Compared to the rest of the Atlantic 10, the Duquesne Dukes have had a slower roster build. They did land former Xavier big man John Hugley at the center position but after losing Kareem Rozier and Matus Hronsky, the backcourt was also expected to get some new additions.
One that’s confirmed is Jimmie Williams, a 6’5 guard from Solon, Ohio. After being named to the JUCO All-American team at Wallace State Community College, Williams transferred to South Florida for this past season.
Williams played 30 games with the Bulls, mostly coming off the bench. In just 18 mpg, the sophomore averaged 7.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, and over a steal per game. His most impressive stats include shooting 40% from three-point range on 28 of 70 attempts.
Williams had eight double-digit scoring games, led by a 16-point outing on the road at Texas-San Antonio. Of the 30 games, the sophomore guard had at least six points in 21. That may not seem like much, but for a Duquesne squad that struggled on offense, getting someone in the rotation who provides consistent production is key.
It’s now very important, as the Dukes lost guard Maxmius Edwards to the transfer portal. The former GW guard averaged 8.3 ppg in 20 mpg this past season, shooting 44% from the field. Edwards, who recovered from an awful start to the year, scored 13+ points in each of the final four games but also had 13 games with five or fewer points.
Williams won’t be at the top of any transfer rankings, as he projects to be mainly a rotation player for the Dukes. Yet a year ago, Cam Crawford arrived in a loaded transfer class, posting similar numbers off the bench at Marshall. After not playing much earlier on, Crawford was the Dukes’ second-best transfer, replacing Edwards in the starting lineup and shooting 43% from deep to help make the team competitive.
We’ll see if that’s the kind of impact that Williams will have for the 2025-26 campaign.