news yesterday of the hiring of Rachel Baker, who will serve in a new role as General Manger of Duke Men’s Basketball. We discuss the role and how Baker will help the entire program set itself up to be a leader in the arena of NIL opportunities. It also helps the program to adapt to the times quickly as we move into a new era of college basketball. After the break, Bilas joins us to discuss Paolo Banchero. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of his game, why he’s so highly regarded as one of the top 3 prospects in the draft, and what he improved on in college to give him this opportunity to be a star at the next level. While we are fairly confident that Banchero will end up with the Houston Rockets as the 3rd pick in the draft, we do a bit of Over/Under on his draft slot to close out the show. We will be back this weekend with the second player in our NBA Draft preview series, which will be A.J. Griffin. Until then, definitely let us know your thoughts at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of course, we come out with an episode after a 2-week break, and more news comes that we gotta jump back on and talk about! Tyrese Proctor, a 6’4” guard from Australia, decided to reclassify to the Class of 2022 and play for the Duke Blue Devils this upcoming season, and we discuss it quickly on Episode 425! Proctor’s reclassification gives him a guaranteed year in Durham, as he will be eligible to enter the 2023 NBA Draft. Donald, Jason, and Sam discuss how Proctor will fit next to returning point guard Jeremy Roach and the rest of the starting lineup. The discussion includes whether it precludes head coach Jon Scheyer from going after someone in the transfer portal to bring in that veteran experience. Either way, we now have an exciting Duke team that could contend for a national title this upcoming season. The news will likely keep coming, so stay tuned to your feeds and let us know what you think of Proctor coming to Duke early! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a bit of a long layoff for the Duke Basketball Report Podcast, owing in equal parts to the lack of Duke Basketball news and the relative inaccessibility of your hosts. Today, however, we are back, with the NBA draft removal deadline having passed. We start, then, with the news that Trevor Keels is remaining in the draft, so he will definitely not be returning to Duke and Durham in the fall for his sophomore season. AJ Green, former Northern Iowa guard who visited Duke a few weeks ago, and who was presumed as the main backup option for Jon Scheyer should Keels remain in the draft, has also decided to leave his name in the draft list. We dive into Duke's options on the wing, mostly via the transfer portal, with some focus on exactly what kind of player Scheyer is looking for. After the break, we answer a listener question about social media. Our official take is that you, dear listener, should refrain from destructively negative or otherwise outrageous behavior online, even if the subject of your ire cannot see or hear you. We also review the performances of some of Duke's 2023 recruits on the summer circuit. Stay in touch with us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will be back again soon to recap recruiting and NBA news, as well as anything else that comes up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It came as a shock on Wednesday when it was announced that Joey Baker had entered the transfer portal and would be looking elsewhere for his final year of college basketball. Just weeks ago, Joey had confirmed to the world that he planned to finish his career as a Blue Devil. So, what made him change his mind? The DBR Podcast gang have a few theories, one of which is that Duke appears to be homing in on a big time transfer who could play big minutes on the wing next season. That transfer is sharpshooting AJ Green, the reigning Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year from Northern Iowa. He is taking a visit to Duke right now. The Podcast crew also looks at the 5 Dukies currently at the NBA combine, trying to read any tea leaves about what the NBA is thinking about each of these guys, especially Trevor Keels, who has a big decision on the NBA Draft to make in the next week or two. And the guys wrap things up with a brief conversation about Coach K's big salary that was just reported this week. If anyone is worth $12+ million as a coach, it is the GOAT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald, Jason, and Sam dive into the mailbag for some questions to ponder about the future of Duke basketball. Up first, a question about how Jon Scheyer will be different from Coach K. The DBR Podcast gang also dive into some rival teams and answer the question, "which team in college basketball would you hate to be a fan of?" The guys also discuss which Dukie from history would you count on to get a bucket, grab a rebound, make 2 FTs, and other key aspects of winning a game. This episode of the podcast has a little bit of everything and even includes a bit of a movie review at the end as Jason Evans tells us about a film he recently saw that may be one of the best sequels in Hollywood history! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, we are drafting one-and-done teams from Duke history, and we have a special guest to help evaluate our picks. That guest is Mitch Davis, one of the winners of the DBR bracket challenge this year. Mitch won that crown by picking Kansas over Duke in the championship game, and he comes armed with great Duke Basketball and other college basketball stories that you won't want to miss. The eligible players for this draft are guys who went to Duke for one freshman season and then declared for the NBA draft. Here are the picks! Sam Zion Williamson Jahlil Okafor Jayson Tatum Gary Trent, Jr. Cam Reddish Corey Maggette Austin Rivers Jason Kyrie Irving RJ Barrett Brandon Ingram Justise Winslow Wendell Carter, Jr. Vernon Carey, Jr. Cassius Stanley Donald Marvin Bagley III Tyus Jones Paolo Banchero Luol Deng AJ Griffin Jabari Parker Trevon Duval Email us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com or post on the forums to let us know you think won the draft, and we will be back again soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, we're breaking down two new members of the Duke Basketball family: assistant coach Jai Lucas, who joins Duke from a similar role at Kentucky, and senior transfer Ryan Young, who comes to Duke from Chris Collins and Northwestern. Lucas is the big headline for us, though, as Duke has added an assistant without any Duke ties for the first time in almost 30 years. Lucas brings playing success, coaching success, and an impressive pedigree to Durham, where his father John Lucas II, Maryland and NBA legend, once upon a time played high school basketball. Lucas is taking Nolan Smith's spot on the bench, and he brings plenty of recruiting chops to the role. We are all excited to see all the things that Lucas will bring to the program, as an outsider with a great resume. Young, meanwhile, will be a backup big man for Duke, or so we think. His role on the 2023 team should primarily be spelling Dereck Lively II, not to mention his enormous role in the practice, preparing Lively for big-time college basketball. Given the extra year of eligibility for student-athletes who were in school in 2020, Young could be at Duke for two years. We'll be back soon for our Duke one-and-done draft, and of course as more offseason news trickles in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a new Dukie in town and his name is Kale Catchings. While not the impact player that some folks are eager to get out of the transfer portal, there is a lot to like about what this former Harvard player brings to Durham. The DBR Podcast crew is here to break it down and also look at some of the other names to watch out for as Coach Scheyer looks to use the transfer portal to fill out the 2022-23 Blue Devil roster. After a quick break, the podcast guys also reflect back on the career of AJ Griffin, the last of the Dukies to declare for the NBA draft, and they take another peek at the NBNA playoffs to discuss the burning question -- who has been better in the 2022 post-season, Jayson Tatum or Brandon Ingram? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils have had some more players decide to head to the NBA Draft, and we discuss it on Episode 418. But first, we discuss the announcement that Jeremy Roach will return to Duke for his junior season. We’re very excited at Roach returning to be a leader on the court and provide that veteran presence that a young team will need. We also discuss the departures of Trevor Keels and Wendell Moore to the NBA Draft. Keels’ announcement had more intrigue given the talk that he was considering a return to Durham, and that could still happen, as we explain. We also discuss some of the transfer portal rumors that are out there now that we know that Keels is entering his name in the Draft. We also get into a reader’s question about the underrated season of Vernon Carey, Jr., and Duke has its first basketball opponent in the Jon Scheyer era...and it’s Jacksonville University. We touch on those topics to end our show. Continue to send us the great emails you’ve been sending to DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DBR Podcast gang pays tribute to the great 2021-22 Dukies who have ended their time in Durham and are now headed into the NBA Draft. First of all, the guys debate where Paolo Banchero stands in the ranks of the all-time great Duke one-and-done players and then they talk a bit about Mark Williams compared to the great defensive centers ever at Duke. The conversation then shifts to a couple guys who think may be back in Durham next year, Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels, and we look at bit at how Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities could affect Jeremy and Trevor's decisions. After the commercial break, Jason, Sam, and Donald spend a few moments chatting about the departure of Michael Savarino and then they turn their attention to Dukies in the NBA playoffs where Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram are making major waves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The off-season means roster construction and the DBR Podcast crew is here to chat about the latest moves that will make up the 2022-23 Duke Blue Devils. They start with this week's announcement that Joey Baker is coming back to Durham for