Duke Basketball Report

Just when you thought today's podcast content was limited to an interview with one of Duke's most prominent alumni, the Duke Basketball Report Podcast is back for a second episode to discuss the not entirely surprising announcement that Matthew Hurt is leaving Duke to pursue his NBA dreams. We spend the first segment of the podcast reminiscing on Matthew Hurt's second season in Durham, which the three of us agree was one of the most impressive sophomore campaigns that we can remember. Hurt promised that he would spend the summer of 2020 bulking up and improving his scoring, and he delivered an All-ACC season full of daggers. Sam makes some potentially lazy comparisons to Duke scorers of yore, Jason admires Hurt's commitment to development, and Donald notes how Hurt became Duke's most consistent player in an otherwise strange year. After the break, we dive into Hurt's NBA prospects. We agree that he is destined for a second round pick, but could Matthew Hurt be slated for a big early impact in the league? Stay

In a relatively slow news week, we have the chance to sit down with one of Duke University’s greatest philanthropists and leaders. David Rubenstein, class of 1970 and former chairman of the Duke Board of Trustees, joins the DBR Podcast for a great conversation! Before we get to David, Jason has some news on the recruiting front about a 4-star point guard that the Duke Blue Devils have recently shown interest in bringing to Durham. Jaylen Blakes, who went to the same high school as former Duke great Luol Deng, is considering Duke along with several other schools, including Pitt. We discuss that briefly at the top. Then, we sit down with David Rubenstein, who gives us a lot of insights on life at Duke, his interactions with Coach K, and tells us his motivation for getting into university development and his philanthropic efforts both at Duke and in Washington, DC. It’s a terrific interview that you don’t want to miss. Finally, Jason teases us with what we can hear on the 3rd episode of Return to Glory! Don’t fo

Welcome to episode 2 of our oral history of the 2001 Duke Blue Devil national champions. Listen in as Jason Evans sits down with Shane Battier, Chris Duhon, Carlos Boozer, and all the other members of the 2001 team to hear the behind the scenes stories about what made that great season. This time, we are talking about practice including some epic battles between the big men and a very special player who never appeared in a game that season, but who made a huge difference in the performance of the team. Plus, we share more than a few laughs as we find out what was going on in the showers after practice was done. Oh, and stick around until the end to hear a preview of our next episode, a deep dive into one of the most memorable games in college basketball history! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He is expected to be a big part of Duke's resurgence in 2021-22. The DBR Podcast sits down for a conversation with power forward Paolo Banchero, one of the top players in the class of 2021. He tells us about what to expect from his game and also reveals the recruiting pitch that Duke made to sell him on coming to Durham. He's a thoughtful young man and clearly seems dedicated to makin next year's Blue Devils into a formidable national contender. And the recruiting talk isn't done yet. Duke is working hard in the transfer portal to find experienced college basketball players who want to become Blue Devils. One of them, Furman PF Noah Gurley, is about to make his decision and the podcast team talks about what he would bring to the table and what his recruitment says about the Duke roster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The college basketball season is done and the Duke Basketball Report podcast crew is here to praise the Baylor Bears for their victory over Gonzaga. The guys see plenty of stuff in the championship game that can be applied to next year's Duke team, especially the focus on guard play. Plus, we look at the news that North Carolina has hired Hubert Davis as their next head coach, which was hardly a surprise. Donald thinks it was a good decision by UNC, Sam thinks it is a sign Carolina is not modernizing their approach, and Jason see both good and bad in the hiring decision. We bring it all home with a quick look at the pre-pre-preseason polls for next year in college basketball. Where do the experts see Duke and do we agree with their assessment of the 2021-22 Blue Devils? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Duke Shooting Guard Report. The podcast team is torn as they celebrate the commitment of 5-star high school wing Trevor Keels, but lament the departure of wing DJ Steward to the NBA Draft. Jason, Sam, and Donald look back on the highlights of DJ's time in Durham and look forward to what Keels brings to the table. We even answer the question -- would you rather have a soph DJ or a freshman Trevor? Plus, we wish Nate James luck in his new gig as head coach at Austin Peay by playing a little game -- can you name all the former K players and staffers who are currently in head coaching gigs? No cheating by looking it up! The final few names don't come to mind as quickly as you might think. Oh, and stay tuned after the band plays us out for a discussion about plastic cups... we know this is the kind of high quality content that brings you back to the DBR Podcast again and again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a

