Weiss: Only One Way To Grade Duquesne’s MBB Season

Every year is an adjustment process, but this Duquesne Men’s Basketball season may have been the biggest one trying to figure out just how it would follow up a historic 2023-24 campaign, one which seemed like a movie at every turn.

Dru Joyce III had a very unenviable task this season for an athletic department which rightfully was celebrating last year’s success as it had a positive effect on each program on campus, but he quietly behind the scenes had to put the pieces together with very high expectations set on this program.

Joyce’s hire made re-recruiting players as seamless as possible and getting core players such as David Dixon, Jake DiMichele, Jakub Necas and Kareem Rozier back was crucial, both for continuity and energy’s sake.

The new players who came in would understand the standard, the expectation from player’s who scratched, clawed and believed all to get to territory which was uncharted for 47 years.

Unfortunately, a lot of the returning players were subject of unnecessary attacks by discussion boards who unnecessarily attacked them, at times crossing the line into personal.

Take Jakub Necas for example, who went on record stating he would die for this team and had two injuries which for some could end their season, but not only did he battle, he consistently started.

It was Cam Crawford’s turn after the second Dayton game because he just so happened to foul after he hit the tying basket unaware of the score, a mistake just as much on the bench but one in which some were unnecessarily relentless.

Whether it would be admitted or not, these players read these remarks and in a season which was undoubtedly a stressful one, that certainly did not help.

Sure, this season was disappointing, but a necessary one for all involved. After all, since people are so obsessed with grading things, the only grade that be given here is incomplete.

There were injuries throughout the season with Chabi Barre going down multiple times, Dixon coming off an injury over the summer, Alex Williams missing the entire season and DiMichele going down after Cancun.

Had DiMichele and Williams been fully healthy, this season would have been different and some of these closer games could have gone Duquesne’s way. Both DiMichele and Williams are proven winners and deserve their flowers. Both coming back make Duquesne automatically becomes a better side.

Dixon and Necas returning and maintaining that loyalty are extremely crucial perhaps feeling that there is some unfinished business. Dixon will be one of four players in the entire conference to stay at the same program for four seasons.

The season itself did feel a bit disjointed beyond the record. To be frank it felt like at times things were unorganized, with plans changing and from the outside that stretched onto the floor. Constructively, this experience was a new one for all involved so there may have been some things that were learned. It is my personal opinion that Duquesne could use a chief of staff or general manager, someone who has either coached or been involved in the game of basketball for an extended period of time that can oversee and fix these things while trying to further build relationships.

A very recent development was Monday’s news from Jeff Goodman that assistant coach Steve Wright is going to have the same position at Missouri. Wright had positive relationships with all involved with the team and even shook hands with fans and those sitting courtside before each game. How Joyce fills his position will be something to keep an eye on.

One thing that this offseason needs to show is a focused approach into making these Dukes winners once again.

The list of players who are no longer with the Dukes is somewhat extensive. Returners in Barre, Rozier and Matus Hronsky in addition to walk-ons Ethan Anish, Seamus McDermott and Lucas Perusek. Tre Dinkins III who since stayed in the A-10 as a GW Revolutionary, Maximus Edwards weeks after Joyce seemingly re-recruited him following the season ending loss to St. Bonaventure. Eli Wilborn after a year of development and new walk-ons in Jayden Brown, Luca Prolla.

This is a lot of turnover in addition to Jahsean Corbett who graduated.

There was certainly a lot of learning done over the course of the season that will make this program a better one.

Of course, expectations were high after the NCAA Tournament run of the 2023-24 run but that was likely unfair given the many new players, staffers and a change in the college basketball landscape as a whole.

In a time where there is a lot of finger pointing, the effort will undoubtedly bring all parties together to work on areas of improvement.

Free throws are one both Joyce and Dave Harper agreed upon that the latter publicly revealed to PSN and it was uncharacteristic to see a 65.1% effort, the worst since the pandemic year and the 2014-15 season if talking about a full campaign.

There are other unnamed tweaks that both will seek to put this season.

It is clear that Duquesne is doing its homework in this transfer portal as it should. There is a definite number of roster spots and the Dukes want to be specific on who is on next season’s roster.

While last year was a first season, it was not acceptable nor up to standard. Having general health improve in addition to a roster ready to unite for a common goal will go a long way for a Duquesne team which naturally will be overlooked once again.

It has been quiet in the Duquesne camp, and it should. That quietness likely means the staff is analyzing everything to be the best possible product for 2025-26 and return back to form.

Joyce has seen what it takes to be successful and remains the right voice for Duquesne. He is driven and now has learned some necessary lessons that will make year number two a more successful one.