Losing players who disappear into the NCAA transfer portal sets up many obstacles for coaches, but Duquesne’s Keith Dambrot went up by one Tuesday.
Quincy McGriff, a second-team junior-college All-American guard, said Tuesday night he will enroll this year. He is the fifth player added to the Duquesne roster since the end of the season after four from the 2021-22 team entered the portal with the intention to transfer.
100% committed to Duquense University ????❤️ GO DUKES!!! pic.twitter.com/6jvdy0S9LQ
— Quincy McGriff (@quincy_mcgriff) April 19, 2022
McGriff said Dambrot’s involvement in his recruiting was one of the reasons he chose Duquesne.
”He was really involved in my recruitment,” McGriff said. “That meant a lot, being the head coach. A lot of schools, the head coach was texting me here and there. He was texting me as much as his assistants were texting me. (Dambrot) showing all that interest meant a lot to me.”
He also was impressed by the coaching staff’s connection with each other.
“They’ve been together for a while now. That was really big on why I chose Duquesne,” he said.
McGriff, (6-foot-6) was the second-leading scorer for Salt Lake (Utah) Community College this season, averaging 13.5 points for a team that scored 100 or more — with a high of 169 — in 15 games. Salt Lake started the season 28-0 and ended up 35-2 after losing to Northwest Florida State College in the NJCAA championship game.
How does a college team score 169 points? “Being relentless,” McGriff said. “Pick up 100 feet, trapping everything, not letting your foot off the gas.”
McGriff, who has three years of eligibility remaining, was one of two Duquesne recruits in that title game. Tre Clark, who committed to Duquesne last week after previously playing in the Atlantic 10 for VCU, was a guard for Northwest Florida State.
For the season, McGriff shot 43% (166 of 356) from the field, 37.1% (86 of 232) from beyond the 3-point arc. He dished out 60 assists, with only 52 turnovers, in 36 games.
“They want me to come in and score,” said McGriff, adding he also had interest from Wichita State, Texas A&M and UTSA.
McGriff, a Los Angeles native, is eager to get on campus — he’s arrving in early June — so he can help settle an argument.
“A lot of people are saying the East Coast is better than the West Coast. I’ll finally be able to debate that,” he said.
McGriff and Clark are two of five prospects who have committed to Dambrot in the past month, including Slovakian forward Matus Hronsky and forwards Abdou Halil-Barre and David Dixon. Point guard Kareem Rozier committed in November.
Meanwhile, former Duquesne guards Jackie Johnson III, Toby Okani, Tyson Acuff and Primo Spears have left the program.
