#283 - No Jalen, no problem

Welcome back to the Duke Basketball Report Podcast, where we always look on the bright side of life. This week, though Duke lost one of its best players prematurely to NBA Draft preparation, we get to enjoy seeing Duke beat the pants off of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. We start with the headlines and the good, where there is a lot to praise, from Matthew Hurt to Mark Williams to Jaemyn Brakefield. We also have admiration for the team's defensive effort and the continuing improvement in the passing game for Duke. Hopefully, this full team development isn't too little too late. As for the bad from the Wake game, we have a few limited points of improvement that the Blue Devils can check before facing Virginia this weekend, including wanting more guys to score in double figures (come on, Donald!). After the break, we dive into the limited but lingering fallout from Jalen Johnson's decision to leave the team late in the season. The big takeaway is that we know enough to know that we don't know enough. Looking ahead, Duke has a huge game against Virginia this weekend, and we dive deep into why this is going to be a tough challenge for Duke. Virginia is back to their plodding, efficient ways, and they bring multiple starters with experience from their 2019 championship run and some highly regarded transfers. Can Duke overcome Virginia's size and discipline? Stay in touch with us at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, and we'll talk to you again after the Virginia game. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/duke-basketball-roundup--7421881/support. Make sure you’re following us and subscribe! Head to our ⁠Linktree⁠ to follow our social media (⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky) and our affiliate links. That includes partnerships like ⁠Fanatics⁠ and ⁠SLAM⁠ (DBR15 to save 15%), ⁠Homestream⁠ (DBRFOOTBALL10 or DBRBASKETBALL10 for 10% off your subscription), ⁠Homefield Apparel⁠ (DBRPODCAST for 15% off your first order), and more. 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!