Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include Duquesne’s victory over BYU in the first round of the 2024 national championship.
Duquesne’s reentrance into the NCAA Tournament is historically significant for the program because, in qualifying for the Big Dance, the Dukes have ended their 47-year NCAA Tournament drought. They qualified for the Big Dance by winning their conference tournament. Their A-10 triumph concluded with a 57-51 victory over VCU.
They followed that up with their first tournament victory during that span, after beating BYU 71-66, in the first round. Here’s all you need to know about the Dukes before you go ahead with your college basketball betting.
The #Duquesne Dukes are off to Omaha for their first NCAA Tournament since 1977
Sizable fan presence here on campus pic.twitter.com/8x7a2vGxsD
— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) March 19, 2024
Duquesne’s Earlier History
Before this year, the Dukes had last made the NCAA Tournament in 1977. That year, though, is far from being their strongest.
The height of the Dukes basketball program was arguably in 1940 when it made its one and only Final Four appearance.
But the Dukes are perhaps most well known for their activity in the 1950s. In this decade, they can claim a part in two historic events. One, in 1955 and 1956 they became the only program to have a player selected with the first pick in the NBA Draft in consecutive years. Two, in 1950, the Dukes had a player become the first African-American selected in the NBA Draft.
More Recent History
Since successful head coach Red Manning retired in the 1970s, the program plummeted in terms of success and prestige. Off-court issues helped plague the program in the 1980s, casting it into a measure of disrepute.
The Dukes rarely achieved a winning season, with this consistency of failures extending into the 21st century during which they made the NIT a single time.
Last Season
So what changed for Duquesne this season? We have to go back to last year to explain things.
Last year marked a huge change for the program because it took a giant leap from finishing 6-24 two seasons ago. Last season’s team underwent a complete overhaul in its starting lineup, with all five starters being new. This new group could shoot: whereas Duquesne ranked 315th in three-point efficiency two years ago, it ranked 44th in the category last season.
The Dukes also improved significantly on defense. Similar to the offense improving, this was a matter of ability, of finding guys who can do a good job.
But their head coach Keith Dambrot also made important changes, assigning different roles to some of his players and finding a ball-screen coverage plan that proved effective.
They stepped up their pressure, which became a characteristic feature of their defense.
An emotional Keith Dambrot after leading Duquesne to it’s first NCAA tournament in 47 years
“My Dad played here which is probably why I took the job. I know he’s probably in his grave spinning around”
Devine intervention and a hell of a coach
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 17, 2024
This Year
Duquesne is an NCAA Tournament team primarily because, despite adding some new players, it continued to improve tremendously on defense. As also evident in its decision to slow down tempo-wise, Duquesne made defense its priority. Defense is Duquesne’s identity.
The Dukes rank 28th nationally in defensive efficiency. They excel at forcing turnovers. Their perimeter defense and their interior defense are both excellent.
Among other things, they make life difficult for opposing passers, who struggle to deal with their pressure.
Summary of Duquesne’s Tournament Run
Because its non-conference resume was weak and because it struggled mightily in early- to mid-January, Duquesne needed to win the A -10 tournament.
The Dukes got hot at the right time, winning their last four regular season games before, in the A-10 tournament, beating St. Louis, dethroning mighty Dayton, defeating St. Bonaventure, and beating VCU for the second time in two weeks.
How The Dukes Beat Dayton
Duquesne’s A-10 win over Dayton highlights the extent to which this program has improved in recent years and even within this current season. On January 12, the Dukes had lost to Dayton at home.
The Flyers are well-known to be the class of their conference. They are a seven-seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the Dukes proved too tough for Dayton with their strong defense.
Holding Dayton to 57 points is impressive in view of the fact that the Flyers average well over 70 points per game.
DaRon Holmes did play well for Dayton, but Duquesne didn’t let any other Flyers player beat them. Holmes helped Dayton pull within three with a couple minutes to go, but Duquesne was able to pull away.
For all of the Dukes’ focus on defense, they do have veteran scorers to rely on in close-game situations. Their win over Dayton shows that they have the ability to put good teams away.
Duquesne’s Style and Key Players
The Dukes make it difficult for opposing ball-handlers to breathe, even when they use a ball screen. While they do play slow, they are not afraid to run when they force a turnover.
In their half-court offense, they are a strong passing team that will feature some nifty interior passing to help players score lay-ups. But they primarily shoot three-pointers, partly relying on teammates moving well off-the ball and partly relying on their shot-takers to pull up when no other offense is available.
This is a guard-oriented offense led by Jimmy Clark and Dae Dae Grant, two guards who joined Duquesne last year as transfers. They lead their team in shot percentage, as they always have their coach’s green light.
For those wondering what Duquesne fans think of Jimmy Clark. pic.twitter.com/wJxDz6S89J
— Tristan Freeman (@hoopsnut351) March 19, 2024
First W In Nearly Half a Century
On Thursday, March 21st, the Dukes faced off against the BYU Cougars in the first round of March Madness. Despite being a 9-point underdog at most of the top-rated offshore sportsbooks, Duquesne pulled the first significant upset of the day after beating BYU 71-67, in a game that they dominated from start to finish.
Now they’ll face the winner of the Morehead State vs. Illinois matchup, in the second round, as the Dukes look to turn this momentum into a potential Cinderella run. Given the way they are seeded in the East bracket, it wouldn’t be crazy to think they can make it to the Sweet 16 round.
