Over the 32 days leading up to college basketball season, we’re profiling 32 different teams who could be in the NIT mix, aided in this effort by those who know them best (or the closest we could get). Today, Tristan Freeman responds by email to our questions about Duquesne.
Tristan Freeman is the site expert of Busting Brackets, a college basketball blog that’s part of the FanSided Network. Check him out at @hoopsnut351 on “X”, as well as at @bustingbrackets for the latest articles and takes on the sport. He covers all three men’s D-I sports in the Pittsburgh area, including the Duquesne Dukes.
Here’s the full list of 32 for 32’s published so far, with links:
- Auburn, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- BYU, with Mitch Harper
- Cincinnati, with Zach Fries
- Dayton, with Tyler Cronin
- Duquesne, with Tristan Freeman
- Indiana, with Matt Cox
- Iona, with Sam Federman
- Iowa State, with Joe Stunardi
- James Madison, with Bennett Conlin
- Loyola, with Ky McKeon
- Michigan, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Missouri, with Jim Root
- North Texas, with Harry Miers
- Northwestern, with John Templon
- Notre Dame, with Stuart McGrath
- Ohio State, with Mark Titus
- Oregon State, with Andy Dieckhoff
- Penn State, with DJ Bauer
- South Carolina, with Brian Rauf
- St. Bonaventure, with SBUnfurled
- St. John’s, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Syracuse, with the Marshall Street Podcast
- Texas, with NIT Stu
- Utah, with Andrew Crowley
- Virginia Tech, with Ken Pomeroy
- Washington State, with Dave Andersen
- Wisconsin, with Cole Amundson
The Barking Crow: Starting with last year. Duquesne hung around the periphery of the NIT’s lower bubble into March, but finished the season on a down note, ultimately dropping their CBI opener to Rice. What are expectations for the program this season?
This is the best team that Coach Dambrot has had since coming from Akron. They have everything you need to win. A POY star (Dae Dae Grant), two all-league defenders (Tre Williams and Tre Clark), and a bunch of experienced depth. Getting an NIT appearance is a “must” for the program, not have much positive to speak about when it comes to accomplishments. It’s the rare time when Duquesne will be the “hunted” instead of the “hunter”.
TBC: Duquesne has a deep NIT history, winning the tournament in 1955 after finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in each of the preceding three years (they went in order from 4th to 1st). Since the 60s and 70s, however, the program has occupied less national space. How is Duquesne’s basketball tradition regarded by those who know the school well?
If you’re younger than 30, you probably don’t think much of Duquesne Basketball. They’re linked with the likes of Fordham as perennial bottom-feeders in the Atlantic 10. It’s the lack of consistency for them, not having three straight seasons over .500 since the early 1970s. The program looked to be in a good spot before covid hit but is now just recovering to this point. That’s what makes this season so important in terms of trying to change the narrative.
TBC: Among our readership, Duquesne might be best known as the place where the alleged Uber Eats delivery person walked onto the court in January. To your knowledge, what exactly happened there, and could any current Uber Eats drivers (say, a guy who runs an NIT blog but delivers food to pay the bills) use that shortcut to attend college basketball games for free?
I was actually there that night, on the other side of the court. I was watching another game on my laptop at the moment so I had no clue what happened live until it blew up on Twitter. The way the new building is structured is that the entrance is about 100 feet from the way to the court and security isn’t too large, as long as you look like you know where you’re going. It turns out that it was a YouTube prank, which takes the air out of the moment. But as someone who loves food, maybe I should make an order to sneak someone into the game one time.
TBC: One of the things NIT fans love about our tournament is the home-court crowds in the opening three rounds. If Duquesne were to host a game in the 2024 NIT, what kind of atmosphere should we expect?
It’s a beautiful new building that Duquesne has and in the few important home games, they’ve had a hostile environment. If it’s like when they play St. Bonaventure, it’ll definitely be a noticeable game for opponents to deal with, and with it being the team’s first postseason bid in a while, I would expect a nice crowd if they can host an NIT game.
TBC: On a similar note, how does Duquesne fit into the broader Pittsburgh consciousness? What would need to happen to get the weight of such an iconic sports city behind the Dukes?
Right now, sports fans aren’t too happy in the city. The Pirates, Penguins and even the Steelers don’t have great vibes, while the Pittsburgh Panthers just got back to the NCAA Tournament in seven years. And after dominating the NEC for the past decade, RMU Men’s Basketball has struggled to be competitive in the Horizon League. Duquesne and its own struggles are down at the bottom of the attention. It also doesn’t help that Pitt and Duquesne don’t play the “City Game” rivalry matchup on the men’s side, as that’s something that always gets attention locally. But it’s a good time for the Dukes to try to move up the ladder if they can make the postseason.
TBC: What’s something more college basketball fans should know about Duquesne?
This is such a unique team, with 7 5th-year seniors and 8 international players. Dae Dae Grant is one of the most fun players to watch, while Coach Dambrot will play up to a 12-man rotation if everyone is healthy. The neutral site matchup against College of Charleston on November 10th is a “must watch” for cbb fans, as it’s going to be a great test to see if this team has what it takes to be an NIT contender.
TBC: Dare we dream of a Duquesne NIT title?
In order to win in March, you need a team with great guard play and plenty of experience. More importantly, they have to be motivated. With this definitely being the last season for most guys on the roster, Duquesne definitely will play each game like its last, which is the mentality you need to have to win an NIT title.
