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11/09/2021 9:36 pm  #26


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Hofstra up 10 over #15 Houston with 9 minutes to go.

 

11/09/2021 9:45 pm  #27


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

For at least one game, the 3 shooting was very good.
3 defense was good though overall defense could improve.
KD mentioned that the Dukes were small but Rotroff and Gunn
when they return should help.
Good start to the season.
 

 

11/09/2021 10:15 pm  #28


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I was figuring Johnson was gonna be the guy but Primo was impressive. I really thought he was strong defensively. Ayers really turned it on in the second half. I was telling my son he isn't doing anything n bang.This wasn't a top 20 team but we have some real athletes.

 

11/09/2021 10:34 pm  #29


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Perfect from FT line, outstanding!    RJ Gunn is a big dude, thought he was joel embiid.  Spears has the juice.   Defense will mean a lot to this team.   It was a good night.

Some team 2 miles away lost to the Citadel.

Last edited by townsonkid (11/09/2021 10:40 pm)

 

11/09/2021 10:36 pm  #30


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

A fun night at Cooper Fieldhouse!

The first half was very ragged but things got better in the second half with the Dukes pulling away in the final minutes.  There's much to improve on, but it was a good win.

The most impressive thing to me tonight was the student section.  I arrived about 5 minutes before tipoff and it was packed which was a big surprise to me.  They were enthusiastic all night long and clearly were having fun.  I'm very, very encouraged.

 

11/10/2021 9:22 am  #31


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Went to the home opener and my thoughts - 

- Student Section was amazing - loved to see it and hope to see more in the future.  I hope winning a game with a lot of them present brings some enthusiasm.  

- First time seeing the updated venue.  Was a graduate in 08 and grad school 10 and I loved coming to the venue.  The lighting was one thing that jumped out to me and the (2) jumbotrons and game stats everywhere were amazing.  I personally really like the updated venue.

- Primo Spears was fun to watch.  I think both he and Jackie have confidence in themselves and are little cocky which is good to see.  I think Dambrot liked having Primo/Acuff/Johnson all at certain times carry the point - gave him options.  Obviously, most impressed with Primo - love the 7 assists.

- Duquesne going 100% at FT line was refreshing and great to see!

- Duquesne only have (6) Turnovers was also nice - make your free throws and don't turn the ball over and add in 15 assists is usually a pretty darn good recipe.

- Loved the balance scoring - curious to see this team with RJ Gunn and Austin Rotroff - could be interesting.  Okani looks like a freak athlete curious to see how he develops.

- Easley can shoot, but Tre Williams also made a couple of 3s which I didnt think he had.  The team is a much better, all-around shooting team than past years.

-  Nice to see Hima get a couple of minutes.

For their first game of the season I was impressed.  Came out in the 2nd half with some good defensive adjustments.  And Duquesne didn't let them sneak back in after they got the lead.  I was expecting to see more rusty play but thought the 2nd half was pretty good basketball.  



 

 

11/10/2021 9:32 am  #32


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

VBC wrote:

A fun night at Cooper Fieldhouse!

The first half was very ragged but things got better in the second half with the Dukes pulling away in the final minutes.  There's much to improve on, but it was a good win.

The most impressive thing to me tonight was the student section.  I arrived about 5 minutes before tipoff and it was packed which was a big surprise to me.  They were enthusiastic all night long and clearly were having fun.  I'm very, very encouraged.

I was impressed with the student turnout.  KD said in the postgame a lot of credit goes to the players.

Trib Article

Retooled Duquesne opens season by beating Rider at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse | TribLIVE.com






Box Score
Men's Basketball vs Rider on 11/9/2021 - Box Score - Duquesne University Athletics (goduquesne.com)


 

 

11/10/2021 10:36 am  #33


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Primo Spears was very impressive and had a big part in closing out the win for the Dukes.  He checked the usual boxes for a point guard, but also showed some great spring in his legs to jump over people on his pull-up jumper.  He also had a clean steal from their PG in the second-half.  As with any freshman, he'll run up against some tough experienced guards, so every game won't be a picnic, but I'm encouraged.   
It was a good opponent for an opener, Rider had a few pretty nice offensive players that could definitely play in the A-10; but I'm pleased with the way Duquesne came out in the second half and cleaned up the defensive and rebounding issues from the first half.  Ayers III and Williams really looked like they were motivated and played strong in the second-half.  
Hold on to your hats on Saturday, though, as Hofstra is a talented team that will come in with confidence after taking a ranked Houston team to OT before eventually falling.  The Dukes will need to play much better as a team to get a win in this one.  

