Inside The Dukes: Back On Track

As Hassan and Fousseyni Drame walked to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, the twins had a gleam in their eyes, a feeling that Tuesday night was going to go Duquesne’s way and three-and-a-half hours later, the Dukes pulled off a 54-50 victory over St. Bonaventure.

“Well, I guess we’re not dead yet,” Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot remarked. “It was a shame how the game ended, but we played really good defensively for 95% of the game. We had jitters and yips in the last four minutes but survive and advance.”

This result was exactly what sophomore guard Kareem Rozier was looking for when he remarked not to count his team out.

He further proved this point by coming right back into the same Aloe Suite that a week prior he sat and fielded questions from a game he had felt his team slip away.

Duquesne led by 16 points with five minutes to play and the Bonnies used a 14-1 run to get back to within a possession, but when they needed to most, the Dukes banded together and made enough plays to finish the game.

Duquesne Dukes guard Jimmy Clark III (1) January 23, 2024 David Hague/PSN

It was Rozier and Jimmy Clark III’s belief that the last five games were a build up for something. That something was Tuesday night.

“We ain’t going nowhere we’re still here,” promised Rozier. “We’re jumpstarted right now, we’re on the road to greatness. I just had to come in here and make that known, I did not go against my word.”

How did Duquesne get it done? Defense.

This likely was the Dukes best performance on the defensive end as the Bonnies were held to 15 points in the first half, the lowest output by an opponent in the Dambrot era and St. Bonaventure was 2-for-13 from three-point range.

The Bonnies were unable to get into any rhythm and a weapon in Chad Venning who was a force last season, was guarded well by David Dixon and when the ball did go inside, he was met with double teams.

“Defense was contagious with us being more in communication with each other,” guard Jimmy Clark III offered. “We emphasized that in our walkthroughs and today you saw it affected our defense.”

When Duquesne led by 10 points, Dixon fought for a steal, and it carried his momentum towards the free throw line where he grabbed possession and called a timeout.

It was a play which fired Rozier up and he encouraged those in attendance to do the same.

“That’s the best part of basketball,” opined Rozier. “Going on runs and little plays like that that are big plays. I’m so proud of Dave, he’s come so far and for him to dive on the ground and all of that, even with the knee proud, I was so happy because that changed the game in terms of energy wise. That’s why I just lost it when it happened.”

YOUTH OF THE NATION

Much of this season Dambrot has gone with the older experience, often referring his decision towards them getting the first crack, but now, that pendulum has turned in the other direction.

Certainly Dae Dae Grant’s concussion has allowed Duquesne to get more looks out of players such as Jake DiMichele and Matus Hronsky, but to their credit they have validated that decision.

“Those younger guys they’re skilled guys with good brains, they make some mistakes, but they compete,” Dambrot stated. “I tried to be fair and give the older guys the first shot at it, but in my heart of hearts, I knew that Jake was a good player and then Matus has come a long way back from his issues last year. He’s put a lot of time in these last five months to get in shape and Jakub (Necas) has been one of our best defensive players since he’s been here. The reason he hasn’t played more is because he hasn’t shown the ability to score yet and we’ve had scoring issues. If he can score, he can have a lot of minutes.”

Duquesne Dukes guard Jake DiMichele (44) January 23, 2024 David Hague/PSN

Given how Duquesne has had issues consistently placing the ball in the basket, the desperation of the youth and willingness to do the dirty work has set them apart.

Hronsky is now getting his longest look as a sophomore.

Dambrot caught a glimpse of it a season ago when Tevin Brewer was sidelined at the beginning of the campaign and both Hronsky and Quincy McGriff had to run the point. Now with an increase emphasis on defensive tenacity, both have found a home on the court.

The decision to go younger also comes from Dambrot’s feeling of being more skilled and it also rewards a walk-on and a player who has overcome confidence issues and other challenges to dedicate several months to getting back on the court. That fight clearly resonated.

MY SACRIFICE

It is safe to say that this season has had its share of twists and turns. The non-conference slate had a good start and players started to settle, but Dambrot correlates placing Tre Williams and Dusan Mahorcic back in the fold, being when the team went in “the toilet”, though he does not blame them.

The belief is more so about players becoming uncomfortable and it is a challenge which could arise once more with Grant returning to the lineup sooner rather than later, perhaps as soon as Saturday’s contest against Fordham.

So, what does Dambrot have planned?

His gut reaction seemed to be to play guys less and maximize efficiency, while avoiding stretching minutes.

With a defensive identity forming it will be challenging because Dambrot does not desire for that identity to change.

In short, he does not know the right answer other than to remove feelings from the occasion and right the hot hands-on a given night.

Several players have been challenged this season and it appears that Fousseyni Drame has turned a corner. He had eight points and seven rebounds and was a consistent presence that frustrated the Bonnies. Drame had a good start to the season and was the team’s most consistent post option and some of that form is returning.

Duquesne Dukes forward Fousseyni Drame (34) January 23, 2024 David Hague/PSN

Dambrot believes it is quite possible that Drame had a tough time with his brother Hassan not being out on the court with him, but he continues to play hard and his effort and ability to go out and get the ball were noticed.

As for Clark, it has been a challenging season between bumps and bruises, some missed free throws and some challenging shooting evenings, but he remains engaged as he was able to rest, playing his lowest minutes against an NCAA D-I opponent since Nov. 22 at Nebraska.

Even still, Clark remains engaged and determined in an effort to help his team achieve all of its goals.

“I know adversity is always going to come for those that are ready for it,” he concluded. “I just have to keep fighting through adversity, being ready for the team, doing whatever they need me to do, I will be there. That’s the main thing, just getting through adversity whether losing, not playing good when we’re winning, either way I’m fighting and trying to be better for the team.”