Before he embarked on his own tournament journey, Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot congratulated Robert Morris for winning the Northeast Conference and earning a berth in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
“They did a terrific job,” Dambrot said Wednesday before leaving with his team for the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y. “They dominated that league. (Coach Andy Toole) has done a really good job of making sure they’re the best team in that league and it’s not easy to do.
“Hopefully, they can win a game or two in that NCAA Tournament because Pittsburgh basketball really needs it. If all of us are good, it’s really good for all for us.”
Dambrot paid attention to Robert Morris’ 77-67 victory against St. Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday night, partially because the Colonials’ Josh Williams, the team’s leading scorer, played for him at Akron.
“I’m happy for him because he’s been in two (Mid-American Conference) championship games and didn’t win with us,” he said. “That’s a really good deal for him and his family. He’s a hard-working person. I hope he plays really well in that NCAA Tournament.”
The Dukes and Robert Morris have played each other many times in the past, but they haven’t met since 2017 — Dambrot’s first season — when the Colonials won, 66-59.
Dambrot declined comment when he was asked about resuming the series.
