Duquesne Quartet Uses Past Team Struggles To Pursue History

OMAHA, Neb. — Two seasons ago, the Duquesne Men’s Basketball Team stood with six wins next to its name, losers of 17 consecutive contests and appeared lost.

Its coach, Keith Dambrot, had attempted to correct the program by getting high-character players who could fit his scheme and admittedly it did not work out.

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Instead of panicking, Dambrot and four returning players in Andy Barba, R.J. Gunn, Austin Rotroff and Tre Williams set out to correct the mistakes and bring history back to the Bluff as the Dukes are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.

“It really felt like rock bottom at the end of that year,” Barba recalled. “That was my first year of college and I was a little lost. I didn’t know what to expect after that and it’s been such a turnaround after that point. Last Sunday was honestly one of the best feelings in my whole entire life. The difference between the two was amazing.”

As Rotroff sat back reflecting on the year he considered a spring meeting with the quartet as a turning point.

There was a focal point on what could be done differently as far as building the culture, taking charge of the locker room and holding each other accountable.

Rotroff had the unique vantage point of being on Duquesne’s roster but missing nearly the entirety of Atlantic 10 play due to injury so he could see the day-to-day and was on the inside but mostly was in the locker room as the team struggled to find answers.

Through it all Dambrot remained confident that Duquesne’s pendulum would swing back in the proper direction.

“Obviously it was reassuring,” Rotroff said of Dambrot’s assuredness. “I’ve been there for five years, and I’ve seen good, bad and ugly. I think it was comforting to see that and see the group respond to that positively and be on the same page as far as the common goal of working for each other having just one big connecting unit.”

Duquesne Dukes forward Austin Rotroff (34) December 31m, 2022 David Hague/PSN

Dambrot considered the quartet returning as fortunate because of who they are as individuals and the character each possessed.

He conceded that he is unsure how many people could have rebooted this situation as quickly as it has been remedied and was sure to credit VP of Athletics Dave Harper, NIL money, making good decisions on the portal and the overall assistance from others.

For Dambrot, building it back starts with one of the main tenants he was taught by his father Sid. Defend or sit.

“As crazy as this sounds, my dad told me when he played at Duquesne it didn’t matter how good you were offensively if you didn’t guard, you weren’t playing,” recalled Dambrot. “That’s been my coaching philosophy throughout my whole career, and I believed in that. It’s simple, you have to play together, you have to play great defense and you have to care about winning. It’s just a matter then of getting the right guys to implement the plan.”

It is clear that defensive principle has been engrained on the court, the current eight-game winning streak has been led by defensive efforts with everyone competing for each other in an effort to grind opposing teams out.

While the defensive aspect has been important, finding the right players to build this program up has been pivotal.

Throughout his tenure, Dambrot has been able to take the right fliers on players who otherwise were overlooked at the NCAA Division I level, players who have chips on their shoulders with something to prove.

“It’s a testament to the staff’s eyes for guys like that and the guys coming in and developing into really good players and people to be good teammates and build this culture,” Rotroff determined. “A couple of years ago winning six games to where we are now at 24 wins in the tournament and 20 wins last year. It is difficult to do if you really think about it, but mostly because of the culture. Not that we weren’t talented, but the culture is huge and probably the most important thing, so that is what I am most proud of with these guys.”

Last season’s team was plugged in constantly preaching about how it had been selected to place last in the preseason conference poll, instead turning it into a 20-win season.

Several Duquesne players have made sacrifices both seen and unseen on this year’s team. Multiple players who started the season have had that honor taken away, Dusan Mahorcic became a father this season, Jake DiMichele vaulted into the starting lineup and Williams who was a focal point of the 2021-22 team averaging 31.4 minutes per game was held to 14.3 this season as he battled several injuries, including one which will keep him out of Thursday’s NCAA Tournament First Round contest.

Instead of sulking and disappointment, this team turned the corner and made the choice to stick together, a sentiment which started with the scout team treating every day as if it was a game and challenging everyone to match that intensity.

“I feel like it just shows how much we really want to win,” stated Williams. “Being able to make those sacrifices for yourself to win as a whole means a whole lot. Sacrifices are huge for this locker room. A lot of guys are sacrificing big time, and you don’t even know it.”

Duquesne Dukes forward Tre Williams (4) November 21, 2022 David Hague/PSN

As the Dukes continued to win in Brooklyn, Rotroff watched from the stands and over 48 hours after the championship title, his voice was still not back to its former self.

After being able to touch the 40-pound trophy, he thought of those he got to play with last season including Dae Dae Grant, Jimmy Clark III, David Dixon, Chabi Barre and Kareem Rozier and what they have done to secure this result.

Rotroff has been to Pittsburgh multiple times over the course of this season and could see the difference in this year’s team finding a way for everything to gel.

When the buzzer hit zero, he thought of Barba and Williams and how those sacrifices from two years ago made this championship possible.

“I was just looking at the different seasons and Tre Williams especially going from that six-win team and playing almost the whole game and pretty much being the focal point of the offense, to having his minutes cut down not because he is not capable, he clearly is, but we are so deep this year,” said Rotroff. “Everyone really has to sacrifice a little bit to get where we did. The sacrifice that takes from Tre starting and playing 35 minutes a game to around 14 or 15 this year with the injuries he has battled. Andy as well not getting to see the court maybe as much as he’d like but being the ultimate locker room guy and will work his butt off in practice and really bring the team together from a cultural and social aspect which is maybe more important than anything, getting a lot of guys in the first year to gel. They are two of the best guys I’ve ever played with, and I would want them in my corner every day.”

Anytime Williams is on the court this season, one thing has been consistent. His smile. Though this year individually might have been his most challenging, his continuation to remain upbeat for his team has set an example that others have followed.

It is what he calls that “blind trust in Coach D” from two years ago that set the tenants for this championship season.

Now both he and Barba are not satisfied. They are hungry for more.

“It’s important to keep a good mindset every day and it sets such a good example for the young guys,” Barba concluded. “Obviously Tre and I have been frustrated at times but try to smile and have a good attitude is something you have to do for yourself and the team in general.”

Duquesne Dukes forward Andy Barba (22) November 14, 2022 David Hague/PSN