Duquesne Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from 2022-23 non-conference

Duquesne Basketball has a 10-3 record heading into the matchup with Dayton to open the non-conference campaign. What can be taken away from the early games?

After winning just six total games last season, Duquesne Basketball went through a complete roster overhaul, adding nine newcomers to the roster from the D-I, JUCO, and high school ranks. The new group has played better than most could’ve expected, winning 10 non-conference games for the first time since 2019 and only the fourth in the program’s history of the A-10.

The wins include at home over DePaul, Colgate, UC-Santa Barbara, and Indiana State. While most of these wins are listed as “Quad 4 victories”, it’s a solid resume that has shown that the Dukes can be potential top-half contenders in the league. Here are some takeaways overall from the team’s efforts as league play starts this week.

Dae Dae Grant has been a top-tier impact transfer

The big-name pickup this offseason for Duquesne was Grant, who averaged 17.5 ppg at Miami (OH) last season. The 4th-year senior guard is producing similar stats for the Dukes, leading them with 17.9 ppg while shooting 43% from three-point range on nearly eight attempts a game. Grant has six games of at least 20 points scored and has become the go-to option or the team. Regardless of the injuries, the veteran scorer has been everything and more that Duquesne wanted.

Jimmy Clark’s recent all-league play

Clark was known for being a quality defender in his first two years at VCU but after a year in JUCO (Northwest Florida State), the 6’3 guard’s offense has taken a considerable jump. He’s still one of the A-10’s leaders in steals but after an early spell of foul trouble, Clark has averaged around 15 ppg in the last seven games, including a game-winning 3 to beat Ball State. The two-production he offers has been huge for the Dukes, especially while point guard Tevin Brewer has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. If he keeps up this play, Clark could make the case for an All-A10 spot.

Unexpected contributions from freshmen class

With so many veterans on the roster, there was an expectation that we wouldn’t see much from the first year for Duquesne. But after seeing as many as 12 players go on opening night against Montana, that was a clear misread. Point guard Kareem Rozier has been hailed as a leader of the roster, while 6’8 guard Matus Hronsky is an exciting prospect for the future. David Dixon has gotten four starts while Joe Reece was hurt and Halil Barre is a center that can rebound and defend at a high level. With everyone just about healthy for Duquense, the minutes for some of these guys are likely to dwindle. But not only can these freshmen come in and produce at any notice, but it’s also a nice glimpse towards the future if these guys all stick around.

Tre Williams stands out in loaded frontcourt

Even with veteran forward Kevin Easley leaving for the transfer portal, Duquesne’s frontcourt depth has been among the best in the A-10. Austin Rotroff is one of the most efficient rebounders in the country off the bench, while Reece is a double-digit scorer at either position. Dixon and Barre get minutes, while stretch forward RJ Gunn is set to return after a foot injury. And yet, the senior forward Williams still is averaging around 30 mpg as the top defender on the team. He also has a high +/- and while just averaging 8.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg, has been a consistent two-way option for the Dukes. Even with everyone healthy, expect Williams to still be on the court for most of the time.

Defensive ups and downs

Duquesne has two really good defenders among the starters in Williams and Clark and the effort overall has been there. But this team still ranks 236th in the country at 70.8 ppg, as well as 300th nationally at three-point defense in 36%. Part of it has been playing against some faster-paced programs such as Colgate, Indiana State, and Marshall and there has been a lot of reshuffling of the lineup. But outside of the 66-55 win over DePaul, it’s been the offense that has carried the team.

The defense has been a weak point for Duquesne Basketball at times, as they’ve given up several big runs to put them in danger of losing games such as Indiana State, Ball State, and even North Florida. If they want to be a contender for a top-4 spot in the Atlantic 10 standings and conference tournament double-bye, they’ll have to clean that up. But offensively, they’re good enough to make that kind of jump after being picked to finish last in the preseason.