Duke Basketball Report

We continue our preview of the Houston Cougars on Episode 617 as we get ready for tomorrow night! The Duke Blue Devils will have their hands full tomorrow night against the Coogs, and Donald and Jason go through their normal preview format as we figure out how Duke can win this Sweet 16 matchup. The two things that have been used the most to describe Houston: tough and relentless. It's present in everything they do, and it's why they've walked into the Big XII and dominated in season 1. They have so many big wins that we can't even list them all! The only team that has figured out the Coogs has been Iowa State, and we break down what has made Houston so successful against everybody else. The metrics on this team are off the charts. They have arguably the best defense in the country and their offense is no slouch either. There are a ton of things that they do well but no team is perfect. Houston has a couple of spots where Duke can take advantage. After the break, we get to the players and break them down indi

The Duke Blue Devils are preparing for their Sweet 16 matchup with the Houston Cougars, so we begin Part 1 of our preview by welcoming Jeremy Branham from Houston Basketball Radio to Episode 616! Branham is the voice of Cougars Basketball and has had the best seat in the house this season for Houston. So, he has a great perspective of what has made Houston so successful this season, their first in the Big XII. Branham tells us what has made Houston so good this year, and the main theme is: toughness. Houston is tough and relentless, especially on defense. It carries over to the offense, where their guard play has been tremendous. Branham talks about some of the players who have made Houston go all season long. They may not be tall, but they’re athletic, they’re mobile, and they will try to use their physicality to grind you down. We also get into what Houston may be worried about when they hit the court against Duke. Who are the Duke players that will give them nightmares? Branham tells us who Kelvin Sampson

One day after Duke's thrashing of James Madison and the Duke Basketball Roundup is still basking in the glow of that impressive 38 point victory. Donald is back along with Jason to talk about the many ways the Blue Devils found success in this game, from the shooting to the passing to the defense to the rebounding. There wasn't really any area of the game where Duke did not dominate the Dukes. And be sure to stick around for the longest play of the game conversation in DBR Podcast history! Also, be on the lookout over the next couple days for multiple previews of the big game this Friday against Houston in the Sweet 16. March is the busiest time of year for the Duke Basketball Roundup! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How sweet (16) it is! Duke walloped the Dukes of James Madison in a game that was dominated by the Blue Devils from the opening minutes. The Duke Basketball Roundup is going to have a full recap in their usual style tomorrow, but Jason and special guest Scott Rich wanted to hop on right away after the game was over to give a little instant reaction to the victory. Obviously, the story of the game was Jared McCain raining threes from all over the floor, breaking James Madison's spirit but the podcast guys also have tons of praise for Duke's overall effort, especially on the defensive end of the floor. And in addition to McCain, Jason and Scott say a bunch of other Dukies are deserving of our praise after what may have been the team's best win of the entire season. Peaking at the right time and headed to Dallas for the Sweet 16!! Note - Jason had some microphone problems in this episode. He promises to get it fixed by tomorrow when he records the full recap with Donald. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m

It wasn't a nail biter, but it wasn't exactly easy either. Still, the Blue Devils turned up the defensive pressure and survived the first round of the NCAA tournament with a victory over a game Vermont Catamounts club. The latest episode of the Duke Basketball Roundup dives into the combinations and strategies that helped Duke win their R64 game and live to fight another day. Jason and Donald have effusive praise for the Duke D and for the way the team shared the ball on offense. After the break, the guys delve into what worked in this contest that can be translated to Duke's next opponent, James Madison, a smaller conference team that is largely untested but which appears to have several very dangerous elements that can pose problems for any team in the land. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March Madness is here, and Duke begins its journey on Friday. We preview their opponent, the Vermont Catamounts, on Episode 613. Donald and Jason begin by examining Vermont's record, who they've played, and historically how they've done under coach John Becker. The short answer: they've been stellar the past decade plus! We discuss some of the teams they've played and use that to move into the metrics. What does Vermont do well? What do they struggle with? It's a stark difference between their offense and their defense. After the break, we break down some of the key players to watch on Vermont's team and what they bring to the table. They have a lot of experience and they play a lot of guys for considerable minutes, and we discuss the individual players and how they match up against Duke. We also take a look at what Duke needs to do in order to win this game and advance to the Round of 32. We end the pod by highlighting a new podcast that we're excited to listen to featuring a beloved member of The Brotherhoo