 

11/10/2021 11:37 am  #34


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Had a good time at the game, and was pleased to see the students come out. Building is great, though the PA system was a little fuzzy.

Really liked what I saw out of Ayers - he has spiderman hands. If the ball touched his hands, it was sticking. Bekelja reminded me a little of TJ picking up the ball the whole way up the court. (I thought they worked well.)
I was glad to see Williams get going inside in the 2nd half - but until they get healthy, I do think they're going to have trouble scoring/defending from the paint.
Easley looks like he has the talent to score easily. Able to shoot from all 3 levels. Nice game, and that play between Williams and Easley in the second half was really great to see. (Williams had taken inside the prior to plays, he went in and the defense collapsed and he kicked it to Easley for the open 3 which he sunk.) 


Rider did some unique things, so I don't know what to make of the defense really. The ball movement and screens really opened up the lane for them. Dambrot mentioned in the presser that they hadn't practiced against it, which is a little odd, unless this is a new coach/offense. I thought the Dukes made some decent adjustments over half time to stem that penetration, a little bit. I also don't expect the 3 pt defense to remain that good - as I think Rider is just a poor shooting team from the outside. Even when they were down big, they were still going to the rack. I thought Rider was pretty well coached.
 

 

 

11/10/2021 12:14 pm  #35


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Hard not to be happy with a double digit win with a brand new team in a brand new building. Glad the students showed up and hope they come back. That gym is pretty electric when loud and full. Pitt puking on themselves against Citadel should help get a couple of the casual hoops fans in our seats if they are choosing next time.

Hard to say a lot about the game plan at this point, it would be like prognosticating about the Steelers game plan for the season based on the first pre season game. With guys out and a brand new team, we will see a lot of different looks over the pre season. Fundamentally I thought Primo and others handled the press well and generally defended well (while staying out of foul trouble).

The team also moved the ball very very well to find some of those open looks from 3 which was very encouraging. There was a lack of post and interior presence and offense but as Dambrot pointed out, they just don’t have the horses right now. Should get better with Rotroff and Gunn back though.

Hofstra should be a tough opponent. Planning on watching that game back against Houston on ESPN+ to see how that all happened.

 

11/10/2021 2:02 pm  #36


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Some quick hit thoughts on the guy's play last night (would love a little discussion on what we saw on guys):

Easley: 27 mins, 16 pts, 2 rebs 
Really liked what I saw from this guy. Major D1 size and strength, and you can tell he has played a lot of college basketball. Defended and passed the ball well in addition to shooting 50% from the floor including 4-8 from 3, he has a sweet stroke. Going to be a leader on the court IMO. Only knock is I would have liked to see him "bang" in the interior a little more on both sides (scoring around the hoop and getting more than 2 rebs). Also think we didn't see him fully "unleashed" last night as a lot of guys got some run, he will definitely get more minutes later in the season. 

Williams: 38 mins, 14 pts, 6 rebs, 4 asts, 3 blks, 1 stl
Had to do a double take a couple of times as I thought I was watching Mike Hughes out there. Really came on in the second half, wasn't blown away with him in the first. Despite him being short for a center, you did see the touted 7 foot wingspan on some of the plays he made on offense and defense. That wingspan and his strength will be important going against more physical bigs in the A10, but his all around game and ability was really encouraging to see. The Mike Hughes baby hook he scored on really showed an ability to create alot of space for his shot in the interior, he looked really skilled there. Another guy that looked very comfortable on a college court, new but experienced is much better than just new. The 3 point shooting is an added bonus, Tre went 2-3 from behind the arc and neither were lucky. This kid looks like a steal to me and will only improve and benefit from added depth of the returning guys.

