The Devil's Den: A Duke Athletics Podcast

Josh, Dustin, and Raul are joined by John Watson of http://thedevilsden.com and Coach Jon Scheyer.

(4:35) - Scheyer's impressions from exhibition play

(6:45) - Duke's approach to player development

(12:30) - Roster construction and portal evaluation

(16:10) - The use of analytics to improve on-court play

(19:35) - The importance of leadership

(25:45) - Post-interview discussion

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 90-84 exhibition win over Kansas on the road.

(1:15) - Appreciation for Bill Self and Tyran Stokes

(5:00) - How Self's adjustments opened up the paint for Pat Ngongba

(11:20) - John Blackwell 's unreal efficiency

(15:05) - Caleb Foster's return

(18:40) - The impact of Kansas's pace of play

(22:05) - The shrinking of the rotation

(30:35) - Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje at center vs. forward

(34:00) - The best way to approach an exhibition as a coach

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke's 103-64 blowout exhibition win over the Tennessee Volunteers.

(2:35) - Initial thoughts

(7:10) - Pace of play

(10:10) - Dame Sarr

(12:25) - Defensive intensity

(13:15) - Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje

(14:45) - Sebastian Wilkins

(19:05) - Patrick Ngongba

(21:20) - Cayden Boozer

(26:45) - John Blackwell

(31:55) - Deron Rippey

(38:00) - Bryson Howard

(42:15) - Cam Williams

(47:10) - How to balance depth with playing your best players

(51:35) - Kansas exhibition

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to the Preseason ACC Media Poll before previewing next week’s exhibition against Tennessee.

(3:30) - Duke picked by media to win ACC

(16:05) - All-ACC teams

(24:20) - Is Thijs de Ridder the right pick for ACC Player of the Year?

(29:50) - Previewing the Tennessee exhibition

(40:35) - Miscellaneous season predictions (points per game, pace of play, use of depth)

(45:50) - Recruiting updates

Josh, Dustin, and Raul react to Duke’s 102-62 exhibition win over Belmont.

(3:35) - Dame Sarr’s sophomore leap

(8:55) - Cam Williams’s spot in the rotation

(13:50) - Defensive intensity and scheme

(18:00) - Deron Rippey

(24:05) - Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje

(29:40) - John Blackwell’s quiet efficiency

(33:30) - Sebastian Wilkins

(39:20) - Impact of depth

(41:25) - Patrick Ngongba

(42:40) - Ryan Kelly on the call

(44:15) - Caleb Foster’s injury

Josh, Dustin, and Raul break down the latest recruiting news before getting into their biggest takeaways from this year's Countdown to Craziness.

(4:05) - Luke Paul commits to Duke

(8:20) - Asa Montgomery attends CTC

(10:25) - Player intros and dunk contest

(17:05) - Biggest scrimmage takeaways

(19:50) - Pace of play

(22:35) - Will Sebastian Wilkins be a contributor this year?

(25:10) - The backcourt

(29:05) - Deron Rippey's ceiling

(30:45) - Elam Ending

(32:00) - Concerns

(35:15) - The battle at the 4 spot

(37:20) - Belmont exhibition

(41:45) - Predicted starting lineup and rotations vs. Belmont

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 ofhttps://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/