The Devil's Den: A Duke Athletics Podcast

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?

Josh and Raul discuss Jon Scheyer turning down the Dallas Mavericks job and just how close he was to accepting it. Does the buzz around Scheyer in NBA circles affect their view of how long he might stay at Duke?

Then they react to the 2026 NBA Draft. Topics include:

• Whether Cam Boozer should have gone #1
• Boozer's fit in Memphis
• What Memphis might look like in a post-Ja Morant era. [Note: This episode was recorded before Ja Morant was traded from Memphis to Portland.]
• Whether Isaiah Evans falling to the 2nd round means he should have returned to Duke
• Why Minnesota might be the ideal fit for his skillset
• Maliq Brown being one of the "surprise" picks of the draft at #44
• How Brown's defensive versatility can help San Antonio when Wembanyama is off the floor
  
  
  
  
  
  

Josh, Dustin, and Raul begin the episode with a little post-championship Knicks talk before taking a close look at Duke's stacked, versatile frontcourt for the 2026-27 season. Topics include:

• Patrick Ngongba as the most important player on next year's team
• How many minutes Ngongba can realistically be expected to play
• The need for Ngongba to get more shot attempts
• Drew Scharnowski playing the "Maliq Brown role" off the bench
• The importance of the vertical gravity Scharnowski can provide
• Whether Cam Williams should be expected to start
• Why Williams might actually be underrated
• Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje's movement shooting
• The battle for minutes between Boumtje-Boumtje and Williams
• The incredible job Scheyer did to assemble this roster

Josh, Dustin, and Raul discuss the new additions to the Duke Men's Basketball staff, Alexander Powell and KJ Conklin. They explore how Conklin's experience at both the college and NBA level will help him succeed as a Duke assistant coach. They talk about how Scheyer continues to innovate, bringing in Powell to a brand new position as Executive Director of Basketball.

Then they take a closer look at Duke's wing rotation for this upcoming season. What areas can Dame Sarr realistically improve upon in his second year? And is Sarr a lock for a starting spot? Where does Sebastian Wilkins fit into this deep Duke rotation? Can Bryson Howard have a freshman Isaiah Evans-like impact as a sparkplug off the bench?

Josh and Raul are joined by Brian Geisinger of 247Sports and the Buzz Beat podcast to break down the expectations for Duke newcomers John Blackwell and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje. Topics include:

• Whether Blackwell will operate more on ball or as a movement shooter
• Blackwell as a screen setter
• How Duke has made use of similar players to Blackwell under Jon Scheyer
• Blackwell's midrange game
• How to evaluate Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje's overseas production
• Boumtje-Boumtje's shooting ability at his size
• Areas where Boumtje-Boumtje still needs to develop
• How Boumtje-Boumtje and Cameron Williams might complement and push each other
• What year two of Boumtje-Boumtje might look like as more opportunities open up

Brian's work can be found at https://briangeisinger.substack.com/

With the news that John Blackwell has pulled out of the NBA Draft and will be playing at Duke next season, Josh, Dustin, and Raul take a look at Duke's loaded backcourt. Topics include:

They then talk briefly about the rumored exhibition game Duke will play against Kansas in Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are back to cover an assortment of Duke-related topics: