Weiss: Eight Thoughts On Duquesne MBB

The Duquesne Men’s Basketball non-conference slate is in the books and with it is an 8-5 record to show for it. There were plenty of ups and downs overall throughout the set of games as the Dukes prepare to take on Davidson in its Atlantic 10 opener Tuesday night.

1. It is clear that despite a good amount of adversity that there is far less individualism than a season ago and several more individuals are more inclined to trade a good shot for a better one.

If there was any doubt about the team chemistry look no further than Per Jellum. Yes, redshirt forward Freddy Jellum’s dad, who performed the National Anthem before both games this past week.

Before last Monday night’s effort against Canisius, Per, a tenor back home in Denmark came to Pittsburgh to be with his son for the holiday’s and then went the extra mile learning a National Anthem to perform in front of a crowd. The anthem was flawless, and well understood, but far more important was not just how proud Freddy was of his father, but Stef van Bussel had his arms around the younger Jellum and several team members shouted in approval. It set the tone for what was to come, and it showed just how connected this team is.

You can look at the offense being far more cohesive than last year and that would be a correct sentiment, but the energy feels far different. Last year there were too many periods where things did not go well and that started with energy. It was a dead giveaway, but Duquesne handled business convincingly as it should have, but confidence is crucial all the way around. The coaching staff is challenging Duquesne’s bench after each good play to make noise for those on the court and keep bringing the energy up.

Energy can be the difference between winning and losing, yes even in March and Duquesne is definitely not short on energy.

2. If the season ends today, both Tarence Guinyard and Jimmie Williams should be on an Atlantic 10 All-Conference Teams.

During the summer workouts, Guinyard’s work ethic and consistency jumped off the page, he became the player I was most looking forward to seeing between newcomers and returners. Guinyard knows how to handle business and has an approach that has become contagious. When your leading scorer also has 67 assists against 27 turnovers, that is incredibly encouraging.

Williams had his share of ups and downs but since the Akron contest against Northeastern has been in double figures in each contest, that streak is now up to eight games. In those eight contests, Williams is firing at a 59.8% clip from the field and that with 52 makes on 87 shots. After a recent women’s basketball game, the clock showed 11 p.m. and Williams clocked in for extra work, and this was not a one-time instance. Williams goes about his business quietly but it is paying off this season.

3. Jake DiMichele being back on a basketball court is crucially important. Naturally, the stats speak for themselves, but far more important is just what he does on the court. Jake is a winner and last year with so many close contests, it is not an exaggeration to say he could have won that team four or five more contests, because that is how valuable he is. It was good to hear him say after the Cleary game that he is 100% healthy. It has been a climb to watch him find his timing in game action. For those wondering why his minutes have not risen, coach Dru Joyce III explained that earlier this season as he wants to take it slowly. DiMichele has experienced two major injuries and had to get his legs under him. It is clear to see that glow is back and unsurprisingly so have the wins.

4. Duquesne fans are enjoying the best version of Jakub Necas they have seen in his now three seasons. Necas has become more aggressive and while teammates and coaches have told him to take more shots, seeing it go in and work out goes just as far. There were many fans who questioned why Duquesne scheduled how it did to wrap out non-conference play and a lot goes into that. Of course, you want to figure out your rotations as A-10 play commences but you want your plays to also feel good about themselves.

In that respect this past week was a big one for Necas. A first career double-double regardless of opponent is a big deal. Last season Necas admitted he fought through multiple injuries to be on the court for his teammates and now healthy, his versatility is crucial. He could guard any position as needed and does so with a smile on his face because he knows it is helping Duquesne win games. The offense has improved throughout the season and the confidence on that end is at an all-time high perhaps a correlation to how Necas himself feels.

5. If you want to talk about growth, Alex Williams immediately jumps off the page. Earlier in the season, it was all about getting back on the court and what that process looked like, but now he has earned a spot in Duquesne’s rotation. The work Williams has put into both self and game has been observed by the coaching staff and as a result he has earned their trust. Duquesne took a chance on Williams knowing he was coming to them injured, and the payoff has been this season. Offensively he can put the ball in the basket but defensively he makes winning plays as well. It is possible that Williams’s growth and his growing trust in what is around him could be determining factors come March.

6. I personally am not a fan of how the Atlantic 10 scheduled conference play across the board both for men’s and women’s basketball. While some teams have as many as three two-game homestands, several including Duquesne have one of those. It is very taxing on all involved and frankly it makes home games feel less that way because after a couple of days, it is back to the road. With that being said, a lot of teams are in the same boat. It is challenging as a coaching staff with so much already going on to make the most out of practices and prep time for the next game. Your staff really has to lock in, training staffs as well to keep everyone healthy given the ebbs and flows that this layout provides.

7. The defense has been a mixed bag and that may be the biggest disappointment thus far. Joyce was essentially Keith Dambrot’s defensive coordinator and there are a good amount of things in college basketball that have made scoring go up, and some of it could be attributed to how Duquesne plays, but a lot of times it felt like opponents had their best game to date against the Dukes. That cannot be a coincidence. Sometimes it took bringing a second unit of five players to showcase the standard while simultaneously sending a message that the defensive effort was not good enough. Come A-10 play the standard needs to be more. The opponents will only get tougher and so too does the defense. Embracing defense was what got Duquesne into the NCAA Tournament a couple of seasons ago and absolutely these Dukes have potential, but to get what they want it starts on that end.

8. Okay I have meandered long enough, let’s address the obvious. John Hugley IV has missed the last three games and as Duquesne fans know he was not even in the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for either of the last two home games.

What is worse is that Joyce has twice had the opportunity to speak on this and has stated “no comment” in both instances.

Trust me, I understand it, it is your program and no one has to know what all is truly going on behind the scenes, but leaving fans in the dark also is not necessarily the best look. Even stating something to the effect of “John was not here tonight, it was a coach’s decision, and I have no further comment,” at least gives those who support the program something.

With the A-10 mandating both men’s and women’s basketball teams to provide player availabilities before each conference game, a DNP (coach’s decision) will be more information that what has been provided thus far.

It is clear that whatever is going on, that expectation is not being met and that is unfortunate for both sides.

It is important to protect your program and Joyce did make a different decision earlier on in the non-conference slate when Maximus Edwards missed a game. In that situation, Joyce answered it head on stating “he needed to act like he wanted to play basketball”.

That message in addition to whatever was said behind closed doors set a clear expectation that really was not there last season, this is Joyce’s program and there are expectations.

Clearly this was a correctible issue as Edwards is not only back on the court but thriving once again.

Hugley’s absence has allowed for Lazar Milosevic to take on a bigger role, which has added to his learning curve. Still, it is clear that the staff believes in Milosevic. Van Bussel is growing in his role and David Dixon has returned to the starting lineup, where his growth has been more on display.

Given Hugley’s play early in the season his absence is definitely noticeable and perhaps the biggest statement is that there is no statement.