Primo Spears: 27 mins, 14 pts, 3 rebs, 7 asts, 2 stl
This kid may have been the most impressive, given he was playing in his first career college game and defending against a savvy, veteran all-conference guard that will be playing overseas next year. He controlled the tempo and pace offensively and is an incredible ball handler. The play he made where he split two defenders and then drove to the cup and drew a foul from a third defender and made the basket was unbelievable for a freshman, he is lightning quick. How about a 2.3 ATO ratio in his first college game? Not only can he dish, he also showed a natural ability to score at all levels. He seems like a player that will look to distribute first, but can also score and create offense himself, super rare. I thought he did a great job of on-ball defending against a really good guard. If we can keep this kid around for a few years he can be a stud, nice to have a 6'3" point guard too for a change. Got more and more comfortable as the game went on.

Ayers: 28 mins, 12 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts, 1 blk, 3 stl
Silky smooth wing/scoring guard, this kid can do it all offensively and defensively (a consistent theme with these new guys). He looked quick and agile defensively, altering shots and getting steals, and he also looks to be a really solid rebounder who can initiate a fast break or hold the ball up and maintain a dribble if need be as well. Seems really versatile and athletic, he was Primo's first pass/look to start alot of possessions in the half court in the second half. He is a  threat to shoot from anywhere, or drive and find a guy or finish himself. One of those guys who looks like he is always playing at the same speed. Another one who looked to gain some confidence and composure as the game went on. Only went 1-4 from 3 but the jumper looks really nice so I would look for those numbers to improve. Another guy with great size and length for his position.

Okani: 33 mins, 7 pts, 5 rebs, 1 asts
I've heard it a lot but I will repeat it, it looks like he got much taller/longer over the summer, in addition to beefing up a little. If I was "disappointed" with anyone's performance last night it would be his. I don't think he played poorly but was hoping to see a little more of a "jump" from last year. That said, on this roster I think Okani projects to be a role playing starter /6th man when Gunn is back, but that is an important role. I think he is a better ball handler than he trusts himself to be at the moment. He had a couple of nice drives, but he got started on them a little late and pulled up for shots in awkward sports. I think he has the athleticism and ability to be blowing by guys and throwing it down, so hoping to see him gain that confidence. The jumper still is inconsistent, but he did go 4 for 4 from the line which is great. Still growing into his body, looking for him to continually improve throughout the year and be an energy and effort contributor and defender/rebounder. Still considered a freshman, still growing into his body but the ceiling is very high for Tobi.

Acuff: 15 mins, 6 pts, 3 rebs
Another guy I would have liked to have seen a little more from. He looked a little nervous in the first, but played pretty well over all. He is a good defender, only went 2-7 on FGs but 2-3 from 3 which was nice to see. Another good 6th man candidate and hoping to see him continue to improve. A really good depth piece to have if the freshman continue to show promise.

Larson: 15 mins, 2 pts, 3 rebs
Pretty much looked like if you put a guy playing pickup at the YMCA in a Division 1 college basketball game, which is about as much as was to be expected. Only on the roster because of injuries, Dambrot had a pretty hilarious quote in his presser, "We're like a high school team when he's out there playing the 4." Doubt he will see any time when Gunn and Rotroff return. Tough to play the PF position at 6'5".

Johnson: 8 mins, 2 pts, 1 reb
Johnson looked like a freshman playing in his first college game unlike Spears. Tried to do too much, took a couple 3's from way further out than he needed to (one swatted into the seats). You can see he is dripping with talent, hopefully he will adjust to the college game quickly. The one basket he did score was off a beautiful move and runner in the lane. Not to be harsh, but I did think Johnson looked totally lost on defense. I would not be shocked if this was the reason he only got 8 minutes, not the bad decisions on offense. His first couple defensive possessions he got lost and gave up a wide open three on the baseline and then totally missed on a switch off a screen for a wide open layup. Gotta be better than that. More to come from Jackie this season I'm sure, this kid is uber talented.

Bekelja: 7 mins
Like Larson, not a D1 basketball player. Only frustrating thing with him is Larson is here out of desperation, Bekelja was likely brought here to appease a guy who left. He is utterly useless offensively. People will point to the fact that he doesn't turn the ball over, but that's because he literally does NOTHING on offense. As soon as he gets the ball he looks terrified and passes it to the closest guy. In addition to the 0 turnovers, he also had 0 pts, asts, stls, rebs, or anything else, like usual. Good for a couple fouls and that is about it. I don't want to see Spear's, Johnson's, or Acuff's minutes limited because of him. Good practice guy and that's about it.

Hima: 2 mins, 1 reb
The fact that he played 2 minutes when we had no one else says more to me than what he did in two minutes. Super tall, super athletic, super raw. Definitely a project, but you can't teach that size. Good for a couple fouls this year if nothing else. Mamadou Datt 2.0

 

 

11/10/2021 3:06 pm  #37


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I know it's only one game, but it sure looks like we have some shooters this year, which is something we haven't really had in the Dambrot Era to this point. When's the last time a Dukes team made all of its FTs in a game? And 40% from 3-point range on top of that. I know there's no true big right now (and I'm not sure how much Rotroff will be able to contribute when he returns as he hasn't shown much the last two years and now has to come back from injury again) but when you've got decent size and length and shooting ability at every position on the court, it can make up for the lack of a true big at the 5. Of course we also had a decent stretch last night with Bekelja and Larson on the floor at the same time. Not a whole lot of scoring pop in that lineup. 

Looking forward to watching these kids grow as a team and get used to playing with each other. Hofstra's going to be a tough out on Saturday.

 

11/10/2021 5:39 pm  #38


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Larson will probably be getting his minutes at the 3 once Rotroff and Gunn get healthy as coach said he will be moving him down when that happens. That was in the after game interview.

 

11/10/2021 8:22 pm  #39


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I am forcing myself to reserve comment on the subject of Larson's being on the roster & on the court for at least 3 more games. 

 

11/10/2021 10:24 pm  #40


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

phil95 wrote:

I am forcing myself to reserve comment on the subject of Larson's being on the roster & on the court for at least 3 more games. 

That seems fair. We should all reserve comment on players' abilities until there's a reasonable sample of what they have done and can do.

 

11/11/2021 7:29 am  #41


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Agree with all who believe in reserving judgement on any player or the team overall. It's one game. I want to see what happens through the first 6 games. Think we will certainly know a lot more about everything at that point. I do believe that Rotroff will be a contributor once he gets back and shakes off the injury. I've always liked the kid and still believe that he can play a significant role here off the bench. Not super athletic but plays hard and has a good shooting touch. Great to have basketball back!!

 

11/11/2021 9:30 am  #42


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Duques102 thanks for the analysis.  I agree with much you  said.  I still believe Jackie Johnson will be a stud.  He had a rough start especially on defense.  But the kid is lightning quick, and can shoot a lot better than displayed.  KD needs to coach up his defense.  That's why he gets paid the big bucks. This kid belongs on the court ahead of Bekelja. He has a diamond in Johnson and I don't want to see KD turn him into a lump of coal.  Patience donkey, patience.

 

11/11/2021 1:18 pm  #43


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I am not trying to specifically criticize any players, just generating discussion on what we saw. I thought people wanted to talk about the team and wanted more discussion around the players? I didn’t hear any calls for “reserving judgement” if a post is 100% positive about players? Now that the season has started, everything is fair game to discuss.

I personally was super encouraged by what we saw Tuesday, I thought I made that pretty clear with a lot of the player breakdowns and overall assessment of the game/players and stick by what I said. If it wasn’t obvious enough Larson wasn’t a D1 player based on the fact that he wasn’t even on the roster until a full blown emergency happened, Tuesday night was proof positive that he is emergency cover. I don’t even understand why that is harsh or offensive.

That kid is probably pumped he is getting the opportunity to play at this level and I’m happy for him and his contribution, but that doesn’t mean I have to think he is going to go out there and start dropping 10 Pts a night with a couple of games under his belt. He is what he is.

CLK, 100% with you on Johnson. I would argue what limited amount we saw from him was more encouraging than not despite some freshman mistakes. I more so expected him and Primo to look more like that. Primo blew me away, and largely led this team to a victory in his first college game! That cannot be underestimated, best freshman debut game since….? Primo looked like an upperclassman out there. While Johnson didn’t, you could see the athleticism, talent, and explosiveness in flashes, just has to get adjusted to the speed.

Go Dukes!

 

11/11/2021 1:31 pm  #44


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Also would love to hear counterpoints to mine if others have them, that’s why I posted my thoughts here! If I’m giving up too early on Larson happy to hear why. We are all on the same side here!

