Duke adds pair from NBA organizations to staff

Jon Scheyer dialed up not one, but two NBA organizations to add to Duke’s coaching staff.

Duke announced Tuesday that KJ Conklin will join the program as an assistant coach, coming from the Austin Spurs of the G-League. And Alexander Powell has been hired to a new position with the Blue Devils, executive director of basketball, after spending eight years with the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers.

The Blue Devils’ staff could still add an assistant coach, as Conklin’s addition means four of five spots are filled. He joins associate head coaches Chris Carrawell and Emanuel Dildy, and assistant coach Tyler Thornton. Though, Duke has not used all five assistant coach positions since staff sizes expanded three years ago.

KJ Conklin

Conklin is the logical replacement for Evan Bradds. He was with Duke for one season, having come from the NBA and had an offensive-focused role on the staff, before becoming Belmont’s head coach (his alma mater).

Conklin was with the Spurs organization for the past couple of years and also has collegiate experience. From 2022-24, he was with Texas’ men’s basketball program. In his final season with the Longhorns, he was director of player development.

“He has a genuine passion for developing people and helping them reach their potential, and that comes through in every interaction,” Scheyer said of Conklin through a news release. “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.”

Conklin was with Independence Community College for the 2021-22 season, where he was the team’s offensive coordinator. Conklin’s experience also includes one season as an assistant at Olney Central College and two years as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech.

He also has experience working with a few familiar names to Duke. In 2018 and ’19, Conklin worked as an intern with Pure Sweat Basketball in Los Angeles, helping with player development for players like former Blue Devils Jayson Tatum and RJ Barrett.

Conklin is from Rock Falls, Ill., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in social education from Illinois State in 2017.

Alexander Powell

The position to which Powell is being hired is almost more noteworthy than the hire itself.

Duke’s executive director of basketball will: “oversee the integration of analytics, technology and innovation across all facets of Duke Men’s Basketball, providing data-informed insights to support roster management, opponent preparation, talent evaluation and on-court strategy,” per news release.

Furthermore, it’s a position designed to enhance decision making throughout the program with the use of advanced analytics, emerging technologies and “basketball intelligence tools.”

Powell is the choice for such a position because of he was director of basketball innovation with the Trail Blazers. His role is described as leading the research and development department, and overseeing analytics and software initiatives. Powell also had responsibilities that included salary cap management, team building, player evaluation modeling and roster construction.

“From the beginning of the process, it was clear that AP shares our belief that great programs never stop growing,” Scheyer said via release. “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.”

Before working with Portland, Powell spent six seasons with the Hornets as head of quantitative analysis and development. He’s credited with building Charlotte’s analytics department, applications and models from the ground floor.

Powell is from Greenville, S.C., and earned a master degree from Northwestern in 2022. He played for Kenyon College, a Division III program in Gambier, Ohio.