Prior to his team heading down to play a pair of games in Washington D.C. this weekend, Keith Dambrot spoke to reporters on Friday about what he expected to come from this road trip.
For the first time in the program’s 105 year history it will be playing the same opponent at the same venue in back-to-back days.
Add in the month long hiatus from action due to the pandemic and you have quite the dilemma when it comes to game planning. Dambrot’s solution was simple: Bank on depth.
A quick glance through the box score of Duquesne's 75-63 road win over George Washington on Saturday shows that the fourth year coach made the right call.
12 different players received minutes in the first half for Duquesne. Eight different players scored throughout the game with five finishing the afternoon in double-figures. The most jarring statistic though would be bench scoring, where the Dukes (2-1, 1-0) bench outscored the Colonials’ (2-7, 1-1) reserves 43-6.
“I decided that we’re going to try to build this long term,” Dambrot said. “Just because it’s such a screwy year anyway. I really wanted to play more than [12] but I couldn’t do it.”
If Dambrot is looking long term, he should certainly be pleased with the performances given by the young duo of Toby Okani and Amari Kelly.
In just his third game at the collegiate level, Okani shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, finishing with 14 points.
“The thing that I like best about Toby is that he likes the game,” Dambrot said. “He wants to get in the gym, he wants to get better. He thinks he’s good, even to a fault. He’ll probably tell you that his coach was stupid not playing him more earlier this season but that’s OK. That’s what guys are supposed to do. They’re supposed to think they’re good. I was proud of what he did. I thought he was fearless.”
Dambrot added that he was most proud of Okani's outside shooting, saying that the freshman has been working hard toward improving that aspect of his game. While it might be a small sample size, Okani's outside shot looked smooth on Saturday, going 2-for-2 from three point range.
When asked after the game if his coach was correct assuming that he’d hoped to receive more minutes in the first two games of the year, Okani confirmed that Dambrot was correct but also said he understood that it was all part of the process.
“I was disappointed but at the same time I knew it wasn’t my time yet,” Okani said. “I just had to get my feet wet. The veterans knew how to perform better and certain situations.”
Okani also acknowledged that given the circumstances with Duquesne’s schedule, someone had to step up.
“I definitely thought that myself and other players had to step up because of our little lapse,” Okani said. “When everyone is contributing we are better as a team.”
Kelly on the other hand might not be as young as Okani in years but is nearly as raw when it comes to time on the court with the Dukes. After receiving notable playing time as a freshman in 2019, he suffered a season ending knee injury on March 6 against Saint Louis.
Complications with the injury kept him from playing a single game last season. In just his third game back from his long awaited return, Kelly scored a career high 13 points, shooting an efficient 6-for-7 from the field, and hauled in five rebounds.
“I’m proud of [Kelly] because he’s been through a lot,” Dambrot said. “There’s not one player in America who has been through more than him. He’s really a nice young man so I’m happy for him.”
Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 230 pounds, if Kelly can remain healthy he can provide an ideal boost to the Dukes front court.
Although Duquesne's starting lineup down low consists of notable veterans Marcus Weathers and Michael Hughes, both share the undesirable tendency to find themselves in foul trouble. While Austin Rotroff has also received notable playing time under the basket, his value can be found more on the defensive end of the floor.
If Weathers and or Hughes are forced to sit due to foul trouble, someone that isn't a guard will have to pick up the slack on offense. Although it was just one game, Kelly showed the ability to do that in Saturday's win, as both Hughes and Weathers struggled with foul trouble throughout the afternoon.
Last month showed that there is simply no way to plan for the road ahead this season in college basketball. The pandemic related challenges show no sign of going away. Now that conference play has started, the Dukes can make up for missing out on a months worth of action by getting hot in the new year.
In order for that to happen, 'long term' players like Okani and Kelly must continue to chip in.