The wait for a press conference following Tuesday’s 80-74 loss to Milwaukee was the longest since the six-win 2021-22 Duquesne Men’s Basketball Team, but during that time, words had to be said, and head coach Dru Joyce III had some points to get across.
His team, now 0-4 needed to hear him speak and needed to understand what it takes to be winners.
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Duquesne has been in this position before, in fact earlier this year, when it started 0-5 in Atlantic 10 play. While this can be used as a reference and rallying point, there are countless different pieces in this group and their understanding of what it takes to win could be crucial in determining the outcome of its season.
With that in mind, Duquesne has three games in the Cayman Island Classic, the first of which tips off Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against South Dakota State.
Here are two keys to prepare for that contest.
1. Determine what being a winner looks like–
“(We’re) going through different challenges. New group of guys trying to learn and gel from each other. No talent issue, we need to develop an attitude of buying in and being completely unselfish especially on the defensive end.” – Jake DiMichele
As mentioned earlier in a three keys piece, there is a simple recipe that makes Duquesne good, getting stops and moving the ball.
Duquesne’s runs on Tuesday game from getting defensive stops, it was what allowed the Dukes to experience success and clearly the same holds true if they desire victories.
Last year that entailed sacrifices from everyone on the team and the same holds true this season.
Ball movement is just as critical. Far too many times the ball stuck in an area for as much as five seconds, and Joyce had to shout at his team to move the ball.
This season’s high mark for assists is 15 and that is not going to win Duquesne many games. While the aforementioned six-win team would have killed for 15 assists a night, the talent on this Dukes team is far too much to settle for that mark.
“When we minimize the importance of a possession defensively and not be sound and make mistakes, we pay for them,” Joyce explained. “We haven’t been able to get past any mistake that we make. It’s like we owe somebody money. When we don’t move the ball, we struggle. The ball moves we develop good shots. When we lack those things, that’s where the struggle in play comes. We continue to hurt ourselves. It’s not necessarily the other team; it’s us because we are capable of defending.”
2. Determine a starting five– Under normal circumstances a starting five is not finite and can be ceremonial, but what made Duquesne succeed last year was players understanding his respective role. It is no coincidence that once those were fleshed out, it was off to the races.
Having a steady starting lineup in game five may seem like an overreaction on paper, but it would go a long way in establishing those roles. Of course, those roles can change but the lineup should reward those who have brought it most and can find ways to gel on the court.
Of course, this season is new for everyone, and Duquesne is still recovering from injuries, so there is a period of determining what works, but as far as the win column is concerned, not enough has and when it goes south, it gets exposed.
There also needs to be a willingness to ride the hot hand. In the first half of the Milwaukee game that was Matus Hronsky, he had the most juice of any Duquesne player, but in a coach’s decision, he spent much of the second half on the bench and when he did come in, he had lost his juice. Not only does riding the hot hand reward that player, but it sends a clear message to those on the court that this is the standard if you want to stay on the court.
Personally, my starting five right now would be as follows: Jake DiMichele, Tre Dinkins III, Jakub Necas, Jahsean Corbett, David Dixon, and yes this accounts for all four games.
DiMichele posted a career high Tuesday and stepped up vocally. He makes the right plays, is a winner and most importantly, is finally coming around in health.
There have been calls for DiMichele to start earlier, but that was not wise. Even he admits he missed an extended period of time and had 2-3 practices before the season opener against Lipscomb, where he got back cut on multiple occasions.
DiMichele can find his shot, can move the ball and most importantly sacrifices and sells out defensively. He can set an example in that regard that his teammates can follow.
Dinkins showed a lot in the second half of Milwaukee and took a couple of big shots a la Dae Dae Grant. While they did not go in, it was the first true showing of point-blank rise and fire. His rally and heart were very noticeable, and it frankly might have been the most heart any Dukes player has displayed thus far. That was absolutely noticed on the court.
Necas was slowed by an injury during workouts, but is a player who puts in the work, can guard practically any position on the court and when right, is a mismatch that can expose an opponent’s weaknesses. He will get going and this is not just based on last year, but the quiet confidence he possesses. The three spot in basketball today is adaptable and has to be a counter puncher based on what the game calls for, and it makes the most sense.
Corbett has been Duquesne’s most consistent player thus far. He has made the jump from Chicago State and applied himself very well. He had his below par game against Milwaukee, largely due to foul trouble, but he has been the best post thus far, shoots 42.1% from the field, leads the team at 5.8 rebounds per game and finishes plays. He should be rewarded for all of this.
Dixon was injured the summer, but based on what he has shown, especially defensively, deserves the first shot to get right and put it together. He will get stronger as the season progresses and while at 16.7 minutes per game, provided he can avoid the fouls, he can change the game with one block and offensively can give the most versatility from any post on the roster. Dixon’s confidence in himself preseason was the highest it has been in his now three years and giving him the chance to prove that is important for both sides.
There are several knocking on the door, but you also want to have a punch off the bench where the quality can maintain or increase, something just as important that Keith Dambrot was great at finding.
Four games in, Duquesne has 81 fouls, meaning it is getting whistles blown just a tick over 20 times a game, which is also far too much, as is the 50.2% opposing field goal percentage.
The Dukes need to remember what butters their bread so to speak and come together to once again change the story.
Ultimately, no matter who starts, it is imperative to find combinations that work, there has been nearly a month to find that and with that achieve trust, belief and execution on the court.
By no means is it time to press a panic button yet. It is four games into the season and there is far too much belief to do that.
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