Duquesne Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Dukes

After a 21-win campaign and the most wins in Atlantic 10 history as a program (11) in one season, Duquesne Basketball had a lot of expectations heading into last season. A senior-heavy roster with all-conference talent had them in the area of contention towards the top.

Unfortunately for the Dukes, things didn’t go that way at all. The team had to go through multiple “pauses” early in the season due to positive tests for covid-19, which disrupted any momentum they were trying to get. An unexpected midseason departure of starting point guard Sincere Carry was a tough blow as well in the backcourt and the team ultimately failed to reach expectations.

Duquesne finished the 2020-21 campaign with a 9-9 (7-7) record and failed to make a postseason appearance. And making matters worse, a roster exodus was underway, with the top four scorers all either graduating or transferring out. In total, 10 players from last year’s roster moved on.

The good news for Duke fans is that head coach Keith Dambrot was able to bring in eight talented newcomers, including five transfers and three freshmen, two of them being point guards. And most importantly, they were able to hold onto Tobi Okani, a potential breakout candidate for the upcoming season.

It’s a completely new roster and challenges will await but there are also opportunities for new stars to emerge for Duquesne. They’ll need them because the Atlantic 10 will be as strong as ever at the top, with the projected bottom teams starting to make some moves as well.

Will the Dukes remain in the middle or will they take a step backward or forwards? Here’s a preview of the program and an overall outlook for the 2021-22 season.