Duquesne Gets Commitment From JUCO Guard/Wing Quincy McGriff

The Duquesne Dukes lost a guard on Monday afternoon to the transfer portal, but soon replaced him on the depth chart.

Tonight, 6’6″ JUCO guard Quincy McGriff (Salt Lake Community College) announced that he’s taking his basketball talents to play for Keith Dambrot and the Dukes next season.

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McGriff selected Duquesne over other offers from Wichita State, Texas A&M, Quinnipiac, Drexel, Stony Brook, UTSA, North Illinois, Iona, Oral Roberts, Cal Poly, Portland, Cleveland State and Florida International. McGriff’s decision to commit to Duquesne was made following his official visit last weekend.

Pittsburgh Sports Now spoke with McGriff prior to his decision and first asked him about what sold him on becoming a Duquesne Duke.

“What made me really know that Duquesne was the best choice was the strength of the Duquesne coaching staff and how knowledgeable and connected they are,” said McGriff. “They have been at Duquesne for a while and just the bond I felt between them when I was there. I also had serious interest in Duquesne because of the competition that they play in the Atlantic-10 conference. Soon as they offered me, I became interested and knew that I’d be playing against some high-level competition and programs in the Atlantic 10 conference. That was very big for me.”

Another aspect that played a major role was the opportunity that McGriff felt he’d have to change the fortunes of Duquesne basketball along with getting the chance to do it right away.

“Coach Keith really wants to win and turn things around immediately. He told me how he plans on prioritizing the new players that are coming in and how we’d have a chance to make a major impact from day one. I believe in myself and regardless of the situation, I’m expecting to come in and make a big impact from day one. With all of the players that left, I look at this as an exciting opportunity with this new roster and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m not afraid of it and actually think it’s exciting and I can’t wait to be able to showcase my talents at Duquesne.”

It’s no secret as to why Duquesne and other programs are interested in McGriff as he’s a 6-foot-6 guard that brings versatility and the ability to provide offense from anywhere on the court.

“I’m a bigger guard,” he continued. “I’m a 6’6″ guard that can play the point, can also play shooting guard and small forward. I can bring a team versatility plus I consider myself a good shooter. Whatever team I end up at, I believe that I’m going to bring them the ability of scoring, at will. I can shoot, I can catch and shoot off the dribble, I’m a three-level scorer, along with the ability to be a playmaker for my team.”

Quincy McGriff 6’6 PG Salt Lake CC averages 14 PPG, 4 APG, & 3 RPG for the number 1 JUCO team in the country – shooting 40% from 3 & 86% from FT. They’re currently 31-1. McGriff will have 3 years of eligibility after this year. Elite ball skills & feel with size! @quincy_mcgriff pic.twitter.com/xC53PsANXj

— Julius V. (@JuliusVElite0) March 1, 2022

“When I told Coach Keith, he was very excited and he couldn’t wait to add my basketball skills and me as a person to the program. That was nice to hear and important to hear because I believe it’s important for a coach to look at me as more than just a player and for them to know me off the court and I believe I have that with Coach Keith and Duquesne.”

“This is just an exciting day for me,” said McGriff. “Coming out of high school in Los Angeles, I had a lot of D-1 offers and never imagined I’d have to go the JUCO route but was forced to do so because I had some problems with my grades. To finally now have the chance to play at the next level is just very exciting.”

Duquesne’s Class of 2022 now includes McGriff, forward Abdou Halil-Barre, forward David Dixon, guard Kareem Rozier, forward Matus Hronsky and transfer guard Tre Clark.