The Duke Basketball Report Podcast releases episode 1 of Return to Glory: The Story of the 2001 Duke Blue Devils. Host Jason Evans interviewed every member of the 2001 team, leading them on a stroll down memory lane as they look back on what it took to reach the pinnacle of the sport and win a national title. In episode 1, the team reflects on the lead up to the 2000-01 season, the motivations they got from previous failures, and how they prepared to begin practice that season. You will hear from Shane Battier, Jay Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, Nate James, and many other members of the team. Look for new episodes of Return to Glory on the DBR Podcast feed every week throughout the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 1st is April Fools Day, and it’s supposed to be a day light on actual news. Well, there was a ton of news that dropped, so the DBR Podcast crew jumped on to talk about the coaching news on Episode 302. The episode was recorded about 15 minutes before DJ Steward announced he was leaving the Duke Blue Devils to enter the NBA Draft, so there will be more analysis of that news this weekend. First, we start with the news that Nate James is set to leave Duke to take over the head coaching job with the Austin Peay Governors. We discuss what this means for Duke and who will possibly fill his spot as an assistant head coach on Coach K’s staff. Could it be Nolan Smith getting a promotion, Steve Wojciechowski returning to his alma mater, or could someone else be waiting in the wings? After the break, the big national news was that Roy Williams retired as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. We discuss what it means for UNC, for the rivalry, and for college basketball. Who is primed to take one of the mo

On this episode of the Duke Basketball Report Podcast, we get into the latest news and rumors about Duke's roster and coaching staff. First, we lament the news that Patrick Tape has decided to transfer, and despite his limited contribution on the court for Duke, we are rooting for him wherever he goes. We then get into the speculation that associate head coach Nate James is a finalist for the head coaching job at Austin Peay. Could Tape and/or Jordan Goldwire be on the move with him if James moves to Clarksville? Before the break, we present a quick tease of an interview we recently did with incoming Duke forward Paolo Banchero, which will air next week. Paolo strongly considered Gonzaga, so we get his thoughts on the Bulldogs as the favorite in the Final Four. After the break, we further break down the Final Four, where top-seeded Gonzaga will face UCLA and Baylor will play Houston. Finally, we finish with some discussion about the first day of the NCAA vs. Alston trial that is now happening at the Supreme C

The Duke Basketball Report Podcast is thrilled to announce the debut of our most ambitious project yet. Starting Friday, April 2nd, we will be presenting a complete oral history of the 2001 National Championship season featuring extensive interviews with every player on that team. You don't want to miss a single episode of this wonderful tribute to our champions. Return to Glory: The Story of the 2001 Duke Blue Devils will appear on the Duke Basketball Report Podcast throughout this summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hard to believe it, but the podcast crew is on episode #300... and just like they did for episode #100 and #200, they bring former Blue Devil great Kenny Dennard on as a guest. Kenny gives us an update on how his life has changed during the crazy pandemic and also talks about Coach K's relationship with the Duke, giving us a story about how close K came to leaving Duke a couple decades ago. And Kenny also has a surprising opinion about how much longer Coach K will stick around as Duke coach. After a break, Jason, Donald, and Sam dive into a Sweet 16 conversation, which begins with Jason giving an amazing stat on Oregon State and then somehow includes Sam wondering whether Bob Dylan plays hoops. Plus, we talk about Jordan Goldwire's transfer decision and what it says about Duke's roster for next season. And we wrap it up with a look at the Dukies on the move in the NBA, including Donald telling us a jaw-dropping piece of trivia. Trust us, you are not going to believe this one! It may be the off-season for Duk

The Duke Basketball Report Podcast is back for a quick update on the roster situation at Duke, as freshman forward Jaemyn Brakefield announced tonight, in conjunction with the program, that he is entering the transfer portal. Our reaction is overwhelmingly supportive of Jaemyn, who offered some memorable highlights to an otherwise less memorable season for Duke Men's Basketball. We reminisce on his performance in wins against Notre Dame and Virginia, and we offer some hope for his pro future in spite of the transfer. Looking at the Duke roster, we can clearly see why Jaemyn has decided to transfer, as Duke is likely going to be loaded next year at both the wing and in the post, with numerous returners as well as a couple of star recruits coming in. After the break, we touch on former UNC head coach Matt Doherty's new book, which apparently is not friendly to our neighbors in baby blue. Jason enjoys the internal rock fight, Donald fondly remembers UNC's 8-20 season, and Sam is too young to remember of this anc

The Sweet 16 is set in the NCAA Tournament, and the DBR Podcast is here to recap how we got there on Episode 298! We discuss some of the teams that surprised in getting to the Sweet 16, including Loyola Chicago Ramblers, the UCLA Bruins, and the Syracuse Orange. The Midwest Region is especially open, and we reflect on some of the teams that have made it to the second weekend. The ACC, who everyone said was down this year, got 2 teams into the Sweet 16, while the highly regarded Big Ten only has 1 team remaining. We also discuss the Illinois Fighting Illini and debate whether playing Loyola Chicago may have been unfair for the #1 seed. After the break, it’s recruiting season...but for transfers! The transfer portal is wild so far this offseason, and we discuss the North Carolina Tar Heels losing Walker Kessler (and possibly a few others) and what it means for Roy Williams’ squad. The Duke Blue Devils have escaped the transfer carousel thus far, but we know we could be active participants on the transfer market

