Atlantic 10 Basketball: 5 key storylines to watch in 2023 offseason

4) …And Duquesne!!

I wasn’t going to leave you hanging on the NCAA Tournament drought stat. That unfortunate longest run belongs to Duquesne, who last made it a good fifteen years (1977) before Fordham did.  Even that team simply got hot in the Eastern 8 Tournament, which got them to .500 on the season, despite a soon-to-be NBA All-Star in Norm Nixon on the roster. So it’s not unreasonable to say that expectations for the 2023-24 Dukes should be the highest in fifty years. They certainly will be the highest of the 21st century.

The past few years, teams that return everyone from a quality roster have tended to disappoint (see 2022 UCLA, 2023 UNC), especially in the A-10 (2021 Richmond, 2022 St. Bonaventure, 2023 Dayton, 2023 SLU). It the teams that return a few stars and find a way to construct the best possible roster around them that offseason by way of newcomers and development from young players with small roles (2022 Davidson, 2023 VCU, 2023 UCLA) that have succeeded as of late.

Duquesne falls right into that sweet spot with their best players, star two-way wings Dae Dae Grant and Tre Clark and stud interior defender Tre Williams, coming back.  Tevin Brewer’s distribution and shooting will be missed but Kareem Rozier earned himself a bigger role by the end of the season with his on-ball defense and off the dribble attacking.

Add in that Rozier, Grant and Williams make up much of the team’s vaunted leadership group and the Dukes should retain their heart and soul.  But the roster is far from complete, as Duquesne will need another point guard, either a veteran who could start but would need to be willing to cede significant minutes to Rozier, or a freshman who can provide energy off the bench.  Additionally, David Dixon and Halil Barre might be the most talented center duo Duquesne has had since the Nelson twins, but injuries were a big issue for both in their first season and they will need a third option to split time with.

A bonus storyline that will be largely ignored but could be incredibly significant, there is a sweet shooting stretch 4 who is currently on the roster of a smaller school or already in the transfer portal that can swing a game or two in February and March next year. I have no idea who this player will be, but I do know that VCU and Duquesne will both find him and go all out to get him and that inevitable battle should not be ignored.