The college basketball season is heating up — and so is the conversation on Sports IQ with Larry Smith.

This episode dives deep into Duke’s surge under head coach Jon Scheyer, with insight from Anna Snyder, Duke beat writer for The Fayetteville Observer. The Blue Devils are rolling through ACC play behind star freshmen Cooper Flagg and Cam Boozer, and Snyder breaks down what makes this team different, what still needs tightening before March, and how Duke matches up with North Carolina, Michigan, and the rest of the national contenders.

Larry and the crew also zoom out to the bigger picture in college hoops, where the Big Ten is stacked. With multiple teams inside the Top 10 and Illinois riding a 10-game win streak, the race for conference supremacy — and national relevance — is wide open. Is this finally the year the Big Ten breaks through in March?

Plus:

• Major Olympic news with Lindsey Vonn’s scary crash just days before the Games

• Tennis history as Carlos Alcaraz pushes toward a career Grand Slam

• Eye-opening Super Bowl facts you probably didn’t know (including why there are two Lombardi Trophies at every game)

• The early buzz around Super Bowl commercials, including a genius Pepsi ad twist

• A classic Moment of Awe spotlighting the birth of the American League and the modern World Series

Smart sports conversation, real context, and just enough trivia to win you the room — that’s Sports IQ.

• Duke basketball’s evolution under Jon Scheyer

• Cooper Flagg vs. Cam Boozer: roles, impact, and comparisons

• Duke vs. UNC, Michigan, Clemson, and Virginia outlook

• ACC resurgence and teams flying under the radar

• Big Ten depth and Illinois’ 10-game win streak

• Olympic injury update: Lindsey Vonn

• Carlos Alcaraz’s historic Australian Open run

• Super Bowl trivia, ads, and behind-the-scenes stories

• Moment of Awe: The American League becomes a major league