The Devil's Den: A Duke Athletics Podcast

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