Duke Basketball Roundup

We're back with another DBR Bites as we continue to discuss the ramifications of Darian Mensah entering the transfer portal at the 11th hour, leaving Duke having to answer a ton of questions about who will be their starting quarterback next season. Donald is joined by Scott Rich to have a more in depth discussion, breaking down several points about his departure and what it means for Duke, the ACC, and college football as a whole. As Duke decides on what it will do, we examine several options and what they could mean to the success of the Duke program, from contract enforcement to burning bridges to whether this could prompt the NCAA to step in and provide further regulation on NIL deals. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils demolished the Stanford Cardinal 80-50 on Saturday evening. Donald and Scott Rich return to recap everything on Episode 788. Duke got it done by dominating the paint and with suffocating defense. We go through all the things that the Blue Devils did well to smother Stanford. They took Ebuka Okorie out of the game and they didn’t let anyone else beat them. On offense, Cam Boozer led the charge, but Duke controlling the paint and getting to their spots allowed them to start out quickly and never look back. We also get into the things that hopefully will improve from this game as well as discuss our plays of the game and player of the week honors. Duke becomes just the 2nd team since Cal and Stanford entered the ACC to go west and win both games, so we’re certainly happy about that! Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a gut punch! With just hours before the window closed, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has decided to enter the transfer portal, and in all likelihood will be headed to play for Miami. It’s a short emergency DBR Bites #135 as Donald flies solo to discuss it for a few minutes. Of course, Donald has the unique perspective as a Duke and Miami Law alum. So, we try to parse through the emotion in part to figure out what’s next for Duke after this news. It’s not great for the program to see their quarterback leave just a couple weeks after he announced that he was staying at Duke. It certainly throws a lot more questions into the roster and whether Duke can continue to hold onto players before the transfer portal entry window closes. There’s also Mensah’s contract that included Duke exclusively hanging onto his NIL rights. There are a ton more questions, but we will be back later this weekend to make more sense of this. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils remain in the Bay Area on their West Coast road trip, and a date looms tomorrow against the Stanford Cardinal. Donald and Scott Rich preview the upcoming game on DBR Bites #134. Stanford is doing well this season, and they are coming off an upset win on Wednesday night against UNC. Duke hopes to buck the trend of ACC teams failing to go 2-0 on their Bay Area road trips, and Donald and Scott go through how they can do that with a win against the Cardinal. Rebounding will be a key, but also they need to figure out how to stop Ebuka Okorie, who had a career night against the Tar Heels and is one of the best players in the country. After the preview, the NCAA may have done something right! They have changed the dates of the transfer portal for men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and men’s hockey, and it will now open the day after the national championship games for those sports. We discuss the NCAA finally doing the bare minimum in shifting the portal dates so it doesn’t make coaches have to try and recruit during the NCAA Tournament. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils got another win on the road, taking out the Cal Golden Bears in ACC After Dark action. Donald and Scott Rich recap everything on Episode 787. The Blue Devils had another slow start, but they were able to work hard defensively to stifle the Bears. And, they were able to control the paint, scoring inside in the 2nd half to pull away. Duke also got some solid play from players in ways that don’t always show up on a stat sheet, and that was the difference in seeing the team pull away down the stretch. We get into the stuff to work on and we also get into the play of the game by Isaiah Evans, but we couple it with another play where the sequence creating a successful play for Duke that broke the spirits of the Cal fans in attendance. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils are headed west for a long road trip in California. They begin with a game against the Cal Golden Bears on Wednesday night. Donald and Scott Rich preview ACC After Dark on DBR Bites #133. Cal has a decent record, but is coming off a series of road losses to UVA and Virginia Tech, and we hear from Coach Mark Madsen on what they need to do to respond against the Blue Devils. We also hear from Coach Jon Scheyer on what he hopes the theme of the road trip will be. As we discuss the metrics and the players, we highlight some of the key areas of focus as Duke takes the floor. We end with a salute to Bill Courtney, who passed away earlier today. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Duke Blue Devils were able to hold off the SMU Mustangs, winning 82-75 on Saturday afternoon to move to 15-1 on the season and 4-0 in the ACC. Donald and Scott Rich recap everything about a perplexing game on Episode 786. The Blue Devils did great in certain aspects defensively, and got some great performances from Cayden Boozer and Pat Ngongba even as they moved into a bench role for this game. We talk about all the other things that went well from this game, from forcing turnovers to Isaiah Evans and Cam Boozer leading the charge offensively. We also discuss the things to improve from this game, which was other parts of the defense and learning how to close out games where we have the lead. We give out play of the game and player of the week honors and we end by congratulating the team on their fall performances in the classroom! Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duke is back in the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday to face the SMU Mustangs in ACC play. Donald and Scott help preview the game on DBR Bites #132! SMU is a solid team even as they enter Cameron fresh off a loss at Littlejohn Coliseum to Clemson. They’re led by Boopie Miller, who is a fantastic player that will command a lot of attention. Donald and Scott take you through the ins and outs of SMU’s game, how they’ve done on the year, and how to beat the Mustangs and remain undefeated in the ACC. We also get into the football transfer portal, where Duke has done extremely well at getting some key guys. There have been a couple players who would have been important next year that have decided to test the portal, but Duke is reloading in an effort to get some guys that they think will help them get even better and defend their ACC title. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The win was so stunning, we needed to collect our breath! After the vibes check episode, Donald and Scott Rich return to give a full recap of the Louisville game on Episode 785, with discussion on each of the halves and what made them what they were. The second half was the good, featuring the stellar play of Caleb Foster, Cam Boozer, and Isaiah Evans on offense and Dame Sarr and Maliq Brown on defense. It wasn’t a quick blitz to storm back and take the lead. It required patience, tenacity, and tough play to eventually overcome a 12-point deficit and end up winning by 11. We then get into the bad that was the first half and we discuss what Duke did wrong to allow Louisville to storm out to the big lead. We also look at a couple of individual performances that weren’t great on the night. We close with our play of the game, which was a play that hopefully helps Duke turn the corner as we head toward the weekend, leaving the inefficient play in the past. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our ⁠Linktree⁠ to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from ⁠Homefield Apparel⁠ (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and ⁠Fanatics⁠ to the ⁠NBA Store⁠, ⁠NFL Shop⁠, and even ⁠Fubo TV⁠. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠⁠@DukeRoundup⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a game! Duke overcomes a terrible first half and comes back to win it in the second as they defeat Louisville on the road 84-73. With Donald and Scott Rich on hand and Jason recording from a lavatory 35,000 feet above the Atlantic, we just give out the vibes on Episode 784! Caleb Foster was the hero, Slim Evans and Cam Boozer were incredible on offense, and Dame Sarr's defense on Ryan Conwell in the 2nd half (along with Maliq Brown) were the difference as Duke turned a 12 point deficit into an 11 point win! We'll be back to fully recap the game, but we just had to get on the mic to enjoy this win. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a pair of wins against the bottom tier of the ACC, Duke faces a much different conference rival on Tuesday. The Blue Devils will face the team everyone says is the second best in the league, the Louisville Cardinals. One key question for this game is the health of superstar freshman PG Mikel Brown, Jr. But, regardless of whether he plays or not, Louisville presents some unique challenges with their high-powered, 3-point heavy offense. The Duke Basketball Roundup is here with all you need to know about how the Cards have played thus far and who they will be counting on as they battle Duke for ACC supremacy.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duke is now 2-0 in the ACC and 13-1 on the season after winning their first ACC road game of the season against Florida State. Donald and Jason recap the win on Episode 783! We also discuss some of the things to improve, and we comment on how poor the defense has been over the past couple of weeks and where it can get better. However, we discuss the fact that the ACC is much better than it was last year, and Duke will have to expect everyone’s best shot moving forward. How Duke respond to the intensity and sense of urgency other teams will have in their only game against them will impact the rest of the season. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time to hit the road. Duke travels to Tally this weekend to take on the Florida St. Seminoles, hoping to get back to being the team they were just a few weeks ago. Duke has had some trouble with Florida State in the past so the Duke Basketball Roundup is here with all the details about the current Noles team, mainly focused on their fast pace of play and their love of the three-point shot. After the break, Jason and Donald take some time to revel in the Sun Bowl victory by Manny Diaz's boys. The many huge performances on offense and the clutch plays on defense has the DBR Pod crew wondering how high the defending ACC champs from Duke will rank among ACC teams in the preseason next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year! Duke Men’s Basketball closed out 2025 with a win over Georgia Tech to open up ACC play. We recap the victory on Episode 782. The Blue Devils had to tough it out against a Georgia Tech team that was hitting a ton of shots. But we get into the good, which included rebounding, forcing turnovers, and our zone defense. We also discuss some key individual performances because to tough that game out, guys like Cayden Boozer - in his first start - had to step up. After the break, we get into the stuff we need to work on, and there was a lot that made this game a struggle. Free throws were once again a subject, but Duke’s defense is entering a troubling trend. We look at how Duke can get better as we approach the weekend, where Duke will hit the road for the first time in ACC play. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is an episode not to miss!! Huge news from the recruiting trail as Deron Rippey Jr., an explosive athlete PG has picked Duke, giving Jon Scheyer yet another top-ranked recruiting classes. The Duke Basketball Roundup celebrates his announcement with a very special guest. Jason and Donald are joined by Rippey's high school coach, the legendary Joe Mantegna, to help us break down his game and also reveal a bit about who Rippey is as a person. It is a great conversation full of insight and praise for a special player. After that, Jason and Donald take a look at how Rippey will fit with next year's Blue Devil team and they answer the question about whether Duke has too many point guards in the program. Lastly, the guys take a moment to... wait for it... praise the NCAA for actually stepping up and taking a stand about who is and who is not eligible to play college basketball. Where did the NCAA President draw the line? Listen in to the DBR Podcast to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duke Basketball is back after an 11-day layoff, and they get back to business on New Year’s Eve against Georgia Tech. We preview the first ACC contest of the 2025-26 season on DBR Bites 128. Georgia Tech has struggled this season despite its 9-4 record, and they haven’t had a win against a good team so far this year. They hope to catch a rusty Blue Devil team who is seeking to bounce back after the loss on December 20th to Texas Tech. Donald and Jason take you through what Georgia Tech does well, where they have been struggling, some of their key players, as well as some of the things to watch as the two teams take the floor. We also get into the entire ACC and its performance in the non-conference portion of the season. There are some teams that have performed above expectations and some players that have paced the league outside of Duke. We take a look at an improved conference and know that Duke will not have it easy as the ACC portion of the calendar begins. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming off the Christmas Break there is plenty for the Duke Basketball Roundup to discuss. First up on their plate is a preview of the Sun Bowl against Arizona State. Listen in to find out which Blue Devils and which Sun Devils will be actually suit up and play in the bowl game. After the break. Jason and Donald dive into the craziness in recent days of former NBA Draft Picks and G-League players joining college basketball teams. Some of these established pros are going to be on rosters in days and eligible right away. What is the NCAA's game here and where will it end? Could we soon see Trevor Keels or DJ Stewart back in college? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ordinarily, 11-1 against this non-conference slate would be a cause for celebration, but the way that 1 loss happened is hitting hard for Duke fans. The Duke Basketball Roundup gives you a deep dive into the 82-81 loss to Texas Tech including words of praise for Duke's bench players and some pretty strong criticism of Duke's shortcomings in the "details" like free-throw shooting and focus. Jason and Donald take a long look at the 17-point blown lead and what it says about the team moving forward. Will this game go down as a confluence of unlikely stuff that won't happen again or is it a sign of some fundamental problems Duke needs to fix? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last power conference test for Duke before we embark on the ACC schedule will be Saturday in MSG and the Duke Basketball Roundup is here to get you ready for the contest with Texas Tech. Jason and Donald have all the details including TTech's shooter who doesn't take 2-point FGs, the unexpectedly close game where they were saved by an unlikely source, and a prediction about how Duke may use a surprising tactic to deal with All-American JT Toppin.  But that is not all, this edition of DBR Bites also gets into the wild and wacky ACC Football schedule for next season and the guys also make a case for the NBA to come to Cameron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, that was an interesting game. On Episode 780, we recap the Duke win over Lipscomb where the theme was turnovers and sloppy play. Now, there was still some good from this game, and in a 24-point win, we still lead with it. Jon Scheyer became the fastest ACC coach to 100 wins, we saw some good play from our point guards and Darren Harris, and Maliq Brown and Isaiah Evans provided sparks. We then get to the stuff to improve, and it’s clearly the sloppy play and turnovers. Rust was present, but it wasn’t in the shooting where it normally lives. It was in the bad decisions with the basketball and, with credit to Lipscomb’s game plan, rushing every possession and every decision. We discuss the sloppy play and the fouls and everything else before we discuss our play of the game to close things out. Make sure you’re following us! Head to our Linktree to get all our available social media and links to follow and subscribe to the show. That includes our affiliate partnerships, from Homefield Apparel (use the code DBRPODCAST to save 15% off your first order) and Fanatics to the NBA Store, NFL Shop, and even Fubo TV. And...we have some more coming! Save some cash on the latest gear or follow the Blue Devils on the go by hitting those affiliate links and it helps support the show as well. We are now on YouTube and Instagram! Subscribe there, rate, and review our episodes on there and everywhere you get your podcasts. Also, follow us on Bluesky ⁠@DukeRoundup⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices