The Devil's Den: A Duke Athletics Podcast

Josh and Dustin react to Duke's 86-78 win over Notre Dame. Topics include: Cooper Flagg's record-setting 42-point performance Duke's 14-0 start Notre Dame's barrage of 1st half threes Duke's defensive struggles against Notre Dame's spread offense The 15-1 run by Notre Dame that made this game close late The impact of Maliq Brown's absence Lack of production from the bench over the last few games The value of being tested by close games Then they briefly preview Miami and talk a bit about how far the ACC has fallen since the glory days of Duke-Miami matchups. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul give their unfiltered thoughts immediately following Duke's 76-47 domination of the Pittsburgh Panthers in Cameron. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 89-62 domination of SMU on the road, which moved the Blue Devils to 4-0 in the ACC and got them a valuable Quad 1 victory for their resume. They asses how Duke was able to control the game despite the absence of head coach Jon Scheyer. Topics discussed include: Duke's hot offensive start Cooper Flagg's continued offensive improvements Khaman Maluach's defensive impact at the rim Tyrese Proctor's aggressiveness Sion James as the team's steadying presence Caleb Foster's strong game off the bench A (perhaps overly) lengthy discussion of Foster's best role going forward Mason Gillis's 2nd consecutive solid showing Then they turn their attention to the Pittsburgh game in Cameron. They talk about what makes Pitt the 2nd best team in the ACC and how Duke can slow their potent, guard-driven offense down. They also speculate about how much a desire for revenge will play a factor for Duke after Pitt beat them in Cameron last year in humiliating fashion. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 88-65 victory over Virginia Tech. Topics discussed include: Another slow start shooting the ball The consistent defensive effort and IQ up and down the roster Cooper Flagg's hyper-efficient performance Khaman Maluach's troubles catching the ball Tyrese Proctor's offensive aggression Isaiah Evans commitment to off-ball movement Caleb Foster's continued struggles The nine-man rotation that has emerged for Duke Then they look ahead to matchup with SMU, one of Duke's toughest road games left on the season. They talk keys to the game and players to watch out for. What can Duke expect in its first trip to Moody Coliseum? Lastly, they ring in the new year by sharing their favorite Duke basketball moments from 2024. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Raul and Dustin are joined by friend of the pod, Rick Heidrick, to dissect the season so far. Topics discussed include: Duke's two early season losses being part of the learning process The maturity and poise Duke showed in later wins vs. Auburn and Louisville The elite defense and evolving offense Duke's strong statistical indicators Then they turn their attention to Duke's dominating 82-56 road win over Georgia Tech. Topics covered include: The lull at the end of the 1st half after a strong start that allowed GT to cut the lead to five The response to start the 2nd half Khaman Maluach's increased playing time and impact Kon Knueppel's strong showing as a pick-and-roll ballhandler Whether Knueppel can solve Duke's question marks at point guard The value of Isaiah Evans' energy and shooting off the bench Caleb Foster's role going forward How Duke can generate more free throws and scoring at the rim Lastly, they look ahead to Virginia Tech before talking about various miscellaneous college basketball topics including UNC's struggles and the uncertainties of portal recruiting. You can follow Rick at rheidrick24 on Twitter. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 68-47 win over George Mason. They talk about the continued slow offensive starts and poor 3pt shooting. Are these trends cause for concern? They also discuss Isaiah Evans' impact off the bench and how big a role he can realistically have. Next, they run through their holiday wish list for the team and individual players. They pick skills they'd like to give to each starter as well as a global improvement they'd like to see the team make. They also award the team its "lump of coal" -- their biggest criticism or complaint about the team's performance to date. Lastly, they briefly preview Duke's second ACC game of the season, at Georgia Tech on Saturday. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Dustin react to Duke's 72-46 victory over Incarnate Word. Topics discussed include: Duke's sluggish offense that saw the team score 28 first half points against the #350 ranked defense The unexpectedly poor 3pt shooting from the team so far this season Isaiah Evans as a bright spot as a shooter Whether Evans needs more minutes and where those minutes would come from Khaman Maluach's big performance Patrick Ngongba's difficult start Mason Gillis as a steadying presence The impact of Maliq Brown's absence To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Dustin react to Duke's 76-65 road win over the Louisville Cardinals. Topics discussed include: The repeated slow starts that lead to Duke playing from behind Louisville's early hot shooting Possible ways to clarify Foster's role Isaiah Evans' quiet follow-up to his explosion versus Auburn Maliq Brown's ranking in best Duke defenders ever Whether Brown should start over Khaman Maluach Kon Knueppel as a creator The poise Duke showed during their 26-10 run to close the game Taking care of the ball in back to back games Where Duke ranks currently among the best teams in the country To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 84-78 win over #2 Auburn. They analyze what it means for Duke's season as a whole before dissecting the game in detail. Topics discussed include: Dustin's experience in Cameron for the game The change to Duke's starting lineup The 13-2 hole Duke found themselves in early Caleb Foster's offensive aggression off the bench Isaiah Evans' huge 1st half Maliq Brown's defensive impact Cooper Flagg's 2nd half offensive performance The cause of Khaman Maluach's struggles as of late Kon Knueppel's difficulty getting open looks versus good opponents Tyrese Proctor's timely 2nd half buckets Then they preview Duke's first ACC game of the season, at Louisville on Sunday. They talk about Louisville's improvements under new coach Pat Kelsey as well as the keys to a Duke victory. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 70-48 win over Seattle. They talk about the team's #1 rated defense and what's made it successful. Then they talk about the team's offensive struggles. Why is this team, with so much shooting and talent, rated only 23rd on offense? Why are they not drawing free throws? How can the team generate more rim pressure? Next, they turn their attention to an important matchup against Auburn. Can Duke take down the best team in the country (per all important metrics)? How much will homecourt advantage factor in? How does Duke's #1 defense match up against Auburn's #1 offense? Do they have the personnel to slow down Johni Broome? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Dustin react to Duke's 75-72 loss to Kansas in Las Vegas. Topics discussed include: Dustin's perspective from having been in the building live The slow start for Duke that had them down double digits Tyrese Proctor finding his ideal role in his junior season Needing more from Caleb Foster Lack of a point guard who can either set teammates up or create for himself The inability to capitalize on Hunter Dickinson's ejection Kon Knueppel's shooting struggles against high-end teams The success Duke found late with the Knueppel-Flagg pick and roll What went wrong on the final play Possible adjustments to the starting lineup and overall rotation Coach Scheyer can make How this loss positions Duke going forward To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul react to Duke's impressive 69-55 road win over Arizona. Topics discussed include: Duke's suffocating defense, now ranked #1 in the country How Duke was able to take away Arizona's offensive rebounding, rim scoring, and transition game Whether this was Cooper Flagg's best defensive performance Why Cooper Flagg's shooting splits are a poor way of evaluating his impact The differences in style of play on both ends when Maliq Brown is in the game versus Khaman Maluach Maluach's inability to stay on the court for long periods of time Defensive rebounding from the guards The tendency of the team to fall back on Flagg isolations against tough opponents Why the offense in this game was more encouraging than the Kentucky game Duke's ability to weather multiple Arizona runs Kon Knueppel's difficulty finishing in the lane Knueppel's passing up open threes in the first half but letting it fly in the second half Caleb Foster's shooting struggles and overall hesitancy How to generate more off-ball movement on Foster drives Tyrese Proctor's hot first halves, and why he seems to fade in the second half Whether Sion James would be a better choice as a starter over Foster Mason Gillis's disappointing lack of impact Then they talk about the Kansas matchup. What would a win mean for Duke going forward? What are some keys to getting that win? How does Duke handle Kansas's interior attack? Which frontcourt player will be the most effective at stopping Hunter Dickinson? Why may guard play actually decide the game? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 86-35 blowout win over Wofford. Topics discussed include: The debut of Patrick Ngongba What he can bring to the team going forward Improved backcourt play from Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor Proctor's 3pt shooting and off-ball movement Sion James's positive impact A return to high 3pt volume Cooper Flagg's struggles shooting from behind the arc Ways for the team to generate more free throw attempts Whether Isaiah Evans has earned more minutes Then they preview Friday's big matchup against Arizona. They talk about the most interesting player matchups, such as Tyrese Proctor vs. Caleb Foster and Khaman Maluach vs. Tobe Awaka. They discuss the key factors to a Duke win (defensive rebounding, 3pt shooting, and keeping Arizona off the free throw line). How confident are they heading into this matchup? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 77-72 loss to Kentucky in their first big test of the season. Topics discussed include: What Duke did right to have a 46-37 lead at halftime What went wrong in the 2nd half that led to Duke being outscored by 14 and shooting only 29% Defensive miscommunications The impact of the injuries to Sion James and Khaman Maluach Whether Duke should have played Isaiah Evans or Darren Harris to help offset the injuries Concerns about the play of the backcourt The need to maintain good offensive process even in close games What this loss means for Duke going forward The importance of this season for Coach Scheyer To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul recap Duke's win over Army. Topics discussed include: The cold 3pt shooting start Army's multiple defensive looks Cooper Flagg's cramping issues The sustainability of Kon Knueppel's scoring The unselfishness of Duke's elite recruits (particularly Flagg and Maluach) Khaman Maluach's touch and rebounding Tyrese Proctor's off-ball impact Duke's stifling 1st half defense The steadiness of Sion James Then they preview Duke's matchup against Kentucky, and discuss key factors to the game. Who will win the 3pt shooting battle? How does Duke guard Kentucky's transition attack? They also look at the history of the Duke-Kentucky rivalry and discuss what this game would mean as a measuring stick for Duke going forward. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by John Watson of thedevilsden.com to react to Duke's first official win of the season, a 96-62 victory over Maine. Topics discussed include: Cooper Flagg's passing Khaman Maluach's offensive improvements The collective understanding of spacing and shooting gravity The high IQ of the transfer portal players The soft spot in the middle of the defense that drop coverage leave, and how a player like Maliq Brown can offset that Concerns with the defensive rebounding and box out responsibilities Kon Knueppel's footwork on drives Sion James as a freight train in the lane How the end-of-bench freshmen will handle smaller roles than in high school Then they dive into recruiting news. They talk about the four commitments Duke has recently added to their 2025 class. They discuss possible additions still to come in the 2025 class, which is now ranked #1 overall, as well as some heavy Duke leans in 2026. They praise Jon Scheyer's adaptability to the changing landscape and assess how that will play out over next offseason. Who will return to Duke? Who will leave? What kind of contingency plans are in place? How much will high school recruiting be used to build rosters versus the portal? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul prepare you for the Duke Men's Basketball 2024-25 season with the longest The Devil's Den podcast episode ever released. In part one of the pod, they get together with Brian Geisinger, writer for 247Sports and cohost of the Buzz Beat podcast. They talk about what Brian has seen over the first couple exhibitions. Topics include: Screening actions for the teams multitude of shooters, especially Kon Knueppel How Duke is creating 5-out offense by having their bigs camp outside the 3pt line The value of Khaman's rim gravity in making this work Maliq Brown's defensive versatility The sustainability of the 3pt volume against better competition The need for dribble penetration, and the best candidates to provide that Whether Duke will be able play at a fast pace How many players Duke will be playing by the end of the season Biggest story lines Brian will be tracking The matchups Brian is most looking forward to Then in part two of the pod (timestamp - 1:10:59), Josh, Dustin, and Raul preview the season in more detail. They predict wins and losses, leaders in various stat categories, and make some over/under picks. They look at the schedule in detail and talk about the most difficult or exciting stretches. They also give their own story lines they'll be monitoring. You can find Brian Geisinger's work at: https://briangeisinger.substack.com/ or https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina-state/user/briangeisinger/. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's dominant 103-47 exhibition win over Arizona State in the Brotherhood Run. Topics include: Bobby Hurley's legacy Duke's defense in the 1st half Duke's efforts to involve Khaman Maluach early in the offense Maliq Brown's foul trouble The 2nd half three-point shooting barrage Screening actions being run for Kon Knueppel and Duke's other shooters Duke's improved ability to go on runs Caleb Foster's increased aggression and pace of play Mason Gillis as a high-level 3-and-D role player Khaman Maluach's rebounding and rim deterrence Duke's 3pt attempt rate The place of Darren Harris and Isaiah Evans in the rotation To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by friend of the pod Kaleb Hilliard to react to Duke's 107-56 exhibition win over Lincoln. Topics discussed include: Cooper Flagg's debut An unexpected starting lineup Some first half defensive issues that allowed Lincoln to stay close for 12 minutes The high volume of spot-up 3pt attempts The two-man game between Flagg and Kon Knueppel Knueppel's deceptive athleticism Tyrese Proctor's aggression Areas for improvement in Caleb Foster's approach Khaman Maluach's rebounding Maliq Brown's grit and defensive versatility To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul start the episode by reacting to the commitment of Cayden and Cameron Boozer to Duke. They talk about whether Miami was ever truly the favorite, plus what it means for Jon Scheyer to land legacy recruits. They also look at how the Boozers will impact next year's Duke team. Then they get into the episode proper, featuring special guest John Watson of thedevilsden.com. First they recap Dustin's experience at ACC Media Day. They listen to quotes from Jon Scheyer about 3pt shooting and Tyrese Proctor about the impact of Khaman Maluach. Then John Watson shares his experiences attending a Duke Men's Basketball practice. He gives his thoughts on the team's overall ceiling, and the roles of various players. Who was running point guard between Foster and Proctor? What is impressing people so much about Knueppel? How does Cooper impact the game regardless of how much he scores? After that, they touch base about various recruiting targets. Note: because this section of the podcast was recorded before the Boozers' commitment, their potential commitment is discussed in more hypothetical terms. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Countdown to Craziness – the kickoff to the 2024-25 Duke Men's Basketball season. Topics discussed include: Favorite player intros The new scrimmage format The aggressive play of Caleb Foster Tyrese Proctor's shooting struggles The battle for the third wing spot between Knueppel, James, Evans, and Harris Cooper Flagg's quiet productivity Khaman Maluach and Maliq Brown's role in a perimeter-focused offense Maluach's room for growth as a screen setter The need for the guards to recognize Maluach's presence as a rim protector The overall emphasis on spot-up 3pt shooting Starting lineup predictions To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham for a discussion on the national recruiting landscape as a whole and Duke recruiting specifically. Topics include: The impact of NIL and the transfer portal on the timing of player commitments How the top programs targeting smaller classes will impact the distribution of talent across college basketball Patterns in the type of players Coach Scheyer has chosen to recruit The freshman outside of Cooper Flagg likely to have the most impact at Duke Kon Knueppel's NBA draft stock and player comps Cooper Flagg's potential impact at Duke Flagg's best role on offense Which school leads in the recruitment of the Boozer twins Where Duke might pivot if they don't land the Boozers How long Cayden Boozer will likely stay in college Cam Boozer vs. Paolo Banchero The fit of other Duke recruits alongside the Boozers How to achieve greater roster stability in college basketball going forward The possibility of multiyear NIL contracts for players Travis Branham can be found on Twitter as @TravisBranham or on 247Sports at https://247sports.com/user/Travis%20Branham/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by Jordan Hofeditz of SMU Athletics and Jackson Moore of 247Sports to discuss the new additions to the ACC -- Cal, Stanford, and SMU. Jordan and Jackson give their perspective of what joining the ACC means to these teams. Topics discussed include: Recent coaching hires at all of these programs Strengths and weaknesses of incoming rosters Feelings about leaving previous conference The dissolution of a historic conference like the Pac-12 SMU's longtime struggles to find conference stability Loss of traditional rivalries Impact of travel schedules, particularly on non-revenue sports Potential new rivalries Venues Jordan and Jackson are most excited to see the teams they cover visit Impact of joining the ACC on athletic budgets and NIL funding Jordan Hofeditz can be found on Twitter @jhofeditz. Jackson Moore's writing about various West Coast programs can be found here: https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/user/JacksonMoore/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Pro Devils Weekend, which saw 20 Duke players return to campus. They break down the Duke Blue Planet footage from the weekend, which included Dereck Lively running post drills with Khaman Maluach, Coach Scheyer mic'd up for practice, and a 30-minute long team speech from Jay Bilas. They also talk about Cameron and Cayden Boozer visiting campus and where Duke stands with them from a recruiting perspective. Later, they get into some hypothetical questions inspired by DJ Steward's appearance on The Brotherhood podcast. Steward said he probably left school too early. Who are some other players who could have stayed, and how would their decision have impacted that next season's team? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Shoe, and Raul are joined by Josh Cox and Jamie Holt of the Section 17 Podcast. They discuss Duke Football's upcoming season before turning their attention back to basketball. Football topics discussed include: Duke Football's up-and-down 2023 season Where the victory over Clemson stacks up amongst the greatest wins in Duke Football history The Riley Leonard injury and its impact on the season Mike Elko's departure for Texas A&M Riley Leonard's transfer to Notre Dame as well as other offseason departures The Manny Diaz hire Maalik Murphy being named starting quarterback Expected changes to the Duke offense The impact of retaining strength and conditioning coach, David Feeley Biggest expected strengths and weaknesses of the team for the 2024 season Predicting the team's record Most anticipated games Basketball topics include: Assessing Duke's 2023-24 season Is the program making reasonable progress under Coach Scheyer? How does making the Elite Eight affect this assessment? The offseason transfers: which player hurt the most to lose? Expectations for the 2024-25 season How Jon Scheyer addressed the weaknesses of last year's team The hype around Kon Knueppel Asking highly ranked players to buy into a limited role Will the starting backcourt be productive enough? Cooper Flagg as offensive initiator Drafting current Duke Basketball players for the football team and vice versa The Section 17 Podcast can be followed @DukeFBTalk on Twitter and on their website, https://dukefootballtalk.