Jon Scheyer announced two hires Tuesday: new assistant coach KJ Conklin, and Alexander Powell, who is to be the Executive Director of Basketball.
About Conklin, Scheyer said this: “KJ is an unbelievable addition to our staff and our program. He has a genuine passion for developing people and helping them reach their potential, and that comes through in every interaction. Throughout the process, his energy, work ethic, basketball knowledge, and ability to build meaningful relationships consistently
stood out. He comes from an organization that has sustained success at the highest level, and he understands the habits, accountability, and daily commitment that winning requires. KJ will have a tremendous impact on our players both on and off the court, and we’re excited to welcome him and his family to Duke.”
He’s worked at multiple levels of basketball, notably with the University of Texas and the San Antonio Spurs.
For his part, Powell has a really interesting background. He has a hard-core math background, with degrees from Kenyon College and Northwestern, with a focus on statistics, AI, and in his thesis, basketball. He’s worked for the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Hornets.
Here’s what Scheyer said about Powell: “We’re excited to welcome Alexander Powell to Duke Basketball. From the beginning of the process, it was clear that AP shares our belief that great programs never stop growing. He brings a unique combination of NBA experience, innovation, and analytical expertise, but what stood out most was his ability to turn information into action that helps people improve and teams win. He’s a collaborative thinker, a problem solver, and someone who will challenge us to continue evolving in every area of our program. We’re thrilled to have AP and his family join the Duke Basketball family.”
Scheyer has a lot of great qualities as a coach, but one of his more underrated talents is spotting talented people and bringing them into the program. Consider some of his hires: Emanuel Dildy, Evan Bradds, Rachel Baker, and now Conklin and Powell. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Tyler Thornton, who looked like tremendous coaching material back in his playing days for Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke Basketball is anything but static. With these sorts of hires, it’s growing in ways we can’t fully understand, but we see it translate onto the court.
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