#826 - KJ Conklin, Alexander Powell join Duke staff

Duke men's basketball has made two groundbreaking hires that signal a bold new era under head coach John Shire: K.J. Conklin, a rising star with a non-traditional path from community college to the NBA G League, and Alexander Powell, a data-driven executive director of basketball innovation with eight years of NBA analytics experience. Conklin’s hire marks a deliberate shift away from the traditional Duke coaching tree, emphasizing real-world development experience and a relentless work ethic. Powell’s appointment—creating a new front-office role focused on salary cap management, player evaluation modeling, and roster construction—reveals Duke’s proactive strategy to prepare for a post-NIL future where spending limits may be enforced. The podcast argues that these moves aren’t just about winning championships, but about building a sustainable, data-informed culture that values innovation, diversity of thought, and long-term player development. The episode closes with a heartfelt tribute to Liddy Grantland, daughter of longtime Duke contributor John Grantland, who passed away after a courageous battle with metastatic brain cancer, with a call to honor her legacy through donations to the Duke Wesley Fellowship.