ALTOONA, Pa. -- There is a plague facing college athletics and basketball in particular with the NCAA's Transfer Portal something Duquesne is no stranger to.
As such, when the Dukes take the floor for the 2021 season, they will be doing so down four out of their five starters from the 2020-2021 season. Gone are Sincere Carry and Lamar Norman who transferred during the season. Marcus Weathers announced he will be entering the transfer portal in hopes of landing somewhere with his brother Mike to complete their final year of eligibility together. Center Mike Hughes recently announced he would be foregoing his extra year of eligibility to pursue opportunities to play professionally.
The lone starter returning from the beginning of last season is Tavian Dunn-Martin who announced his return for more with the Dukes via the video below.
Let's finish this script together.#GoDukes • @nolimitTDM_11 pic.twitter.com/tsfP5JpMtX
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) March 16, 2021
Getting Dunn-Martin back is huge for Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot moving forward as his experience is going to be paramount for the Dukes this season. As valuable as Hughes and Weathers were once Duquesne was able to get re-started, Dunn-Martin was just as important.
What's also drastically important for Dambrot and company is consistency and the Dukes were just not able to do that for a multitude of reasons last year. The stops and starts of the season were a big factor as Duquesne navigated its way through Covid issues for the entire season.
Dambrot led the Dukes to 19-13 and 21-9 records respectively in each of the two previous seasons before a disappointing 9-9 season in 2020-2021. The early losing played a factor in some of the early transfers, but so did the ease of transferring when things get hard and aren't going a particular way.
The vast majority of the issues facing Duquesne last season were a result of things out of its control like the virus and the Transfer Portal. With hopefully a more consistent schedule next season, Dambrot should have the Dukes ready to roll in the Atlantic 10, a conference they were capable of winning had things played out better down the stretch.
Dunn-Martin was huge down the stretch as were Weathers and Hughes, but it's going to be up to Dunn-Martin to shoulder the load early in the season running the point, a position that's not his natural one. It won't just be Dunn-Martin as forward Chad Baker is projected to start next season after starting 13 games in his freshman campaign. While Weathers and Hughes leave big shoes to fill, Baker proved that even as a freshman, he can handle the game and can fill those shoes.
Another guy in the backcourt who could see his role expanded in 2021 would be Toby Okani. Okani started 10 games for Dambrot last season and could provide the other half of what could be a dynamic backcourt with Dunn-Martin for Duquesne.
Dambrot and the rest of his coaching staff are sure to be aggressive in the Transfer Portal as they look for a true point guard as well as guys who want to play for the Dukes and are willing to do what it takes to do so.
Since arriving at Duquesne, Dambrot has made the Dukes a team to watch in the Atlantic 10 and despite the roster turnover heading into the 2021 season, it should be no different. It will most likely be a young team, but if they're capable of buying into Dambrot from day one it'll make a world of difference as the season wears on.
The 2020 squad was supposed to be the team to get Duquesne to the tournament and it's still too early to predict what 2021 might bring. If there's consistency and the players are able to withstand any type of struggle or adversity whether it be prior to the season or during the season, it could bode well for the Dukes.
Not only will the 2021 season feature a plethora of new faces on the court, the court will be new too. Duquesne was only able to play two games in the brand-new UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse before the regular season and will now be able to showcase its crown jewel of an arena with hopefully more fans allowed to attend.
Getting fans back in the arena will go a long way in helping the Dukes as will the performances of Dunn-Martin, Okani and Baker who look to pick up right where the 2020 season ended. Though the task at hand is far from easy, rebuilding or retooling the roster are never sure thing. Under Dambrot, he and his staff have proven when given the opportunity they can win and win in the Atlantic 10 and for that, the 2021 season looks promising for Duquesne.