For a couple of weeks, the Duke Basketball Report Podcast has been speculating about potential transfers who might be coming into the program following a few announcements of departures. We got some news on that front this week in the form of Theo John and Bates Jones, but the transfer news is overshadowed by former Duke All-American and National Champion Nolan Smith's promotion from Director of Basketball Operations to Assistant Head Coach.
We start with Nolan, not just because he's filling Nate James's sizable shoes on the Duke bench, but because all three of the hosts of this show are huge fans of Nolan Smith the basketball player and Nolan Smith the man. We break down some of our favorite Nolan Smith moments and qualities before diving into his introductory press conference, which was a celebratory affair not just for Nolan but also for the media in attendance, many of whom know him well.
After the break, we discuss the transfer announcements of big men Theo John and Bates Jones. We speculate that John should actually get a few minutes of burn behind Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero as a banger around the rim, and though Jones may not get to play much in a now crowded front court, he will be a key practice player and leader. Both John and Jones are transferring in from programs run by reputable coaches. John played his first four years at Marquette for former Duke player and assistant Steve Wojciechowski and Jones played down the road at Davidson for Bob McKillop.
Don't forget to stay in touch with the DBR Podcast at dbrpodcast at gmail.com, fill out our soon-to-close survey at tinyurl.com/dbrpodcastsurvey, and keep your podcast feed up to date as more news comes out of the Duke program this spring. We also may have some more fun interviews coming in the next few weeks!
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