Duquesne Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Dukes

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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 18: Head coach Keith Dambrot of the Akron Zips reacts while playing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the United Center on March 18, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Outlook for Duquesne this season

After finishing tied for 10th in the A-10 last season, there’s a strong possibility for the Dukes to rise up the conference ladder. But the question will be by how much? Programs who were in the bottom half of the league such as UMass, La Salle, George Mason, Saint Louis and Duquesne are also expected to rise, while Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, VCU and Saint Joe’s all lost key pieces and should fall back some.

That should create a very balanced conference overall. However, it also sets up a scenario where besides Fordham, GW and Richmond, any game will be a potential loss for the Dukes.

Williams and Lewis Jr. are going to continue their stellar play, so the ceiling/floor for Duquesne will all depend on the five transfers and five incoming freshmen. We all know that not all transfers work out so it’s no guarantee that this bench will be the talent boost that the team needs. Point guard play, in particular, will be the driving force concerning the offense, as it’s not clear who’ll take that job.

Next. Preseason A-10 Rankings for 2018-19. dark

While questions remain concerning the roster, it’s clear that Dambrot and Duquesne are building on what looks to be a bright future. With no seniors on the roster, this nucleus has a couple of years (barring no transfers) to gel an wreak havoc in the A-10. I look for them to have a top-6 finish in the league for this season, while potentially becoming the team to beat in preseason rankings for the 2019-20 season.

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