his "super senior" 5th year in the program. Though there was a lot of speculation that Joey would not play for Duke next season, the podcast guys are very excited at what his three-point stroke and leadership bring to next year's team. And while we await NBA Draft vs. Durham decisions from several other Blue Devils, the podcast discusses a frequent question from fans -- why does UNC seem to bring guys back to school while Duke keeps on losing players to the draft? Additionally, this weekend edition of the pod dives into the announcement that Amile Jefferson will be elevated to a full assistant coach next season and they conclude with a discussion about the Duke Basketball Banquet, which means gushing over Coach K's newest addition to the family, a gorgeous silver lab puppy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, we're giddy over Duke's two most recent commitments, a pair of juniors in the 2023 class, who both declared for Duke late last week. First, we dive into Tyrese Proctor, an Australian who will play on the wing for Duke. Proctor should be an impact player from the start in Durham, given his ranking and his ability to score. Then, we talk about Mackenzie Mgbako, who could become the top pick in the 2024 draft if things go his way. Mgbako is a big, long scorer, and Jason is excited to compare him to another scoring forward who left Duke a few years ago, Jayson Tatum. We don't want to put too much on Mgbako's enormous shoulders, but we think he can handle it. After the break, we dive into the potential permutations of the 2022-2022 roster, including questions about the NBA futures of Wendell Moore, Trevor Keels, and Jeremy Roach. With point guard Caleb Foster considering reclassifying to join Duke this fall, speculation about Roach doesn't seem to lean one way or another, but we sort of hope that he will decide to return. We finish with a few words of appreciation for Mike Schrage, new Duke special assistant to the head coach. Schrage is something of a breath of fresh air for Jon Scheyer's roster and staff, having been away from the Duke program for about 15 years. Don't forget to stay in touch with us, and we will talk to you again soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the Duke season is over, we get to find out the winner of the Stats Game on Episode 414! Jason, Donald, and Sam are back together to go through the results of the Stats Game, beginning with a quick discussion on a technicality. We then get into the different categories, from points per game to number of players to lead the team in scoring to number of 10-5-5 games for Wendell Moore. Jason is the defending champion of the Stats Game...will he defend his title this year, or did Sam or Donald have enough points to take the crown? Gotta listen to find out! After the break, we discuss the incredible Coach K tribute video that the NCAA put out during the Final Four. It’s 10 minutes of just absolute incredible moments that will definitely make you tear up. It leads to the crew talking about their personal Coach K moments. If you have your own Coach K personal memories, send them to us at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The national championship was played last night, but the first topic on this edition of the Duke Basketball Report Podcast is the expected departure of Nolan Smith to become the lead assistant coach at Louisville. We are so sad to see Nolan leave, but we also understand why he is making this move. The DBR Podcast has some "inside" knowledge of what led Nolan to make this choice and there is a lot of logic behind it. Plus, the podcast gang dives into the national championship game between Kansas and UNC. And while the guys have plenty of praise for the effort it took for UNC to get here, they also have at least a little bit of pleasure in reporting on the UNC choke job that included being the first team in history to blow a 15 point halftime lead. Finally, after a break, the guys look to Duke's future with a report on the McDonald's All-Star game, featuring three future Dukies. The future so bright... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2021-2022 season is over for the Duke Blue Devils, as it ends at the Final Four with a 81-77 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. We react to the game on Episode 412. Jason and Sam were in the building in New Orleans, while Donald endured a 15-hour flight from Qatar to get back to DC in time to watch with friends. Donald hosts as Jason and Sam, live from a coffee shop in Mobile, describes the scene at the Caesars Superdome. We get to the headlines, starting with some of the cool ones that were submitted from listeners. After that, we get into the good from the game. Duke dominated on offense inside the paint, and they had world class showings from Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels. They also took care of the basketball with their lowest number of turnovers on the season. After the break, we get into the bad, which included free throws, the luck factor, and even some comments on foul calls that happened for both teams. We end with a special shoutout to everyone who has listened to us this season and beyond. We have TONS of content on deck for the coming days and weeks, from just properly considering Coach K’s legacy, the transition to the Scheyer Era, the recap of the Stats Game, the final episodes of Return to Glory, who’s departing Durham for the NBA Draft or the transfer portal, and the new Blue Devils who are coming into the Brotherhood. If you want to compile your thoughts on any of these topics, send them to DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With less than 48 hours to go until the huge game with the Tar Heels, the Duke Basketball Report Podcast ventures into enemy territory. We invite on Al Hood from the SB Nation website Tar Heel Blog to tell us what the Carolina community is saying about playing Duke in the Final Four. Al has some surprising notions about what Carolina needs to do to compete with Duke and even gives us his somewhat surprising prediction for the game. Then, after a commercial break, DBR Podcast host Jason Evans has some insight into how the NCAA is rigging the secondary ticket markets for the Final Four, ensuring that they remain in control of the best seats for as long as possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, the crew are all back together to do our official game preview for Duke's Final Four matchup against UNC in New Orleans on Saturday. Before we get into it, though, Jason and Sam have to talk a bit about their travel plans for this weekend. Duke and UNC are more similar in team makeup than our respective fanbases may care to admit, and we're here to break down all of the metrics. UNC's tournament run has featured a short rotation, much stronger defense, and better attention to detail. We have a few different ideas on how Duke can exploit UNC's limited weaknesses. After the break, we open the mailbag to share some perspectives and questions from the listeners, who have come through enormously this week and throughout the tournament with ideas. You, too, can have your questions featured on the show by emailing us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com. Look out for Jason and Sam at the Superdome on Saturday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The moment the Duke Basketball Report Podcast crew realized that Duke would be facing their hated rivals from down the road in the Final Four, the guys knew they had to talk to Jay Bilas about it. Jay watches as much ACC hoops as anyone and has a close relationship with the players and coaches on both sides. Plus, he has one of the best analytical minds around when it comes to college hoops. Listen in as Jay breaks down what Duke and UNC are doing today that they were not doing just a few weeks ago. He gives us his appraisal of the two teams and we even convince him to make a pick of which team he thinks will win the game. Jay also spends some time talking about his own time at Duke, which included a trip to the Final Four in 1986. And if you are worried that this will be the only preview of the Duke-UNC game from the DBR Podcast, think again! There will be another episode in the next 24 hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They did it! The Blue Devils made it to the Final Four as their offense again proved to be more than enough to foil one of the best defenses in the nation. DBR Podcast hosts Jason, Sam, and Donald got together just moments after the game ended to discus how Duke dismantled Arkansas 78-69. The podcast crew has plenty of praise for Duke's big men and for some clutch shooting from the Duke guards. And the guys also reflect on how unlikely and amazing it is that the team is doing this in Coach K's final season at the helm. And, before they sign off, the podcast crew spends some time talking about what comes next. We may not know yet who Duke will be playing, but it sure looks like it could be Duke and UNC in the Final Four, a matchup that is both exciting and terrifying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wowowowowow! The Blue Devils win a nail-biter against Texas Tech and the DBR Podcast gang jump on line to give their immediate reaction. The story of the game was Jeremy Roach's amazing drives into the lane, something that was supposed to be impossible to do against Tech... either that or the story was Paolo Banchero raining threes down on the Red Raiders and showing more offensive versatility than we have seen from him all year... or it was Mark Williams patrolling the paint and forcing Texas Tech into a poor shooting performance because they were just plain afraid to go into the lane with Mark on patrol. Actually, the story is none of those, it is Coach K's career lasting at least one more contest as he finds his team on the verge of yet another Final Four. And the podcast guys take a few moments to preview that Elite 8 game that will determine who gets to go to New Orleans, Duke or Arkansas. As they always do, the podcast guys have some key things to look out for in the next big game for the Blue Devils. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After hours of research and video study, the DBR Podcast crew is ready to give you all you need to know about Duke's Sweet 16 opponent, Texas Tech. And it all starts with their vaunted "No Middle" defense, a scheme that has allowed the Red Raiders to post the best defensive efficiency ratings in all of college basketball. Jason, Sam, and Donald tell you what Duke needs to do to succeed against it and what traps Duke could fall into they aren't careful. Then, after a break, the podcast gang looks at the rest of the bracket. They complain a bit about the refs and marvel at how Donald's picks have made him among the top 1% of all brackets on ESPN Tournament Challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a thrilling opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, Duke and Michigan State delivered another classic matchup between longtime rivals Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo. The DBR Podcast is back to tell you how Coach K pulled off another win over the Spartans, this time an 85-76 victory in Greenville that allows Duke to advance to a Sweet Sixteen matchup against Texas Tech on Thursday night. We continue to get a ton of great headlines from the listeners, so we have to share those and our own creative musings, many of which referenced Jeremy Roach. The point guard had another stellar game, which has become something of a trend for him late in the season. We also need to talk about huge performances from Mark Williams and Trevor Keels, particularly in light of the late injury to AJ Griffin, who sat out down the stretch as Duke held off a late MSU run. In the bad, we dig into the team's continued reliance on one-on-one matchups on offense, and Michigan State's success getting open three-point baskets, particularly in the second half as MSU retook the lead. We have Player of the Week picks for this week's contests against MSU and Fullerton. We will be back later this week for a full preview of Texas Tech, as well as in-depth reactions to the whole of the bracket. Until then, stay in touch at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will talk to you very soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NCAA Tournament has begun, and the Duke Blue Devils got off to a good start with a victory over Cal State Fullerton. The DBR Podcast crew is here to recap that game on Episode 404! Survive and Advance is the name of the game in the Big Dance, and the Blue Devils were able to make easy work of the Titans. We review the headlines, the good, and the things that could have been better. Notable performances by Jeremy Roach and Mark Williams lead the way, along with noting the shooting struggles of Trevor Keels and AJ Griffin. After the break, we preview the 2nd round matchup for the Blue Devils, another date with Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. Donald begins by highlighting what to expect from any Izzo-led team: physicality, hustle, hard work, and rebounding. Jason hits the advanced metrics, and Sam keys in on a few players of note. We end by discussing all that’s happened in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament, with quick notes on the newest recruit, Jared McClain, committing as the game tipped off last night! We will be back after the 2nd Round game Sunday night to recap it all. In the meantime, send questions and comments to DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The DBR Podcast gang has spent the last 24 hours pouring over brackets and advanced metrics to bring you a Duke-centric look at the NCAA field. They guys start with a deep dive into Cal State-Fullerton, Duke's first round opponent. They have a very experienced roster but not many guys who have competed with teams loaded with NBA talent like Duke. After that, the podcast spends some time analyzing the rest of the West region, including several interesting notes about the team's in Duke's path -- Davidson, Michigan St., and Texas Tech. The podcast then expands things a bit further, looking at the other regions and wrapping it all up with our Final Four and National Championship picks. This is the DUKE Basketball Report podcast so you can probably guess who we expect to win the national title. Oh, and be sure to stick around at the end to find out what disease-filled food Sam was munching on while we recorded. Don't forget that the podcast guys want to hear from you. Email them at DBRPodcast at gmail-dot-com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, we break down Duke's performance in the ACC tournament, where the Blue Devils lost in the final to Virginia Tech, and Duke's placement in the NCAA tournament, where they are the #2 seed in Gonzaga's West region. We start with the bracket. Duke begins its quest for a sixth national championship against Cal State Fullerton on Friday in Greenville, and should Duke get by Fullerton, the winner of Michigan State and Davidson awaits. We're excited and a bit relieved about Duke's path, although we plan to get into much more detail about the tournament in a future episode this week. After the break, we dive into Duke's performances from Brooklyn, including wins over Syracuse and Miami and the loss to the Hokies. We let the emails guide us here, with a particularly deep discussion about leadership and defense, both of which were lacking on Saturday. Our player of the week picks reflect the underwhelming nature of Duke's play in the ACC tournament. Stay in touch with us this week as the tournament unfolds at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will back very soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices