NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four: Duke Blue Devils' Digital Crew Dials Into Pulse of the Tournament With Player-Driven, Behind-the-Scenes Content

NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four: Duke Blue Devils' Digital Crew Dials Into Pulse of the Tournament With Player-Driven, Behind-the-Scenes Content Social media feed covers culture of San Antonio, daily routine of March Madness By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Friday, April 4, 2025 - 3:43 pm

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Don't look now: the Duke Blue Devils are coming. The perennial blue blood is once again making noise in March Madness, and with a squad that includes the projected No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft - freshmen phenom Cooper Flagg - they're two wins away from lifting another National Championship trophy. On their way to the Alamodome in San Antonio, the program's social media and digital channels have tapped into the high energy that comes with advancing to the Men's Final Four, but have also highlighted the interesting backstories of their sqaud and the team's preparation behind the scenes.

At this stage, we're trying to lean in on the organic emotion of the tournament while falling into the rhythm of the daily schedule of the tournament with practices and media obligations, says David Bradley, creative director, Duke University Men's Basketball. The energy of the event and all the amazing detail that goes into it creates a fun and compelling runway for great content.

Photographer Meg Lee; student intern Jack Feldstein; Senior Director, Creative Video, Nolan Elingburg; Creative Director David Bradley; and Associate Director, Player Branding, Nick Colosimo in the locker room after winning the 2025 ACC Championship.

Staying Consistent: Digital Strategy Remains the Same Throughout the Postseason Run The college men's basketball schedule encapsulates multiple months of the athletic calendar, and from the creative side, it's really hard to come up with new ideas that keep fans constantly entertained. For the crew in Durham, NC, they understand the content and philosophies that they do well. That mentality has paid off in a busy postseason that included winning the 2025 ACC Tournament in Charlotte and rattling off four straight victories to punch their ticket to the Lone Star State.

We're pretty consistent in trying to operate at a high-level all season long, and March Madness regulations around content capture are a bit limiting, adds Bradley. The Final Four stage presents a wider opportunity to capture unique content than a regular-season game in November, and we're incredibly excited to have an opportunity to cover the team on the biggest stage in the sport.

Outside of the arena and the basketball court, the team is diving into the heartbeat and ambience of the host city. A tactic used in previous seasons and an approach that's similar to many creative content teams in collegiate athletics, the host city brings its most notable highlights to the forefront and becomes the epicenter of college basketball for a handful of days. A historically and culturally rich city like San Antonio is providing a fun canvas for the team to work with.

The Final Four always connects so well with the host city's culture, says Bradley. We want to able to share that as well.

A Platform for the Players: Locker Room Exclusives, Deep-Dive Profiles Tell the Blue Devils' Story With so many games being played, a ton of storylines being developed, and a multitude of material that needs to be captured, it's easy to get lost in the chaos of March Madness. From the perspective of Duke's digital team, their strategy is keying on two key factors: to place the players at the center of all of their projects and to diversify their content across their various platforms. This includes an emphasis on creative photography, engaging vertical video, and long-form content on YouTube.

We've tried to strike a balance all tournament across all forms of content that resonate in 2025, says Bradley. I would say there's a bigger content shift getting to the Final Four than there may be for the teams who advance to the title game.

This sentiment especially rings true for the crew's trip to San Antonio. For example, certain posts have integrated Easter Eggs of the city, including the boats that travel down the famous San Antonio River Walk and the Mexican iconography that welcomed the team when they touched down earlier this week. Although their schedules have gotten busier, the players on the roster have also made themselves available. The student-athletes have bought into this content strategy all season long, which means that many of the posts seen during the regular season have continued in the tournament. Some include locker room exclusives hosted by graduate forward Neal Begovich and a look at how freshman Khaman Maluach made his way from South Sudan to the campus of Duke University:

We've had the absolute best group of guys this season and have appreciated every moment around the team, says Bradley. They treat us like true teammates, and we're so grateful for their support, talent and commitment to Duke.

Team practices have become an opportune time to bring out the players' personalities. One-on-one competitions are a common occurrence, including this shooting contest between Flagg and freshmen guard Kon Knueppel:

The Brotherhood , Duke's expansive network of alumni that perpetually show support for the program and the current players, have lent their time to the cause as well. This includes an interview featuring two-time NCAA Champion, 1994 ACC Player of the Year, and seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, and an upcoming hype video narrated by 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum.

High-Quality Equipment for a High-Quality Team: Sony, Canon Gear Power Onsite Effort in San Antonio In San Antonio, Bradley will be joined by the incredible team of Senior Director, Creative

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/04/04/ncaa-mens-basketball-final-four...
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