by Jack Morgan
Duquesne has had a very bipolar A-10 regular season, as they went from a five-game win streak to a four-game loss streak all in the same stretch of the season. However, those two streaks taught us a lot about what this team is about.
Regular Season Recap
The winning streak showed the variety of ways that Duquesne can win games. Alex Williams emerged as a valuable member of this team during the winning streak. During these five games, Williams scored 13.6 PPG in a very valuable sixth man role. Adding that production to a mix of standout stars like Tarence Guinyard, Jimmie Williams, and Dave Dixon, this is dangerous. The losing streaks exposed the bipolar side of this team. They struggled to shoot during this stretch, shooting 29.8% from three in the four games.
Tournament Path
However, when the dust settled, they ended up with the seven seed and will take on Rhode Island in the first round. The Rams, holding the 10 seed in the tournament, have had some extreme highs and even worse lows. Their key win was against Saint Louis when they dealt the Billikens their first loss.
The Dukes and Rams have split both matchups in the regular season, with each side earning a double-digit victory. If Duquesne were to find a way to win this one, they would face VCU, a team they were unable to solve in a January loss at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Their side of the bracket would pit them against either Davidson or Saint Joseph’s, if they can pull off wins against two Rams’ teams.
With all that being said, I personally have the Dukes bowing out to VCU in the quarterfinals. The ceiling for this team is definitely winning it all. But that is a ceiling that hinges on everything going right. They have a ton of talent that can enable them to make another Cinderella run into March Madness.
