NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early preseason mid-major top-25 for 2019-20 season
13. Duquesne Dukes
2018-19 season record: 19-13 (10-8 in A-10)
It was a different looking Duquesne team after all of Coach Dambrot’s transfers were eligibility to play last season. Just about all of them contributed this season and created rotation spots for themselves. It came at the cost of the leading scorer from two years Mike Lewis, who transferred out in the middle of the year.
But the biggest revelation came from freshman Sincere Carry, who averaged 12.1 ppg and a team-leading 5.8 apg. He’s already one of the best ball handlers in the A-10 and allows other guys to play off the ball. Another freshman joins the Dukes this offseason in highly coveted Maceo Austin, a three-star recruit who had several high major offers.
But it’ll be hard for him to get minutes on a team who doesn’t lose any seniors or transfers (at the moment). That doesn’t even include 6’11 and 300-pound center Dylan Swingle, who reshirted last year. Assuming Duquesne’s leading scorer and rebounder Eric Williams Jr. takes another step in development as a junior and preseason POY candidate, this will be a team who easily fights for a top-4 conference finish. They’ll go from a very young team to one filled with veterans and talent.