Duquesne Announces Star Guard Officially Returning

On Wednesday, Duquesne posted another “Run it Back” graphic on its social media pages, announcing that Jake DiMichele is officially returning for the Dukes next year.

Check out the post here.

Last season, DiMichele battled injuries, only playing in seven games. However, in limited action, DiMichele showed an improved offensive game and took on a big role as a scorer. In that seven-game sophomore stint, he averaged 24.3 minutes per game, 10.9 points per game, and 1.6 assists per game. DiMichele shot 32% from three as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-4 McKees Rocks native earned playing time in 30 games as a freshman, averaging 6.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He scored 8 points on 3-for-6 shooting in Duquesne’s First Round win in the NCAA Tournament over BYU.

That year, he shot 46% from the field and 31% from the field. DiMichele started 21 games as a rookie, and the Dukes went 15-6 in those 21 games.

“Coming from my prep season and the different struggles and things I had to go through, I just looked at being at Duquesne as a blessing, whether I played or not,” DiMichele told PSN last year. “Before I made the decision, I kind of looked at the roster. Seeing Dae Dae and Jimmy, obviously, they’re the two guys. I realized, with all of the transfer stuff, I may not get the time that I wanted to see. But, Ihave a great opportunity to grow and develop and just get better every day. Then, once we got in the Summer and started practicing, I realized that I can hold my own with these guys and I really do have a chance to make an impact.”

The former Duquesne walk-on played his high-school basketball at OLSH in the WPIAL before taking a prep year at First Love Scotland Campus. DiMichele finished his high-school career as No. 2 on the WPIAL’s all-time leading scorers list.

At First Love, he earned First Team All-EPL (Elite Prep League) after averaging 24 points per game on 53% shooting. He hit 37% of his three-point attempts on the year, per EPL.