Seems like practice started this week for some other schools. Does anybody know if the new Dukes have begun practice?

coffee wrote:

Missing piece is a dominant center.  If our front court gets into foul trouble, we get waxed.

I tend to disagree with this.  I think a dominant center is a luxury in the A-10.  They’re just not available anymore.  Dixon played the bulk of the center minutes last year and we were fine.  Dusan was a nice addition but rarely dominated.  We still have Chabi.  I’m not worried about the 5 spot. Looking forward to seeing how the St Francis kid complements Chabi and Dixon.  I’m actually more concerned about the PG. but I think after a month of practices a solution will present itself with the collection of players assembled.

Dixon is the only proven one with power underneath.  If he gets hurt or in foul trouble, we will see. 

Hope you are right though.

Don’t count out Chabi. He is athletic, great length and can jump. Shot blocker potential big time in a guard oriented league. In the coaching staff I trust. Until they lose their first game😂😂😂😂

Rayrich wrote:

Wilborn is a center not a power forward. A beast with a very high ceiling. Corbett is 6-7, but plays like a 6-9 guy averaging over 7 rebounds a game. Both future NBA'er. Add Dixon, Barre, Necas, Williams, Edwards, and Crawford (all solid rebounders) to the mix and rebounding wont be a worry. The only worry on this team is keeping guys happy. The sky is the limit. Not a team in D-1 that has this much talent 1-13 in their lineup. Dru knows what he's doing.

I agree with all of this minus the 2 future NBAers and most talent in D1 1-13. That is wildly optimistic but I’m an optimist by nature so I’m not ruling it out. Seems like a reach though.  But interior size wise, we are more than fine and much better off than last season so I’m not concerned. A 6’11” beast would be a nice luxury but it could slow the team down too and I want them to play fast. But Rayrich shares my biggest concern - keeping them happy. There’s not enough PT for this type of talent. And the guys that won’t get to play could make the locker room a negative environment.  This is the the biggest shift the portal has generated.  No longer are there players waiting in the wings, developing.  They all expect to play now. And they all can’t.

It’s entirely possible and often just fine to run more dynamic lineups with 3Fs rather than 2Fs and a C. We’ve seen that plenty of times.

I think we should look in the mirror when we criticize another’s tone.

Or, to quote the goalie legend Bryz… is only game. Why you heff to be mad?

Last edited by Face (6/07/2024 10:18 am)

It will be interesting to see what type of systems Dru runs.  This team seems to be built to run on offense and press on defense.  I agree with Face about a more dynamic lineup. I can see us going 10 to 11 deep with guys playing multiple positions. 

I did the math, and with the 6 portal players this team added (based on Indvidual combined averages) 77ppg and 31rpg, By comparison we lost 9 players with combined 57ppg and 26rpg.  I know this is very simplistic, but it does give some idea of the talent we picked up. 

I like optimistic people, I myself get prone to hyperbole in my support of the Dukes.  While it may be an overstatement to say the Dukes have the deepest team in D1, there is no denying that this team is going to have some serious depth of experienced good players.  One other point, some kids start out at one position, get bigger and stronger and now can play multiple positions.   I have heard that Wilboun who started last season at Saint Francis as a 6'8' 215 pound forward, is now closer to 6'9" and 230 pounds, I look for him to see plenty of time at both the C and PF slots.   
 

I do not believe that practice have started yet.  This is in sharp contrast to Dambrot who seemed to have his teams practice nearly year-round, and went long and hard for during the summer.  Returning players probably love this break as do their body's.  Heard Dixon had another knee surgery but would like to know if anyone else has heard the same

Have no idea how this group will be and have no idea how this will work with a new coach with no coaching experience.  However, very hopefully optimistic and its a good sign that the new coach is not running his players into the ground and letting these kids enjoy some much-needed free time 

Here is something we have not thought about or discussed.... We have a new coach who has not coached a single game I believe at any level.  Yet most of us believe he is going to do a great job and keep us winning 20 games a year.  Let's say we are right, and Dru is a great hire and we keep winning.  How in the world will we keep Dru if he is a superstar on the rise?  Dru and his marketing and business team, who are not doubt excellent, will try and maximize his value, as they should.  

 

lakersnixon wrote:

Here is something we have not thought about or discussed.... We have a new coach who has not coached a single game I believe at any level.  Yet most of us believe he is going to do a great job and keep us winning 20 games a year.  Let's say we are right, and Dru is a great hire and we keep winning.  How in the world will we keep Dru if he is a superstar on the rise?  Dru and his marketing and business team, who are not doubt excellent, will try and maximize his value, as they should.  

Simple.  We will not.  The A-10 is the minor leagues for coaching in NCAAMB.  Dan Hurley, Sean Miller, Archie Miller, Shaka Smart etc.   To say Dru is a rising star is ridiculously premature.  I, as do a lot of you, have high hopes but really, there is no real reason to think that he’ll be great.  It’s just hope. I don’t want to go ver old ground here but, if you take away the Lebron connection, how much better is his resume than Darelle porter’s?  I know it’s better, but how much?  Both had no HC experience, both good college players. Both young.  Both short term asst coachs.   

Feel free to point out how Dru is the better candidate, I understand that he is though BUT, as a HC starting his first year at Duquesne, he is a lot closer to Porter than Dambrot.   And could fail drastically just as easy as he could be a huge success.  Probably more likely.
 

Dambrot has said he thinks Dru will be an NBA coach one day. 

NapaDuke wrote:

gjgsr wrote:

You don't know.  That's what makes life so interesting.  You follow this guy (& his team) because he's been in the limelight recently and he seems to have done well recruiting transfers.  You follow this guy (& team) because he's at the 'university from which I graduated.'  You follow these guys because 'I'm running out of time, and I'd like to see a big winner at Duquesne,'   There are no guarantees in life except we're all gonna pass on.  Meantime it's fun following this team for the better or the worst.  See you at the opener in November....  

Well said. At mid-major, we have to take a chance, and Dru is very likely going to be a good HC. If he is very successful, it would take about 4 to 5 years of high level success to have bigger offer come his way, but if that did happen, it's because he elevated DU to a level of a Xavier or Gonzaga, which means we would again be able to attract another high level recruit to replace him.

Gonzaga is an exception insofar as a good coach has stayed. Xavier--with all its advantages: Men's Basketball being premier there, Big East, 10,000 seat basketball arena, good academics, etc.--has had coaching turnover--Staak to Wake Forest, Gillen to Providence, Prosser to Wake Forest, Matta to Ohio State, Miller to Arizona, Mack to Louisville. They could have their own wing in the College Basketball HOF with their ex-coaches. 

Last edited by scduke (6/12/2024 8:54 am)