The Devil's Den: A Duke Athletics Podcast

Josh and Raul are joined by Brendan Marks of The Athletic. They discuss their biggest takeaways from Duke Media Day and get Brendan's thoughts on the upcoming season.

(2:20) - Honoring Chris Spatola
(5:10) - Coach Scheyer's comments on turning down the Mavericks job
(9:55) - Scheyer's evolving relationship with the media
(13:30) - Other Media Day takeaways
(16:50) - How Duke operates this year without an NPOY-caliber player
(20:10) - Backcourt depth and interplay
(26:50) - The ceiling this season for Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje
(31:45) - Longterm developmental players under Coach Scheyer
(34:45) - Changes to the coaching staff
(37:40) - Initial impressions of Coach Michael Malone at UNC

Josh and Raul are joined by Hugh Straine of Duke Blue Devils on SI. They get Hugh's overall impressions of the 2026-27 Duke team before diving into the ACC schedule in depth. Lastly, they talk about Coach Scheyer's recent appearance on the Glue Guys podcast and break down some of the most interesting things he said there.

(4:05) Thoughts on this year's Duke team

(24:45) ACC Schedule

(38:10) Jon Scheyer on the Glue Guy Podcast

Josh, Dustin and Raul open the podcast by talking about Duke's decision not to appoint team captains for the third straight season. Why has Coach Scheyer decided to move away from that tradition?

Then they play a game of "Buy or Sell?" Raul gives Josh and Dustin different Duke-related propositions and they each have to decide whether they're buying or selling them.

(1:30) - Thoughts on Scheyer's decision not to appoint team captains
(6:10) - Who the best choices for team captains this season might have been
(11:00) - "Buy or Sell" starts
(12:00) - Player-specific questions
(18:00) - Team-specific questions
(28:45) - Awards-related questions

Josh, Dustin, and Raul overreact to a highly edited five-minute scrimmage video just released by Duke Men's Basketball. They break down everything from Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje's continued ascent, to the improved playmaking of Dame Sarr, to the battle at the point guard spot.

(3:25) - Biggest storyline: The rise of Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje

(7:35) - The importance of Patrick Ngongba

(10:35) - The rest of the frontcourt

(15:35) - Dame Sarr

(18:40) - Who is Duke's point guard?
(23:35) - The starting five
(25:55) - Defensive observations
(30:45) - John Blackwell

(33:25) - 3pt shooting

(39:00) - Hot Takes

We would also like to encourage you to contribute to a GoFundMe for the children of Wayne Bumpass, a beloved member of the Duke and TDD Community who recently passed away:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-girl-dads-legacy-support-for-wayne-bumpasss-girls

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by Terrence Oglesby of ESPN and The Field of 68. They talk about his playing days with the Clemson Tigers and his memorable head-to-head matchups with Jon Scheyer the player. They also get his thought on Scheyer's first four years as head coach and his expectations for this year's Duke team.

(3:05) - Terrence's decision to play overseas after two years at Clemson

(7:05) - Memories of playing against Duke

(17:43) - Thoughts on Scheyer's first four years as head coach

(21:35) - Handling tough tournament losses

(25:45) - Expectations for this year's Duke team

(35:40) - Biggest X-factors

Josh, Dustin, and Raul each draft five former one-and-done Duke players to try to assemble the best starting lineup they can. Afterward, they debate the strengths and weaknesses of each of their teams as well discussing notable snubs from the selection process.

(2:30) - Laying out the ground rules

(5:45) - Draft begins
(18:43) - Notable omissions and potential 6th man picks
(23:20) - Debating the merits of each team

Thanks to House of Duke Highlights on Twitter for the suggestion.

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports to discuss several prospects Isaac saw last month at Peach Jam. Topics include:

• What makes Beckham Black the #1 player in the class
• How Black might fit in on a Duke team with several returning guards
• AJ Williams' decision to reclassify
• Whether Williams fits a Duke system that prioritizes ball movement and feel
• Lewis Uvwo's development
• Uvwo vs. Yann Kamagate
• Kager Knueppel's potential for immediate impact
• Swing skills that will determine Knueppel's ceiling
• Other prospects for Duke fans to keep an eye on
  

They finish by getting Isaac's thoughts on the potential of the 2026-27 Duke team.

You can find Isaac's work at https://www.cbssports.com/writers/isaac-trotter/ as well as https://247sports.com/user/isaactrotter/.

Josh, Dustin, and Raul address some of the latest happenings in Duke basketball. They talk about Javin DeLaurier joining the Duke staff, the Flagg family on Family Feud, and the Michigan game being replaced with Texas Tech. They also break down the latest practice footage released by the Duke Men's Basketball social media team.

Then they work together to build a team of former Duke players to participate in The Basketball Tournament -- an event held every summer and made up of alumni teams from various colleges. Duke has never fielded a team in this tournament; who would be on this team if they did?

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by John Watson of thedevilsden.com as well as Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 to discuss the state of the Duke program and college basketball as a whole. Topics discussed include:

• Duke's recent disappointing tournament exits
• How close Jon Scheyer really was to taking the Dallas Mavericks job
• Who Duke might hire if Scheyer does ever leave for the NBA
• How international players are reshaping the college game
• Who will emerge as Duke's lead point guard in 2026-27
• John Blackwell as a different type of transfer portal player than Duke has brought in the past
• How Scheyer will manage playing time on this deep, versatile roster
• Under-the-radar college basketball story lines for the upcoming season
• Final Four picks
  
  

Josh, Dustin, and Raul cover a variety of Duke-related summer topics.

First they talk about Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje emerging as a star on the international stage in the U17 World Cup. Does Boumtje-Boumtje's performance alter their expectations for him at Duke?

Next they discuss the recent commitment of 2027 forward Kager Knueppel. What does it mean to have yet another Knueppel attending Duke? And which former players does he mostly closely compare to?

Lastly, they discuss emerging targets for Duke in the 2027 and 2028 classes. They dig into the possibility of Colton Hiller reclassifying and attending college for two years. Could this become a trend for younger high school and international players?