Duke Basketball Roundup

#475 - Thriller in Boston

It wasn't easy but Duke finally got a road win, topping Boston College by 1 point in Chestnut Hill. The Duke Basketball Report podcast crew are here to break down everything that went right -- Duke built a 14 point lead in the second half -- and wrong -- only 1 basket by the Blue Devils in the final 10 minutes. There were flashes of great individual play by Ryan Young, Dariq Whitehead, and Mark Mitchell but this seems to be a Duke team that is still struggling to figure out roles and identify its go-to player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#474 - Duke gets Packed

The Duke Blue Devils had a basketball game last night in Raleigh against the NC State Wolfpack, and it was a terrible night for Duke. But yep, we still have to talk about it, and Jason and Donald do just that on Episode 474. Nothing went right for Duke on a night where they lost by 24 and was throughly beaten in almost every statistical and intangible category. Jason and Donald break down what exactly went wrong against NC State in detail, and there was a lot to review. They also step back a bit to discuss what the team needs to do overall to regroup and get victories on the road in the ACC. After the break, there’s another road trip coming up, this time to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The Eagles have struggled lately, but they have done well at home and will be looking to knock off Duke. We discuss what Duke needs to do in order to beat BC and get that coveted road win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#473 - Young’s perfect game bests FSU

The Duke Blue Devils took care of business against the Florida State Seminoles, and we recap the big New Year’s Eve win on Episode 473! Duke’s Ryan Young had a perfect game from the field and the free throw line, and he led the charge for the Blue Devils. We also got great games from Jaylen Blakes and Dariq Whitehead, and the defense was on point in the team’s first game in 11 days. It was a great way to close out 2022, and Sam and Donald recap all the headlines, the good, and the bad. They also discuss their favorite plays and give out Player of the Week awards. After the break, the Blue Devils next travel down the road to Raleigh to take on the NC State Wolfpack. It’s always a road game that is tough and can trip you up, so we go through what NC State brings to the table. Energy and intensity always defines these matchups, and Duke will need to make sure there’s room on the bus to bring both to Raleigh on Wednesday night. We close with some kudos to the Duke Women’s Basketball team, who knocked off #6 NC State the other night and are 13-1 on the season so far! They have been playing some great basketball lately! Stay for the end credits, which may find you wanting to fire up an old disco classic! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#472 - Bowled Over, Elko’s Boys Notch Another Win

As 2022 wraps up, Duke football is reaching heights not seen in quite a while. Mike Elko's Blue Devils slapped around UCF to take home the Military Bowl Trophy. The DBR Podcast crew (some of it) was on hand to witness Duke's 9th win of the season in person. And as good as this season was, it sure seems like the team is primed for even more success in 2023. Plus, the Duke hoops guys are getting ready for another ACC contest, on New Year's Eve against Florida State. The Podcast is here to tell you this year's Seminoles bear little resemblance to the FSU teams that Leonard Hamilton has skippered to the top tier of the conference in recent years. And, we wrap it all up with a conversation about the new program to funnel money to players on the 2022-23 basketball team via NIL opportunities offered on The Brotherhood website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#471 - Reveille for the Military Bowl!

The Duke Blue Devils have a bowl game this week against the UCF Knights, our first bowl game in 4 years. So, the DBR Podcast crew previews the big game on Episode 471! For this UCF preview, they solicit a little help. Jeff Sharon & Kyle Nash from the Black & Gold Banneret, our SBN sister blog covering UCF sports, join us on this episode to break down their Knights and what makes them successful on the field. We focus on both sides of the ball, focusing on quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, who is dangerous on the ground as well as leading the offense. We also focus on UCF’s defense, and for us Blue Devils, we ask where Duke could have the advantage against the Knights in this ballgame. We end the interview with a quick look at UCF’s basketball program, led by Duke legend Johnny Dawkins. After the interview, the DBR crew recaps the interview and gives their own takes on what Duke needs to do in order to win on Wednesday. We end with some NBA talk, since the Christmas slate of games contained some awesome moments, including a couple of jaw dropping dunks that need to be discussed. We will be back after the bowl game to recap what happened and to get us ready for the final day of 2022, where Duke Basketball will be back in action against Florida State. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#470 - Wake Up, Duke!!

It is no fun to recap a game like the discouraging contest against Wake Forest, but the Duke Basketball Report Podcast gang is here whether the news is good or bad. The autopsy report on Duke's 81-70 loss to Wake includes lethargic play, a bevy of missed three-pointers, and a defense that could not stop the Demon Deacons from getting into the lane. At least we have the spirited play of Jaylen Blakes to give us something to smile about coming out of this contest. But, ever the optimists, the podcast crew also gives you reason to not feel so bad about this loss as they recount some of the struggles other teams are going through surrounding the exam/Christmas break time. Some of the results are truly shocking. And, they close with a tip of the hat to Mike Elko as he signs an impressive class of recruits as the newest members of the Blue Devil football family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#469 - A break from the break

On this episode of the DBR Podcast, we are breaking down Duke's first road ACC game of the season, at Wake Forest on Tuesday night. Steve Forbes's squad is struggling at the end of conference play, with a recent blowout loss at Rutgers hanging over them. What will Duke look like after its exam break, and ahead of its longer Christmas break upcoming? We do not know if Jeremy Roach will play, but hoping that Duke may not need him. After the break, we have comments on a few stories around basketball and the NCAA. Chris Paul gets rare praise from DBR for his graduation from Winston Salem State University, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker is taking over the NCAA, and we send regards to the family of Duke swimming and diving coach Dan Colella, who passed this week. We also have a spirited conversation about the potential for Coach K attending a Duke Basketball game. Where should he sit? Let us know what Donald should do in Oklahoma this week while he is in Texas by emailing us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we will be back after the Wake game to tell you what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#468 - Assessing the season so far

The non-conference season is done. Duke has nothing but ACC games remaining. And the Duke Basketball Report Podcast crew thinks this is the perfect time to look back on the season so far to see how the Devils have done. So, they invited Brendan Marks of The Athletic to join them. He breaks down what we have seen from the team and how he expects them to continue to evolve. We also spend some time discussing the performance of Jon Scheyer as Duke's first new head coach in 4 decades and Mr. Marks is quite impressed with the job Coach J is doing so far. After a break, Brandan gives us his take on the rest of the ACC, which seems stronger at the top than it was a year ago... but also weaker at the bottom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices