Duquesne Dukes
2014-2015 Overall Rank: #81
Conference Rank: #8 Atlantic 10
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After winning just eight games during his first season with Duquesne, Coach Jim Ferry boosted his team’s win total to 13 last year. There is still a long way to go, but he has the Dukes program headed in the right direction. This should be his best season yet. The A-10 just keeps getting better and better though and this group is still a ways away from competing for a conference title. But, for now, continuing to improve is the goal and any trip to the postseason would provide this young team some great experience moving forward. Micah Mason had an amazing sophomore season and he is a great piece for Coach Ferry to build around. He was one of the most efficient players in the country, shooting 56.0 percent from beyond the arc. Asking him to keep that up is too much, but Mason can emerge as one of the A-10’s best scorers if he starts creating his own shot.
2013-14 Record: 13-17, 5-11
2013-14 Postseason: none
Coach: Jim Ferry
Coach Record: 21-39 at Duquesne, 166-176 overall
Who’s Out:
Losing Ovie Soko will take an adjustment though. The 6-8 forward averaged a team high 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds during his senior season and the offense almost always went through the big man in the post. Tra’Vaughn White never reached his explosive potential during his time with the Dukes, but he was still a nice scoring option off of the bench and averaged 7.4 points per game and just 16.6 minutes. Jerry Jones, a 6-4 wing, wrapped up his collegiate career averaging 4.8 points per game.
Who’s In:
Jordan Robinson figures to be the most impactful of the four eligible newcomers. The 6-8, 255 pound power forward is a bruiser in the paint and that toughness is going to be a great asset from day one for the Dukes. He can back down most defenders and has some decent post moves. TySean Powell will add depth in the frontcourt. Unlike Robinson and his strength, Powell does his damage with his athleticism. His potential is through the roof, but he will need to develop some consistency during his freshman campaign before making a massive impact. The last of the incoming freshmen is shooting guard Eric James. When his shot is falling, Coach Ferry could use his shooting prowess off of the bench for now. Jordan Stevens comes to Duquesne from the junior college ranks. After White’s disappointing one year career with the Dukes after being a very highly regarded juco recruit, the expectations for Stevens are not on the heavy side. However, he is a solid ball handler who can attack the basket.
Who to Watch:
This team should pretty quickly turn their focus from the frontcourt to the backcourt. Mason will lead the way, but Derrick Colter and Jeremiah Jones will do plenty of scoring. Colter is a speedy point guard who averaged 9.1 points and 3.4 assists as a sophomore. He can get this team up and down the floor in a hurry and that worked great much of the time last year. He is also developing into a decent shooter and he could easily be a double-digit scorer with a bit more consistency on his jumper. Jones is a consistent player who may not be capable of scoring 20 points on any given night, but will play tough defense and occasionally finish around the basket. With the influx of talent, his minutes could decrease if his scoring does not get better, but there are more shots to go around now and he is capable of taking some of those. Desmond Ridenour showed some of his explosiveness as a freshman. He was used as the backup point guard in 2013-2014, but could be used as a secondary ball handler beside Colter more often this season, especially if his outside shot starts falling.
Final Projection:
The new star of the frontcourt will be Dominique McKoy. He is a very consistent and efficient interior scorer who shot nearly 60 percent from the floor. After averaging 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds, McKoy will be asked to increase both of those numbers to help cover for the absence of Soko. That should not be a problem. Depth, however, is a bit of a concern. The Dukes may need more production out of L.G. Gill while the newcomers come around. And Gill is really a wing despite playing time at the four spot. Gill appears much stronger than he did last season, so playing at the four spot may not be an issue anymore. Either way, Gill can provide quality depth at one of the forward spots, but this season could come down to how quickly the frontcourt freshmen develop.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Derrick Colter, Junior, Guard, 9.1 points per game
Micah Mason, Junior, Guard, 10.6 points per game
Jeremiah Jones, Junior, Guard, 6.3 points per game
Dominique McKoy, Senior, Forward, 9.7 points per game
Jordan Robinson, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.3 (94th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 73.7 (266, 12)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.2 (175, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 45.6 (266, 12)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.3 (76, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.3 (84, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 66.9 (266, 9)
Rebound Margin: 0.1 (189, 10)
Assists Per Game: 15.2 (32, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.0 (57, 2)
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