We’ve taken some time to review the NCAA Tournament brackets and Duke’s road, so we have more thoughts on Episode 612. We begin by taking a further look at Duke’s potential path to the Final Four and a national championship, and we examine our early brackets to identify some of the potential upsets that could get you ahead on your tournament challenges. Jason and Donald then offer their early Final Four picks and who they think will be cutting down the nets in Glendale. After the break, we do a further look at the Duke team and discuss some things that have been happening within the program over the past few days as they prepare for the tournament. Jason and Donald discuss how some soul searching could be good for the Blue Devils as they prepare for their 1st Round game against Vermont. We then close with some kudos for the Duke Women’s team, who are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/DUKEROUND

The path is now known. Duke's journey to reach the college basketball promised land begins in Brooklyn. New York on Friday night against the Vermont Catamounts. There is no more room for "we need to learn from this" or "that's something we can work on." From here on out, it is win or go home. And that is what makes March Madness the greatest event in sports. The Duke Basketball Roundup brings you our take on the brackets, starting with Duke's draw but then expanding out to look at how all the ACC teams are placed in the field. Jason and Donald will have a full preview of the Vermont game coming up in the next 24 hours but this is their initial take on Duke earning a 4 seed and what lies ahead for the Blue Devils. The podcast gang also dives into the just completed ACC Tournament, an event that saw NC State do the unthinkable and win 5 games in 5 days. There are some crazy stat and facts to come out of the weekend and the DBR Podcast gives you all the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.

We don’t like these episodes, but we have to do it. The ACC Tournament ended in abrupt fashion last night with Duke’s loss to NC State, and Jason and Donald discuss what went wrong on Episode 610. Donald was at the game and after speaking with pride about the many listeners who he met in DC, he and Jason have to discuss the product on the floor and how it was not a great performance. The many headlines we received reflected some of our feelings about the game. There was some good in this game, namely the play of Kyle Filipowski as well as the play of Mark Mitchell. We comment on how they did during the game to carry Duke at times to keep them in it. After the break, we discuss everything that went wrong in DC, from the lack of urgency and competitive fire to the shooting woes and lack of production from several players. We spend a lot of time on what Duke needs to do to improve. The NCAA Tournament is almost here, and the next loss will end our season. We offer predictions on where we think the Selection Comm

This episode of the Duke Basketball Roundup has a little something for everyone. The guys start by tackling a couple controversies coming out of the Carolina game involving the behavior of the Cameron Crazies. After that, Jason and Donald turn their attention to the ACC tournament to chat about the teams on Duke's side of the draw and also the Blue Devils that they hope to see improvement from as the post-season arrives. After a break, the guys dive into ACC Award season with some praise and some complaints about the winners of the conference honors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, that was no fun. UNC completed a season sweep of the Blue Devils and with it took the ACC regular season title. On the latest edition of the Duke Basketball Roundup, Jason and Donald break down what they saw in this contest. It was a whole lot of stuff that was "good...but" (meaning everything Duke did well had a tinge of frustrating counteraction attached to it). The reality is that UNC just found numerous little ways to be better than Duke and it translated into a victory for the Heels. Next up for Duke will be the ACC tourney in Donald's own backyard of Washington DC, so be sure to check out the DBR Podcast in coming days for details of how you can meet up with him at the tourney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The rematch is here and there is a lot riding on it. The Duke Basketball Roundup is here with its preview of the big game this weekend against the hated Tar Heels from down the road. This matchup probably boils down to the elite Duke offense against the elite Carolina D and the winner get a major leg up on seeding for the NCAA tournament... as well as bragging rights (at least for a few days until these teams likely meet again in the ACC Tourney). Jason and Donald give you everything you need to know about the game. Then, after the break, the DBR Podcast gang dives into the ACC Tournament seeding, laying out the scenarios that end up with Duke in the #1 or #2 seeding spot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you hear those emergency sirens? The Duke Basketball Roundup is here with instant reaction to the earthquake that shook college basketball recruiting Wednesday afternoon. 7-2 Khaman Maluach is coming to Duke. The South Sudanese phenom is projected near the very top of the 2025 NBA Draft and will form one of the most fearsome shot blocking combos (alongside #1 recruit Cooper Flagg) in college basketball history. Jason and Donald may laugh as they say it but the reality is that anyone trying to get off a shot within 15 feet of the Duke basket next season is going to have to think twice because of the elite shotblockers lurking all over the floor. After the break, Jason and Donald also look at the future of the NCAA tourney and what appears to be inevitable expansion. How many teams is the right number? Maybe 72 or 76. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils went over to Raleigh and, in what could be the best road win of the year, defeated the NC State Wolfpack 79-64. We recap everything immediately afterwards by welcoming Scott Rich to the show for Episode 605. Jason was only able to be on the show for a few minutes, but after we go through the headlines, we start with Sean Stewart’s HUGE game. Jason can’t wait to discuss all the great things he brought to the floor against NC State. It was a ginormous road win for Duke, the first time they’ve won in Raleigh with fans in the stands in 8 years. And they did it with offensive rebounding, defense, and 2nd half shooting. The second half was nothing short of sensational, and Duke made it a lot of fun to talk about this one. After the break, Scott and Donald get into the things to improve from this game as we now set our eyes on the final game of the regular season. We close with our plays of the game and celebrate this really big win in the final road game of the season! Make sure you’re followin

