The world is a much different place since Michael Hughes last played an organized game of basketball. As he walked off the court at the end of his team’s 73-62 loss at home to Richmond on March 6, the Duquesne center probably had worries similar to his peers at that time.
How would that loss hurt their position in the Atlantic 10 tournament? What needs to happen for them to get back in the win column? What can he do to make the team better?
Those concerns however, would take a back seat to much bigger issues just one week later when college basketball along with the rest of the Nation began to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fast forward to today. The start to Hughes’ final season with the Dukes is quickly approaching. Pandemic related concerns have not gone away. Times remain stressful for many.
How does Hughes cope? The answer is simple: By taking his mind back to where it was on March 6. By simply focusing on what he can control. By simply worrying about basketball.
“The biggest thing that I’ve always been taught growing up is to never live in fear,” Hughes said last week during the Atlantic 10’s virtual media day event. “... Things happen for a reason, like everyone’s gotten a year of eligibility back for a reason, because of situations like this.”
Hughes enters his senior year on the college hardwood in the best shape of his life. While most of America was spending time on their couch during quarantine, he says his main objective in the offseason was to do the exact opposite.
“The biggest thing for me, definitely during the lockdown and quarantine, was staying in the best shape possible,” Hughes said. “I ended up getting a bike and I just took it on all the trails around here. The main thing that I like about biking is that it gives you stronger legs. It helps build endurance for your lower body which is big in basketball.”
Changes weren’t just made to his style of training but his diet as well.
“I made sure to eat cleaner and do as many in-home workouts as possible,” Hughes said. “I feel like I have put on some muscle. I did it in a different way, by controlling my eating schedule. I try to stay at a consistent weight but I feel a bit more lean coming into this season.”
The idea of Hughes being in even better shape in 2020-21 should be unsettling for other teams in the Atlantic 10. At 6-foot-8, he stands at a below average height compared to those at his position. Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot says Hughes’ athleticism and attention to detail allow him to overcome this disadvantage.
“Mike’s a versatile basketball player. He’s a guy that can guard one through five when he wants to, he can steal the ball, he’s got a good brain,” Dambrot said. “I’ve never seen a six-foot-eight guy block shots like him. I had one of the best shot blockers in the country in Zeke Marshall when I was at Akron and arguably Mike blocks as many as he does.”
Dambrot is right, few players in the country blocked more shots than Hughes last year. His 2.7 blocks per game average was eighth best in the nation. He enters this year with 148 career blocks, good for the fourth most in school history.
Hughes is more than just a shot blocker. Last season he was the only player in the Atlantic 10 to lead his team in both steals and blocks. He finished second on the team in rebounding (6.8 per game).
While he’s a menace on defense, Hughes is incredibly efficient on offense. His career field goal percentage of 58.1% is on pace to break the school record, which is currently held by Derrick Alston (56.1%).
Numbers show that Hughes can also find the open man, nearly doubling his assist total last season (48) from what it was his sophomore year (26).
Despite all the numbers and results, Hughes has received little recognition when it came to preseason honors. Unlike teammates Marcus Weathers and Sincere Carry, Hughes did not make any of the three all-conference teams.
He was also left off of the Atlantic-10 all-defensive team, which his head coach, to put it lightly, found a bit confusing.
“When you’re eighth in the country in shot blocks and led the league in shot blocks in the conference season and you’re in the top ten in the league in steals, the only thing I’ll say is he must be pretty bad on all other occasions to not be on the all-defensive team,” Dambrot said. “With that being said, the five guys that are on the all-defensive team are all good defensive players.”
Hughes himself had a different point of view.
“Notoriety is not really my big thing,” Hughes said. “I just love the game of basketball. Not getting notoriety and being noticed for certain things doesn’t bother me. I’m just a guy who just loves to work on his craft and being a part of the game and being with these guys.”
On Nov. 25 Hughes will be back doing what he loves. Something, through all the distractions and obstacles, he’s kept his focus on since stepping off the floor of the PPG Paints Arena on March 6.