The wait is over! After a long offseason, a positive test during the first week of official practices and having the multi-team event where it intended to open its season canceled, the Duquesne men's basketball team is finally ready to hit the hardwood.
This week the Dukes will play three games in five days as part of the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic hosted by Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. The event, which started on Nov. 25 features nine schools playing a total of 16 games.
Here are five things Duquesne fans should watch for when their team is getting its taste of the action:
DAMBROT, DUKES HAVE
HISTORY OF SOLID STARTS
A 10-0 start last year allowed Duquesne to receive some National attention for the first time in awhile. With a higher spot in both the KenPom (84) and Atlantic 10 preseason rankings (5th), another 10-0 start could likely earn the Dukes a spot in the top 25 National rankings.
Of course, it all starts with winning game one, something the Dukes have historically done well. Duquesne is 87-17 in season openers, including a 3-0 record under Keith Dambrot.
Dambrot himself also has a great opening day record, entering Monday at 17-5 in his career as a head coach.
Perhaps one area of concern for Dukes fans is the location of Monday's contest. The Dukes have had just six season openers at a neutral site where they've gone 1-5.
The last time Duquesne opened its season on a neutral court was on Nov. 12, 2004 when it fell 74-65 to Santa Clara in Albuquerque.
NO EASY WINS IN LOUISVILLE
There will be no tune-up games for the Dukes at the KFC Yum! Center. Each of Duquesne's three opponents - Little Rock, UNC Greensboro, Winthrop - were picked to win its conference.
Both Little Rock and UNC Greensboro were included in Jon Rothstein's 10 mid-major's to watch this year, while Winthrop was one of the few teams who had clinched a trip to the NCAA tournament by winning the Big South tournament last season prior to the pandemic shut down.
Little Rock returns its entire roster from last season, which features four players who averaged double-digits in scoring. UNC Greensboro is returning 12 players from last years group and has had four straight 20+ win seasons.
Less of the overall roster is back for Winthrop but three key starters return to a team that finished fifth in the nation in scoring offense and sixth in rebounding last year.
It is worth noting that Sunday's contest between Winthrop and UNC Greensboro in Louisville was reportedly postponed due to issues related to COVID-19.
A press release from UNC Greensboro indicates that the team intends to continue playing in the event. Winthrop also issued a press release providing the same explanation for the postponed contest but provided no information on if they plan to play any more games in Louisville.
All three schools will be first time opponents for Duquesne while Dambrot has a career record of 4-2 against the trio.
STAR POWER
ON THE OTHER SIDE
Talented teams normally have a few talented individuals. This is certainly the case for Duquesne's trio of opponents this week.
Little Rock features perhaps one of the most lethal duos out of any mid-major program in the country in junior guard Markquis Nowell and senior forward Ruol Monyyong.
Nowell is coming off of a sophomore season where he earned first team all-conference honors after finishing in the top four in six different Sun Belt statistical categories. He was ranked the 130th best player in the country in this year's Lindy's College Basketball Preview.
Meanwhile, down low, Duquesne big men Michael Hughes and Marcus Weathers will have their hands full on Monday with Monyyong. The 6-foot-10 force under the basket is the returning Sun Belt defensive player of the year. He was also picked as the preseason player of the year during the conferences media day.
On Wednesday the Dukes will face off against one of the best players they will see all season in UNC Greensboro's senior guard Isaiah Miller. Miller, who averaged 17.8/5.0/5.0 last season became the first player in conference history to be named both Southern Conference Player and Defensive player of the year.
Miller is a two-time winner of conference player of the year and is ranked as the 64th best player in the country in this year's Lindy's College Basketball preview.
WELCOME BACK, BIG FELLAS
Redshirt sophomore forward Amari Kelly will be playing his first game back on the hardwood since suffering a season ending knee injury at Saint Louis on March 6, 2019. Prior to the injury, Kelly was receiving notable minutes.
The 6-foot-9 big man out of Long Island provided the Dukes with extra depth off the bench, appearing in 29 games as a true freshman.
Kelly isn't the only member of the Duquesne front court that will be back at full health this season. Junior forward Austin Rotroff also returns after missing the first two months of last season as part of his recovery from a torn ACL his freshman year.
Rotroff appeared in 21 games for the Dukes last season but will likely play a bigger role this year now that his recovery is far in the rear-view mirror. At 6'10 he stands as the second tallest player on the team, only behind 6-foot-11 freshman center Mounir Hima.
NICE TO MEET YOU
Dambrot spoke on Friday about how he is still contemplating if it is worth giving any freshman a serious look during Duquesne's non-conference schedule. In his first three seasons with the program, Dambrot has had at least one true freshman crack the starting lineup.
No scrimmages and a limited non-conference schedule have the Dukes head coach possibly taking a different approach. However, Dambrot has also told me more than a few times that this freshman class is the most talented that he's had since coming to Duquesne.
If that's the case, maybe we do see a few new guys on the court this week. While Dambrot has kept his cards close to the vest, the senior forward Weathers gave perhaps a bit of a hint on some names to look out for during Friday's zoom call with local reporters.
The first freshman Weathers highlighted was 6-foot-7 forward Tobi Okani. Rated a three star recruit by Rivals.com, Okani was cited as the No. 5 prep player in the state of Massachusetts by New England Recruiting Report.
"Toby is gonna be a really big factor for us," Weathers said. "He's super athletic, super versatile and can play a lot of different positions."
Andre Harris and Jett Roesing were also names Weathers mentioned.
Harris comes to the Dukes from national powerhouse Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix after choosing Duquesne over a few power five programs including TCU and Washington State. Basketball is in Harris' blood, as his first cousin is 14-year NBA vet Jason Richardson.
Roesing provides something the Dukes are in need of: shooting. The 6-foot-4 guard is a product of First Love Academy in Washington, Pa. Like Harris, basketball runs in the family. Jett's father Nathan played professionally for Italy’s Olimpia Basket Pistoia in the European 1st Division.
Barring something unexpected, the Duquesne starting five will be Weathers, Hughes, Sincere Carry, Lamar Norman Jr. and Maceo Austin. Former Atlantic 10 sixth man of the year Tavian Dunn-Martin, along with Kelly and Rotroff, will receive big minutes off the bench.
After that, it's anyone's best guess as to whom Dambrot will call upon. In a year filled with unpredictability, maybe there's a chance it will be end up being a young newcomer who helps take this experienced group to the next level.