The Duke Blue Devils are back on the road tonight when they head to Raleigh to take on the NC State Wolfpack, and we prepare for the game on Episode 604. Duke has had this game circled all season thanks to last season's terrible loss at PNC Arena where they just did not show up to play. They want to turn it around, and as they enter the final week of the regular season, this is a game they want to come out with fire and intensity. Donald and Jason break down the Wolfpack, who they've played and how they've played. Their metrics show a team that's been middle of the road all season, but many of their players are good enough to take a good team out. After the break, the 2024-25 ACC opponents list was released over the weekend, and we take a minute to review who Duke will see in Cameron and on the road next season. Jason and Donald are especially happy that Duke will be coming to places that will allow them to see our beloved Blue Devils in person. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all o

Virginia has been one of the most formidable defensive teams in college basketball for more than a decade. Duke utterly dismantled that defense on Saturday night in Cameron, making it look easy on their way to 40 first half points. Meanwhile, the Duke D was forcing Virginia into bad shot after bad shot and the Cavs weren't hitting hardly any of them. The Duke Basketball Roundup takes great pleasure in recapping this contest for all of you. From Tyrese Proctor's trickiness to Kyle Filipowski's windmill dunks to Sean Stewart's eye-popping athleticism, this game had a little bit of everything for Duke fans as it appears Jon Scheyer is well on his way to having another Duke team that peaks at the right time of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Bennett's Virginia Cavaliers always present an unique challenge for Duke. An absolutely elite defensive team that often has a weak offense. This year is no exception. If anything, the offense may be worse than usual. Still, you need to know just what they are going to throw at you and the Duke Basketball Roundup is here to give you, our loyal listeners, all the details you need. After the break, Jason and Donald turn their attention for a few moments to the college football playoff, and word that it may be ready to expand again. What is driving this ever bigger playoff push (other than money) the DBR pod gang has some ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils took care of business against the Louisville Cardinals, and we recap the game on Episode 601! Duke made easy work of the Cards, winning by 25 in a game that really was over early in the 2nd half. Jason and Donald hit the headlines and discuss the good in this game. In a game that was sloppy at times, the defense was still very good on the evening. They rebounded amazingly well and won almost every positive statistical category. We then get into the individual players, and there was a lot of love shown for guys like Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor, Sean Stewart, and even Spencer Hubbard. After the break, we get into some of the things to improve from this game, and spoiler: turnovers and free throws were the bulk of this discussion. We’ll be back in your feeds again really soon to preview Saturday’s game against UVA. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. We are now on YouTube! Subscribe there, r

We’re back with DBR Bites Episode #38, where we preview the Duke Blue Devils’ upcoming game against the Louisville Cardinals. Duke hopes to get back to their winning ways against a Louisville team that has not been good all season. Jason and Donald go through what they’ve done since they last played back on January 23rd and some of the things that they do well. Duke will obviously have some question marks depending on whether Kyle Filipowski and Caleb Foster are healthy enough to play, but this is a game that Duke should use to take care of business and win. After the break, we get into the 2025 NBA mock drafts, and there are some interesting names on the list. We end with a brief look at one AP pollster’s “mistake” of putting Arizona State into his top 25. As we move towards March, we are teaming up with MyBookie, who is offering a special promotion to DBR Podcast listeners! If you sign up at the MyBookie website, you can get a 50% sign-up bonus by using the promo code DUKEMBB. You can get the bonus up to $1

The Duke Basketball Roundup has reached 600 total episodes and you know what that means. If it has two zeros on the end, then Kenny "The Dawg" Denard must be a part of it! Jason and Donald are thrilled to welcome Kenny back for more of his recollections of his time at Duke as well as his assessment of the current state of the team and the entire college basketball landscape. And, as a special bonus, Sam Klein joins us as well to celebrate this momentous episode. Our conversation with Kenny includes a never-before-told story about a scandalous "Red Sparrow" trick he used to help Duke win games back in the day. It also takes a more serious turn as we ask Kenny to reflect on his longtime friendship with the recently departed Lefty Dreisell. It is worth noting that this interview was recorded last week, before the game against Wake Forest and the court storming incident that marred the end of that contest. So, if you think this pod avoids talking about the elephant in the room, well... the elephant wasn't even th