The first round of the NCAA Tournament is done and the podcast crew has many thoughts. They begin by looking at the performance of the ACC (not good) and also talk about all those fun upsets by double-digit seeds. Next, it is time to consult our brackets to see what we got right and wrong. Jason and Sam's picks are a mess, but Donald is doing pretty well. After the break, the guys spend some time talking about how awful the NCAA has been to the women participating in their tournament and they look at some of the high-profile coaching jobs that are coming open across the college basketball landscape. It is certainly possible that all these coaching dominoes will end up impacting the shape of the Duke coaching staff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast crew looks back on what we thought would happen this season with our annual recap of the stats game. Sam, Jason, and Donald have a good laugh as they look back on what they got right (not much) and what they got wrong (a lot lot lot). Plus, we look ahead to the NCAA tournament with our final four picks and some upsets that could make (or break) your bracket. And, seeing as the season is over, it is a good time for all of you to reach out to us. We have set up a survey to find out what you think of the podcast and to he[p us make it better. Please take a moment and go to http://tinyurl.com/dbrpodcastsurvey and answer the questions there. It should not take long and we really do want to know how we can make you love the DBRPodcast even more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NCAA Tournament bracket is out, and for the first time since 1995, the Duke Blue Devils will not be a part of March Madness. The DBR Podcast crew is here to react to the news on Episode 295. Duke also passed up a bid to the National Invitational Tournament, presumably due to COVID concerns, and with not being selected as a replacement team for the NCAA Tournament, Duke’s season is over. Still, we quickly react to some of the ACC teams that made the Dance, and we comment on which teams got a difficult draw. After the break, we recap the ACC Tournament and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets winning it all. We conclude with our final Player of the Week honors and one giant sneeze. We’ll be back at some point before the start of the NCAA Tournament to give a more thorough preview, and we’ll also have the recap of the Stats Game soon as well. If you have questions for us, hit us up at DBR Podcast at Gmail dot com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choice

It’s an emergency Episode 294 of the DBR Podcast, but it’s not the emergency we like. The Duke Blue Devils are out of the ACC Tournament after a positive COVID-19 test was found in the program. This all but ends Duke’s hopes of making a run and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. We jump on to provide our instant reactions to the news, literally as the proverbial ink was still wet on the paper. There’s not a lot of words that we can say to express how we feel about this, but crushed is a good start. To go through the entire season with our strict protocols remaining successful only to have a COVID test stop our season at the worst time is just incredibly heartbreaking for us as fans and especially for the players. The run through the ACC Tournament was so wonderful thus far, and we were excited for the game tonight against the Florida State Seminoles. FSU will now advance to the ACC semifinals, and Duke is done. We will be back later for more reactions to any new information we receive, but for now, Duke’s

Welcome to the "Mark Williams Basketball Report." The podcast crew is delighted to talk about another Duke win and to gush over the play of Duke's freshman center. They might use a couple naughty words to describe how Mark Williams played. The guys also have plenty of praise for Duke's defense against Louisville and discuss how Coach K and his staff put in a brand new scheme to foil Louisville's outstanding PG Carlik Jones. But, there is no rest for the weary because Florida State is next on the menu for the Blue Devils and Jason, Donald, and Sam have done their homework to tell you all about what to expect from the Seminoles. Here's a hint, Florida State is biiiig! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ACC Tournament is here, and the Duke Blue Devils opened it in a big way with a 35-point victory over the Boston College Eagles. The DBR Podcast guy react minutes after the final whistle on Episode 292! The guys mention the terrific performance by Mark Williams, and they also give a lot of praise for the guards and how they played on both ends of the floor. Everyone on the team played and even some of the walk-ons were able to contribute, which is amazing to see. We also get into some of the things that can be improved, but there is a ton of great performances to take from this game. After the break, the focus shifts to the Louisville Cardinals, who Duke plays in the 2nd round of the ACC Tournament. What do the Devils need to do in order to once again survive and advance? Each of us pick a couple of focus points. Finally, ACC season awards have been handed out, and we have guys who made various All-ACC teams. We shout out those players who did well enough individually to collect some well-deserved conferen

Duke may not be playing well, but the Duke Basketball Report is here to talk about...uh...the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Skip the first four minutes if you don't want tv and film talk. Getting to the Duke game, we have words of praise for Mark Williams's offensive output last night, and some disagreement about the macro issues plaguing Duke at this point in the season. We all agree that something is wrong between game-planning, leadership, focus, and/or energy, but it takes us a lot of words to explain how we feel. After the break, we talk about Duke's upcoming appearance in the ACC Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Greensboro. Duke opens against a Boston College team that has had an even more tumultuous season than Duke has had to this point, and though BC may not pose an overwhelming challenge for the Blue Devils (ignore Duke's victory over the Eagles by a single point back in December, if you will), the road gets very challenging very quickly should Duke make it to Wednesday. We give out our last Player