Inside the Dukes: Pushing the Right Buttons

It would have been very easy to get down after the Duquesne Men’s Basketball Team lost in the closing seconds at Dayton, but coach Dru Joyce III had a very simple directive.

Sit up. Eyes up.

Joyce did not want anyone laying out or putting their heads down. There was plenty of season left and though that loss hurt, he and the team all felt that one play did not define it.

There was plenty of outside blame put on one individual, but that noise was not in the locker room, rather it was collective blame.

Joyce took accountability, David Dixon stated that the play would not have even occurred had the team not gotten into that spot and Matus Hronsky echoed that sentiment.

Instead, Joyce challenged the player, Cam Crawford, explaining that in 72 hours there would be another chance, and he had to get ready. Crawford had family at the Dayton game, allowing him to reflect, reset and turn the page from the game.

All he did was post 13 points, making timely baskets and providing crucial defense on Jackie Johnson III after he got off to a quick start.

“I think for him to go through that situation and respond the way that he did tonight is a huge step for him,” Joyce reflected. “It wasn’t a great feeling; it wasn’t a great moment. He’s human he knows. I can tell him a thousand times, I’ve got you, but at the end of the day, he feels like he let us down.”

This was one of several crucial decisions Joyce had, this one coming days before a 73-64 victory over Fordham Wednesday night at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

It was apparent to Joyce from an early juncture that his team just didn’t have it. Duquesne lacked juice and he flat out called the temperament “almost sad”.

Joyce challenged the Dukes to turn it up, be agitators on defense whether it was Fordham trying to get the ball up the court and understanding pick-and-roll situations, especially in defending three-point shots.

In December, Joyce discussed what he wanted to learn about himself and the team and in that moment, it was on full display.

Dixon admitted Joyce yelled at the team and that was what it took to up the energy. Whether he was shouting “pressure the ball”, “get up in the stance” or “rebound and push the pace”, Duquesne was ready.

“Even in walkthrough this morning, I didn’t have a great vibe and sometimes you don’t want to judge every practice and walkthrough as to how that is how the game is going to turn out,” revealed Joyce. “I don’t think we had for some reason we just couldn’t turn it up. I knew we had energy, I felt we weren’t fatigued, but I wasn’t sure if they knew to the extent of how the game needed to go and what was going to be required of the game. From the opening minute, I was live, they probably could have put me in the game almost because I didn’t think they could find energy themselves, so I’m not going to let my team just die out there. I’m going to do whatever I can do, staff wise as well. They responded, so kudos to those guys for taking some of the criticism, some of my tenacity and putting it into action.”

Joyce was tested once again when Jakub Necas was unavailable for Wednesday’s game, and he opted to have Jahsean Corbett come in to take that spot in the lineup.

Corbett would post 12 points, but really it was one area where his game drew the most attention.

The free-throw line has not been kind to Corbett as evidenced by a 42.5% mark heading into this contest. That was where assistant coach Jules Sullinger came into play.

Sullinger went back and watched film from when Corbett was at Chicago State, trying to find the 69.5% shooter from a year ago and started to compare the film.

The results where that there was a huge difference when it came to him rhythm. Joyce spent time with him Tuesday to be a whisperer and try to get him back in form.

Ultimately the release was determined to not be on time, with the thought that he was using his legs bring in correct. Wednesday, he made all four of his free throws and everything looked back in form.

Duquesne as a team was 21-for-26 from the free throw line and players were make free throws time and again throughout the evening, from Eli Wilborn showing off the hard work he put in both on the offensive glass and line, to free throws being converted at the end of the game.

Assistant coach Ari Stern had the scout for this game and his big advice which Dixon mentioned involved most of Fordham not looking to pass when it drove so filling gaps would be crucial, and that certainly proved true. The Rams had 18 turnovers on the evening.

Hronsky was a definite bright spot at Dayton as he set a career high in points and Wednesday night he did it again, with another personal best, this time seven assists.

A lot of sets were run towards him because he was making plays, saw the balance and an increase in confidence. Defensively he also checked off every box from being on time, challenging and rebounding well.

Wednesday Hronsky set a second career high with 30 minutes played and joked that he would have some words for Necas, his best friend, for whom he dedicated his performance.

“I was kind of mad at him at first, because are you really going to leave me there alone and not be there with me,” Hronsky jokingly asked. “In the end, I was thinking, even after the shootaround this morning that this basically was for Jakub, he’s trying to push it every single time even if his body says no. We had to pull it together for Jakub and others who have been injured. I even told him after the game that I love you, but I don’t love you because I played so much and my body hurts. I love Jakub and this was really for him.”

Duquesne has five games left to build momentum off this result and that begins Saturday at St. Bonaventure. It is unknown if Necas will be available, but regardless the belief this team maintains is one that it hopes will allow for a strong finish to the regular season.

“I still believe that even with our current record, we’re still one of the best teams in the league,” Dixon wrapped up. “We have a lot of guys that can score the ball, handle the ball, assist, facilitate and we have a strong presence down low. I feel that these next few games are going to be a huge test for us because it’s going to show what the A-10 tournament is all about. A lot of guys on the team don’t have that experience, this is going to be a huge test for them to see if they can live up to standard.”