Duquesne players counting on experience to guide them through tricky season

There’s nothing easy about life for college sports in 2020.

Just look at the Pitt and Penn State football teams.

Now college basketball is trying to launch amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the case of Duquesne, the pre-conference schedule is still being worked out. The UPMC Chuck Cooper Fieldhouse isn’t complete. And they had to shut down practices for a while because of a positive test surrounding the program — and another time because of a false positive.

As a result, coach Keith Dambrot is only getting approximately 20 of 30 possible practices.

That’s far from perfect.

What is ideal, though, is having enough experience on the roster to handle something like that. The Dukes are returning seven of their top eight scorers from a squad that won 21 games last season before covid-19 shut down the Atlantic 10 tournament. And Dambrot will be able to use eight players with conference experience.

“Those guys have played a lot of basketball,” Dambrot said. “They’ve won games in the Atlantic 10. They’ve been in a lot of close games. They’ve won games. They have a lot of experience. They’ve shown they can be good players.”

At least on the professional level, continuity is breeding results after sports leagues have rebooted. Look at the Steelers. A familiar depth chart and coaching staff returned from last year’s 8-8 team. Reinject veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the team is 9-0.

Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers spent to add pieces like Mookie Betts, but the core of that team played ball together for years. They just won the World Series. You can make a similar argument about the Tampa Bay Lightning finally hoisting the Stanley Cup in the NHL bubble.

Duquesne players are hoping for similar results.

“Having a lot of veteran guys is very beneficial,” senior forward Marcus Weathers said last week. “We do have a lot of guys who played in a lot of games. Building the team camaraderie, as well.”

One thing Duquesne players emphasized is that leaders don’t have to be carved out among the group. Those roles are already defined. Now, they just need to be enhanced as the season draws near.

“Being able to have that leadership. Not to have to start over and start fresh from what you are trying to learn,” said senior center Michael Hughes. “But also be able to push your standard as a team. What you expect from the younger guys, and all of us as a team.”

One concern Dambrot has expressed is that the lack of practice time has damaged the ability of freshmen to pick up on the team’s system and college-level conditioning. But that’s a universal concern for any college basketball team this year. And with eight veterans soaking up minutes, they may only have to spot in occasionally for the Dukes in 2020-21 anyway.

“All of our freshmen can play,” junior center Austin Rotroff said Monday. “It’s just a matter of time before they learn the defensive schemes, the in-and-out of the college game.”

The theory and the roster construction seem sound for the Dukes. Maybe to the point that they’ll have a leg up on some other A-10 teams.

Assuming the season can make it to the conference games in December. As of now, the Dukes open with three pre-conference games in Louisville’s “Wade Houston Tipoff Classic” Nov. 25-Dec. 4. Currently, they don’t play again until Dec. 30 when the A-10 season starts against St. Louis.

They hope.

Hear from Dukes coach Keith Dambrot and his Duquesne players in Tuesday’s podcast