 

11/11/2021 1:49 pm  #45


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Larson can eat a few minutes per game.   Thats about all.   Gunn and Rotroff are out, but does anyone know for how long?   Thats a lot of size and minutes on IR.   
I thought in the 2nd half the defense really picked up.   And that won the game.   There were a lot of possessions for Rider that end in contested shots, 1 and done or a turnover.   
KD was already talking about players playing too many minutes.   What did he expect, a 25 minute game?

 

11/11/2021 3:04 pm  #46


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I have absolutely no idea what Larson can contribute. KD seemed to be pretty high on him at one point and glad to have him here. Let's just see what transpires over the next couple of weeks. He may prove to just be someone who can eat a few minutes here and there or something more. We will see. Really looking forward ro having the team at full strength.

 

11/11/2021 3:08 pm  #47


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

Duques102 wrote:

Primo blew me away, and largely led this team to a victory in his first college game! That cannot be underestimated, best freshman debut game since….? 

Go Dukes!

I'm going to say since Austin Rotroff 3 years ago.

As for Davis Larson, he's a D-1 player now, no matter how that came to be.  I believe when Rotroff and Gunn are healthy Larson will rarely see the floor.  But I was not surprised to see him out there on Tuesday, nor Mike Bekelja.  When you are a bench player the best way to earn playing time is to show the coach that you will do the things he wants you to do.  That means being where you are supposed to be in the offensive sets and not making mistakes on defense.  As someone who Keith thought highly enough about to bring on as a grad assistant Larson should be able to do what Keith wants him to do.  Bekelja has shown that also.  Others may have more athletic ability but being in the right place at the right time will help you win a lot of basketball games.  When the more athletic guys gain Keith's confidence that they will be in the right place at the right time they'll be on the floor and both Larson and Bekelja will get those dreaded words in front of their names, "seldom used".  
 

 

11/11/2021 3:25 pm  #48


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

I like a lot of what I saw in the second half and some pretty good summaries so far so I will just say I generally concur with the other posters.  That being said, I have to add that I too am sorry, Larson and Bekelja............PLEASEEEE!  And if you need either of them to eat a few minutes please don't play them at the same time.  Larson showed me nothing, but I wouldn't expect anything from a guy who just recently came here as grad assistant for crum sake!!! Like I said last year, teams will feast on us defensively when Bekelja is in the line-up as it is like playing 4 on 5 offensively.  We saw some good D-1, A-10 high caliber players on our team last night - neither Lawson or Bekelja fall into either category.  I would have played Acuff more than either of those guys.  

 

11/11/2021 6:23 pm  #49


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

What this version of the Dukes can do has a lot to do with athleticism and shooting accuracy. These things have been a bit in short supply for a long time. I believe there are some players who can get this stuff done, some newcomers and some returnees, Acuff among them. These guys will see plenty of opportunities. KD's decisions for game 1 have to have been a reflection of what he has witnessed in pre-season. Rotations will change in the near term.

I don't think anyone is expecting an All-A10 season from Larson or even a major allotment of minutes (for example). Maybe KD just wanted more collegiate experience on the floor for parts of the early season, even if it wasn't Div.1 experience. 

Those of us who were actually YMCA type players know there are many layers between that level and Division 1.

 

11/11/2021 7:11 pm  #50


Re: Game Thread - Rider Broncs

PistolPete wrote:

I like a lot of what I saw in the second half and some pretty good summaries so far so I will just say I generally concur with the other posters.  That being said, I have to add that I too am sorry, Larson and Bekelja............PLEASEEEE!  And if you need either of them to eat a few minutes please don't play them at the same time.  Larson showed me nothing, but I wouldn't expect anything from a guy who just recently came here as grad assistant for crum sake!!! Like I said last year, teams will feast on us defensively when Bekelja is in the line-up as it is like playing 4 on 5 offensively.  We saw some good D-1, A-10 high caliber players on our team last night - neither Lawson or Bekelja fall into either category.  I would have played Acuff more than either of those guys.  

Wow Pistol firing his guns. Belichick did play solid defense. My man man Jackie Johnson did not. Maybe Coach Dambrot needs to set his demands & expectations. In Dambrot I trust. Go Dukes.

 

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