Atlantic 10 Basketball: 10 elements that have stood out so far in 2022-23

We are just about two weeks into the college basketball season and like always, games have been clunky for a lot of teams as they come together. But there are plenty of things that have stood out to start that give us an idea of what the season could look as everyone begins to gel.  I’ll dive into seven that have impressed me, three that have been disappointing and a special bonus item that I’m honestly confused by when it comes to Atlantic 10 Basketball.

Noticeably absent from this is the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational Champion UMass Minutemen, who get their due in Tuesday’s episode of the 3 Bid League podcast.

1. Duquesne!

What has stood out as a positive for the Dukes so far? Everything.

Dae Dae Grant (71% effective FG) looks like Duquesne’s best pure scoring guard since Bryan McAllister, Joe Reece is a defensive takeaway menace in the paint and on the press, Tre Clark is the perimeter defender they missed last year and is catching lobs like a bouncy center.  The seventeen-game losing streak is far back in the rearview, as is the now hilarious dead-last finish in the A-10 preseason poll and all that remains from last year’s disaster are Tre Williams (58% shooting) and Austin Rotroff (averaging 20!!!! rebounds per 40 minutes).

This group is the complete opposite of last year, they pass the ball (Bottom 10 in the nation in assist % last year, now right around the national average), take smart shots, hustle hard and play the brand of tough defense that Coach Keith Dambrot is known for.  And it’s early but Duquesne’s current three-point shooting (38.6%) is better than any Duquesne season ever and only trails 2007 Akron among Dambrot-coached teams.

The Dukes even boast a few promising players who haven’t really got going yet. Their starting point guard Tevin Brewer finally had a big performance against Colgate (14 pts, 5 asts) but isn’t fully healthy yet as he recovers from an appendectomy. Wing Matus Hronsky is 6’8″ but handles like a guard and is 4/10 from three. It will be a bumpy season but his ceiling is sky-high and his best highlights are already sensational.

But everything centers around Grant, who already has a perfect shooting game (8/8 against Montana), a point guard-like performance (6 assists in limited minutes in the blowout vs SC St), and a 17-point half against Colgate.  He is flying towards an All-Conference spot and in his small sample, appears to be the best guard Dambrot has brought to Duquesne.

If he continues to produce this way (which he did at Miami (OH)) then the Dukes are at least in the middle of the pack in the A-10 and will enjoyable to watch all season long.