Duke Basketball Makes New Hires to Scheyer's Staff

The Duke basketball program has made a few new hires to its staff under head coach Jon Scheyer for the 2026-27 season.

Scheyer lost assistant coach Evan Bradds this offseason, as Bradds left Durham to take over as the new men's basketball head coach at his alma mater, Belmont. Bradds was a former Bruin player and worked with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics in player development before coming to Duke.

Here are the new hires for the Duke basketball program.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

KJ Conklin - Assistant Coach

Conklin has spent the past several years working at the NBA and college levels in coaching. He began as an intern with Pure Sweat Basketball in Los Angeles during the summers of 2018 and 2019.

Conklin then spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech from 2018-20 before inking his first assistant role at the junior college level at Olney Central College in Illinois.

🚨 Coaching staff update! Welcome KJ!

🏀😈🤝 pic.twitter.com/srpWvckDOS
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 2, 2026

He made another stop at the JUCO level, spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Independence Community College in Kansas.

He then joined the Texas Longhorns program as a graduate assistant in 2022, before being elevated to Director of Player Development in 2023. Conklin's last stop was with the Austin Spurs, the G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, where he also served as Director of Player Development.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

"KJ is an unbelievable addition to our staff and our program," Scheyer said of Conklin. "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."

Mar 18, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Alexander Powell - Executive Director of Basketball

Alexander Powell joins the Blue Devils in the new role of Executive Director of Basketball, which "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."

Powell played college basketball at Kenyon College (DIII) before bringing his passion and talent for data analytics to the NBA. He spent six years with the Charlotte Hornets as the Head of Quantitative Analysis before joining the Portland Trail Blazers as the Director of Basketball Innovation.

Big addition to the staff! Welcome AP!

🧠👨‍💻🏀😈 pic.twitter.com/ZX6unRN526
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 2, 2026

"We're excited to welcome Alexander Powell to Duke Basketball," Scheyer said. "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."

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