Jared here, and this week I’m joined by Fairfield Assistant Coach Blake DuDonis. Blake is one of my favorite minds (and also one of the most outstanding communicators) in college basketball. During Blake’s time as an assistant under coach Carly Thibault-Dudonis, Fairfield has become a force in mid-major D1 basketball, winning back-to-back MAAC championships and recently earning an invitation to USA Basketball’s 3x3 Nationals.

We dive deep into how Fairfield has built a culture rooted in trust, role clarity, and honest coaching. This includes the staff’s use of real data to define roles and guide player development. On the subject of roles, prepare for a thorough look at their now-famous "Roadrunner" position group, and how their staff balances hard coaching, real relationships, and gold old fashioned meep.

Blake then walks me through Fairfield’s unexpected 3x3 USA Basketball experience— from the invite, to the prep work, to the discovery that Fairfield’s style translated beautifully to the 3x3 game, to the takeaways from the experience. This retrospective ends with a must-hear take from Coach Blake himself on why 3X3 is such an untapped tool for development at every level of the sport.

I close my chat with Blake with some “real talk amongst friends” about the recruiting process, and it’s worth listening to every second if you’re a PSA or parent who wants to stay competitive in a rapidly changing recruiting landscape. 

If you’re trying to understand what fit looks and feels like, how elite college programs think, or what really makes a recruit stand out—this episode will answer your questions and then some.

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Have a question that you’d like answered by me or a guest?  Have an idea for an episode topic? Have no suggestions but just want to say hello? Email me at RecruitingGEAR@gmail.com 

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