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul speak with Jeff Goodman, College Basketball Analyst at The Field of 68, about all things Duke and college basketball. Topics discussed include: Assessing Duke's 2023-24 season relative to expectations Of the seven Duke players who entered the portal, who will be missed the most? Cooper Flagg's potential impact in 2025 The way Duke has built an experienced and versatile team around Flagg The buzz around Kon Knueppel Khaman Maluach's college readiness The ceiling of Duke's starting backcourt The pressure on Jon Scheyer for the 2024-25 season Conference realignment and the newest additions to the ACC Players who could win NPOY The CBB games Jeff is looking forward to the most The importance of tough scheduling The charm of downtown Charleston, SC To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by good friend Steven Shuffler for the second part of their 2014-15 season recap. In this episode, they focus on the NCAA Tournament with a brief pit stop at Duke's dominant win over NC State in the ACC Tournament. They break down each game of the tournament, focusing on standout players and plays, as well as the overall narrative of each game. Topics discussed include: The importance of role definition Justise Winslow's versatility Duke's ability to use multiple defensive schemes within the course of a game Wisconsin vs. Kentucky as a championship game opponent Grayson Allen's emergence Tyus Jones in the high ball screen Quinn Cook's banquet speech Lastly, they rank the 2015 team in the pantheon of Duke title teams and debate whether Duke will be able to break the championship drought this season. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul look back on the 2014-15 season to celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversary of Duke's last championship team. They each pick a game from the regular season that made them believe Duke could win a title. They discuss Duke's early road win at #2 Wisconsin, the come-from-behind victory against St. John's for Coach K's 1000th career win, and the win at then-undefeated Virginia. They break down each game in detail, discussing their favorite plays and moments as well as what each game said about the team. Lastly, they talk about Olympic Basketball and the reasons the US team had several close games in the exhibition period. They assess Coach K's dominance as the US coach and the factors that made it possible. (Note: this episode was recorded before the US's first official game against Serbia, so there's no discussion of Jayson Tatum's benching or any other developments since the exhibition against Germany.) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Steve Clark of thedevilsden.com to talk about his recent experiences attending Peach Jam and the Adidas 3SSB Championship. While there, Steve was able to watch and interview multiple high-level recruits, many of them on Duke's radar. Topics discussed include: Cameron Boozer vs. AJ Dybantsa Koa Peat as a passer Acaden Lewis's feel in the pick and roll Jalen Haralson's foul-drawing Nate Ament's growth as a prospect Shelton Henderson's friendship with Ament and their desire to play together The 2025 recruit Steve would most like to see Duke land Who is most likely to end up at Duke Other 2025 players to watch out for Then they turn their attention to 2026 where they discuss: Why Duke doesn't have any offers out to 2026 players yet Who is most likely to get a Duke offer soon How the portal and NIL have shifted Duke's recruiting philosophy The possible upside of having more avenues to add players each offseason The strength of the 2026 class compared to 2025, particularly at the top Some names to watch out for in 2026 (Brandon McKoy, Caleb Holt, Jordan Smith, etc) Lastly, they talk about the NBA buzz around Duke freshman Kon Knueppel. Steve relays what he's heard from multiple NBA scouts regarding Knueppel's game. You can read Steve's interviews and articles here: https://247sports.com/college/duke/user/steveclark/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by John Watson of thedevilsden.com as they sit down with Coach Jon Scheyer for the second consecutive offseason. Topics discussed include: Jayson Tatum's journey from Duke recruit to NBA champion The fickle nature of the NCAA Tournament How to define a successful season Having tough conversations with players in the offseason Building a competitive culture Evaluating players in the transfer portal on a short timeline Using analytics services like Big League Advantage What made each incoming transfer a good fit Scheyer's philosophy on pace of play The role of length and size in defensive versatility Striking a balance between forcing turnovers and playing smart defense The importance of shooting at every position Managing player expectations and media hype Duke being "disrespected" by opponents on their home floor The responsibility and excitement of coaching a talent like Cooper Flagg To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to an NBA draft that saw Jared McCain drafted 16th by the Philadelphia 76ers and Kyle Filipowski taken 32nd by the Utah Jazz. They discuss how they see each player fitting on their new team. Can Jared McCain play with Tyrese Maxey, or is that backcourt too small? How will McCain play off of Joel Embiid? How will Jazz coach Will Hardy utilize Filipowski, and how much playing time can he expect in a crowded frontcourt? What is Filipowski's longterm position? Then they turn their attention to the scrimmage video recently released by Duke's social media team, analyzing all six minutes of footage in way too much detail. Which players stood out? What were their favorite moments? What are the lingering questions? Lastly, they cover a few other pieces of news. They talk about Cooper Flagg being selected to Team USA's Select Team, and what it means that he was the only college player to receive that honor. They also give their thoughts on JJ Redick becoming the LA Lakers new coach. What are his chances of success there? Note: this episode was recorded before NBA free agency officially began. So certain relevant signings, like Paul George to the 76ers, were not mentioned. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Brian Geisinger of 247Sports and the Buzz Beat Podcast to do a deep dive on the NBA Draft. They focus on Duke's two potential 1st Round picks, Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski. They discuss best and worst team fits for each player as well as reasonable expectations for them at the NBA level. They wrap up by focusing on the draft as whole. Who will go #1? Who should go #1? And who should Charlotte, a team that Brian covers, pick at #6? Are there any under-the-radar players Brian likes later in the draft? How will the importance of drafting well change under the new salary cap rules? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are back from an extended break to react to the Celtics winning the NBA title. Jayson Tatum becomes just the eighth Duke player to win an NBA championship, leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists in the playoffs. What does this do for his legacy? Were the voters right to award Finals MVP to Jaylen Brown, or was Tatum snubbed? Will Tatum and the Celtics win more rings going forward? Where does this place Tatum in the pantheon of greatest Duke players in NBA history? They also talk about the future of the Mavericks, who likewise had Duke players filling prominent roles in Dereck Lively and Kyrie Irving. Was this just a one-off for them? What can they do to improve their roster to put them over the top? Then they debate who the next Duke player to be the face of a title-winning team will be. Who are the most realistic candidates? What do those players have to do -- and what do their front offices have to do -- to get there? Lastly, they react briefly to the player teaser videos released by Duke Men's Basketball's social media team this week. What, and who, stood out? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Dan Favale, NBA Staff Writer at Bleacher Report and host of the Hardwood Knocks podcast. They discuss various Duke players making a significant impact in the NBA. Topics include: The unfair criticism of Jayson Tatum from NBA fans and the media How a championship will alter that conversation Kyrie Irving's comfort level in Dallas Whether Dereck Lively is the perfect role-playing big man What Paolo Banchero needs to do to win MVP in his career How the Magic can build around Paolo to optimize him and the team Destinations for Tyus Jones after Washington Tre Jones's future with the Spurs Whether it's time for the Pelicans to break up the Zion Williamson-Brandon Ingram pairing New Orleans' need for a floor-raising point guard The inherent difficulties of building around Zion given his frequent injuries Grayson Allen's importance to Phoenix Rapid fire questions about RJ Barrett, Jalen Johnson, Wendell Carter, and others [Note: This episode was recorded before the Dallas Mavericks had closed out their series versus Minnesota to advance to the Finals.] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that Duke's full roster is set, Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by Brian Geisinger of 247Sports to discuss the construction of the team. Brian gives his in-depth thoughts on the players added in the transfer portal. What do they say about Coach Scheyer's plans for this season? What kind of role will each play? They also look at the returning backcourt of Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor. How do these players complement each other, and what are some areas of concern? Lastly, they discuss the incoming freshmen. What are reasonable expectations for Cooper Flagg? Which of the other freshmen might contribute in unexpected ways? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Isaac Popper, ESPN+ Broadcast Statistician and President of Tulane Analytics. Isaac shares his insights into Duke's latest transfer portal commitment, Tulane guard Sion James. Isaac has known James since they were both freshmen and has watched him grow as a person and basketball player. He shares his thoughts on Sion's academic excellence, his off-court philanthropy, his on-court leadership, and the evolution of his game. He talks about Sion's improving efficiency and outside shooting, as well as the defensive versatility that allows him to guard positions 1-5. They also discuss how Sion will augment Duke's roster and what makes him such a great fit culturally. You can follow Isaac Popper on Twitter at @ipopStats. To support the Sion James Foundation, an organization providing for impoverished youth and adults, please visit https://my.foundation/sionjames . To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are back with John Watson of thedevilsden.com to get his thoughts on Duke's wild offseason. Topics discussed include: The loss of seven player to the transfer portal The causes behind the mass exodus The additions of Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown A possible commitment from Sion James of Tulane What Duke is hoping to change about its culture Recruiting strategies and roster construction in the portal era The relative silence around the 2025 recruiting class Duke's position in the NIL landscape How Duke maintains its brand if it shifts away from being an NBA pipeline To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to offseason which saw seven players from Duke's 2023-24 roster enter the transfer portal. They talk about the fits of Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell on Baylor and Missouri respectively, as well as what it means to lose promising players like TJ Power and Sean Stewart. They discuss the difficulties of maintaining fan engagement in an era of ludicrously high turnover. They debate what Duke's roster-building strategy should look like in this new climate. Next they turn their eye to Duke's transfer portal commitments, Maliq Brown of Syracuse and Mason Gillis of Purdue. How will these players fit on the roster and how can they help next year's team? Where should they play positionally? Who should start? Lastly, they talk about whether Duke will add anyone else in the portal. What is the area of biggest need? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Brendan Marks of The Athletic. First they discuss the 2023-24 season for Duke and for the ACC as a whole. How did Duke's season stack up against the lofty expectations? What led to UNC's turnaround from missing the tournament to a 1-seed? What do NC State and Clemson's tournament runs say about the health of the conference? Then they turn their attention to the 2024-25 season. What do Tyrese Proctor's and Caleb Foster's returns mean for Duke? What kind of player(s) should Duke add in the portal? What will Duke's starting lineup next year be and what will the product look like on the court? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul go through the over/under picks they made for various team and player stats at the beginning of the season. They react to their guesses and discuss why a player or the team fell short or exceed their predictions. A winner is announced and gets nothing but bragging rights. Note: this episode was recorded before Mark Mitchell entered the transfer portal and before Tyrese Proctor announced he'll return back to school for his junior season. Another podcast will be released next week discussion this and any other developments in the coming days. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul look back at Duke's 2023-24 Season. Topics discussed include: What it means for Coach Scheyer to make the Elite Eight in his second season How much differently they would feel if Duke had made the Final Four Missed opportunities Favorite games and moments from the season Biggest pleasant surprises (players, aspect of team play, coaching) Biggest disappointments Potential departures and returnees for next season Who Duke needs to return to be a contender To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by Brian Geisinger of 247Sports to preview Duke's matchup with the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen. They talk about the keys to a Duke victory and pitfalls to avoid. Topics discussed include: Containing Jamal Shead's off-the-dribble game Limiting Houston's offensive rebounds and winning the field goal attempts battle Avoiding live-ball turnovers when Houston blitzes the ball screen Filipowski as a pressure release valve when the guards are blitzed Houston's backside help principles and rim protection Mark Mitchell as a baseline cutter Tyrese Proctor's as a hit-ahead passer and movement shooter Duke's baseline out-of-bounds and after-timeout plays Jared McCain in flex action Empty side ball screen with Jeremy Roach Roach's ability to attack the middle of the paint Other actions Duke can run (DHOs, split action, inverted pick and roll) to avoid the blitz altogether Then Raul gives his prediction for the outcome and score of the game while Josh and Dustin dodge the question altogether. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul give their immediate, unfiltered reaction to Duke's wins over Vermont and James Madison to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Topics include: Kyle Filipowski's unselfish play against the double teams of Vermont Mark Mitchell's aggressiveness as the roll man Jared McCain's historic shooting versus James Madison Using McCain as pick-and-roll ball handler to take advantage of his gravity Jeremy Roach's gritty performance despite a dislocated finger against James Madison Mitchell's defense on Terrence Edwards The overall play of the backcourt Solid bench minutes vs. JMU from Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power They also talk about the overall performance of the ACC in the tournament so far. Lastly, they briefly glance ahead to their Sweet Sixteen matchup. [Note: the winner of Houston/Texas A&M wasn't known at the time of this recording. There will be a more extensive preview of Duke-Houston later in the week.] To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by John Watson of thedevilsden.com to react to Sunday's NCAA Tournament bracket reveal. They talk about Duke receiving a 4-seed in the South. Was this a fair seeding by the committee or should Duke have been seeded higher? They react to Duke's 1st round draw of 13-seed Vermont. What are some challenges the Catamounts present? Do they expect Duke to advance? And if Duke does win, who will they face in the Round of 32? How do they match up with their potential opponents? Then they zoom out to look at the tournament at large before each giving their Final Four and National Champion picks. Lastly, they spend far too long assessing the 2024 season and Duke's looming offseason. Why did this team fall short of expectations? How deep a run would it take to make good on those expectations? Who will leave this offseason and who will stay? Will Duke hit the portal? If Duke experiences a mass exodus, does it mean they need to reexamine their developmental and recruiting model? Will the incoming freshmen provide something that the previous two classes have not? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Dustin react to Duke's quarterfinal loss in the ACC Tournament to NC State. They talk about Duke's recent two-game skid and what it says about the team as a whole. They discuss Duke's struggles with late-game execution as well as the poor play of the backcourt. Lastly, they talk about this loss's impact on Duke's tournament seeding. Does this loss put them on the 4-seed line now? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's demoralizing 84-79 loss to UNC on Senior Night. What does it mean for Duke to get swept by a UNC team that wasn't significantly better than them by metrics or record? Why did Duke fall so far behind in the first half yet again? How was a role player for UNC able to have a huge night in both games? Was the game plan to shut down RJ Davis a mistake? Then they look back at the regular season as a whole, grading it against their preseason predictions and overall expectations. Lastly, they look ahead to the ACC Tournament, assessing Duke's side of the bracket as well as which teams could challenge UNC. They make their predictions for who will win the tournament. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by friend of the pod Kelly Rowe. They start by talking about the recent commitment to Duke of Khaman Maluach, a 7'2" center out of Africa in the class of 2024. They discuss what he'll bring to an already loaded team next season. Then they recap Duke's 79-64 road win over NC State. Topics include: Duke's composure and resilience after NC State started the game 9-0 The contributions of the bench, and especially the recent play of Sean Stewart Offensive rebounding The steady guard play Duke's strategy of single coverage on DJ Burns The pivotal 10-1 run in the second half that allowed Duke to pull away for good Next they turn their attention to the main event, Duke's matchup with UNC on Saturday. They talk about various scenarios where Duke could win the ACC regular season title with a win. Then they debate keys to a Duke victory. Will Duke be able to keep UNC's role players in check? Can they limit points off of turnovers and compete on the glass? Then they each give their predictions for the outcome of the game. Lastly, they reminisce about their favorite Senior Night memories before rambling for another 10 minutes about various topics (Coach Scheyer's first two seasons, Caleb Foster's injury, Justin Robinson's practice battles with Javin DeLaurier, etc, etc.) You can find Kelly Rowe at https://twitter.com/KellyRowe910. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's decimation of Virginia in Cameron. They analyze the offensive and defensive game plan that allowed Duke to roll to a 73-48 victory. Topics discussed include Quick postups by Kyle Filipowski Big-to-big passing Virginia's decision to guard the 3pt line rather than double the post Mark Mitchell's tone-setting defense Tyrese Proctor's excellent play since returning from concussion protocol Duke's ability to get into the lane Valuable bench minutes from Sean Stewart and TJ Power Potential tournament rotations Electrifying dunks from Stewart and Filipowski Then they preview NC State. They talk about how Raleigh has been a difficult place to play over the last 15 seasons, and whether the game being later in the season than usual will benefit Duke. They also debate how Duke should guard the two DJs -- Horn and Burns. Should they double the post? Lastly, they check in on Duke's NET ranking and assess what it means for Duke's potential NCAA Tournament seeding. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul speak with Jonathan Levitan, Sports Editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume. They explore what it's like to cover Duke Athletics -- and more specifically, Duke Men's Basketball -- from the student perspective. Topics discussed include: Jonathan's roots as a Duke Basketball fan How he became involved in writing for The Chronicle Favorite memories of covering the team The transition from Coach K to Coach Scheyer Coach K's last game in Cameron The locker room atmosphere after tough losses How this year's team has progressed throughout the season Jared McCain's special connection to the Crazies The uniquely intimate atmosphere of Cameron Indoor Stadium Fan engagement in the Jon Scheyer era Jonathan's work can be found at https://www.dukechronicle.com/staff/jonathan-levitan. You can follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JonathanLevitan. You can follow The Chronicle's coverage of Duke Basketball at https://twitter.com/dukebasketball. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Josh and Raul are joined by Jordan Mann and Conor O'Neill of The Big J and Little J Show to talk about Duke's 83-79 loss at Wake Forest. They discuss how Hunter Sallis was able to carve Duke up for 29 points on 11-13 shooting. They also break down the late-game execution. Was this a game that Wake Forest won or was this a game that Duke lost? Is Duke's 2-5 record in close games a cause for concern? Lastly, they talk about the court-storming that led to Kyle Filipowski being helped off the court after a collision with a Wake Forest fan. What can and should be done about court-storming to ensure player safety? Then they zoom out and assess what this loss means for Duke as a whole. How do Jordan and Conor see Duke finishing the last four games of the regular season? And what seed line will they end up on? You can find Jordan Mann on Twitter at @jmannstakes and listen to The Big J and Little J show at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-j-little-j-show/id1619562584. You can also subscribe to his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@JMann_ for detailed breakdowns of Duke basketball. You can find Conor O'Neill on Twitter at @ConorONeill_DI or read his writing at Devils Illustrated and Deacons Illustrated at rivals.com. He also cohosts The Big J and Little J Show. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices