Duquesne on Saturday

[ceharv]

I will be there with a group from the Class of ‘75.
Is it too much to ask that we get back to the team that scores in the 90s and wins by 25 after leading the entire second half by 20+? After VCU and UMass, I don’t think I can take another comeback and down to the wire finish, although I guess I will be happy with a W of any kind - but I am greedy.

[thesocalkid]

MEAT GRINDER - that's how I look at the final eight games. This will be a challenge for the Bonnies. They need to winn all of their home games. the away games are just going to be a coin flip. I'm sure UMess is looking forward to the Bonnies coming in and playing on their home court.

Go Bonnies

[maplehurst]

Duquesne appears to have peaked at their home game against the Bonnies. They just got pasted by a not-so-great Davidson team. Bonnies should win this game easily.

[ganyguy]

Assime many remember Duquesne great Willie Somerset. What a talent he was! Graduated mid 60’s. For many years Bonaventure not only played Canisius and Niagara twice a year but also Duquesne twice a year. Long standing rivalry for sure!

[chrismoses]

Feb 8, 2024 21:58:09 GMT -5 maplehurst said:

Duquesne appears to have peaked at their home game against the Bonnies. They just got pasted by a not-so-great Davidson team. Bonnies should win this game easily.

Duquesne really isn't that bad. Sure, they bad a bad outing against Davidson, but they've competed in most of their losses.

-Lost by three to a very good Princeton club. Likely NCAA team.
-Lost by 10 at Nebraska who is also a potential NCAA team.
-Lost by eight on a neutral floor to Santa Clara. NIT club.
-Lost by five at Loyola Chicago.
-Lost by 10 to Dayton.
-Lost by two at Saint Joe's.
-Lost by two to Richmond.

[kccgold]

ya never know who you are going to get with them, they do so many substitutions

every chance we get to let that Freshman DiMichele shoot a 3 is a bonus. He is 9-31 in conference play. I think he has a bright future because he takes it to the rim nicely but sag sag sag on him 

[ceharv]

My Preview of the Dukes - Since we played maybe the worst half of basketball in the Schmidt Era last month, the Dukes have made changes. You may recall that Dae Dae Grant, their best offensive player and at that time at or near the league lead in scoring, missed that game due to lingering effects of a concussion apparently suffered during a practice. Grant is now back and on the court, but his playing time and that of their second best offensive threat, fellow guard Jimmy Clark, have seen their playing time reduced. Earlier in the season, Dambrot had been using a three guard lineup, also starting Kareem Rozier, a smaller guard who did most of the ball handling. Rozier has also seen his PT reduced. Dambrot has switched to using three forwards with two guards. Recently, he has given more playing time to a freshman guard named Jake DiMichele.
DiMichele is an interesting kid. At 6’4”, 185 pounds, the local WPA product does not have the look a threat on the court. He has kind of a pudgy appearance, but don’t let that fool you. He is sort of a small version of Matt Cross from UMass- doesn’t have the “look” but still manages to produce. In high school, he was just a winner. he led an otherwise unimpressive small catholic school to back to back state championships in one of the smaller school classifications, averaging @32 ppg as a senior. Still, he wouldn’t be classified as a sharpshooter, but more of a “Swiss army knife” ( bad cliche, sorry) kinda kid. He’s hoops-smart, hustles to get himself open and just has that knack of getting lost on the court then suddenly he’s alone under the hoop or at the elbow with the ball in his hands getting off a high quality shot. You’d think that one of our more physical guys would be able to shut him down and make him a non-factor, but like Cross he usually finds a way to produce when you think he shouldn’t.
Dambrot has also been giving more playing time to several bigger guys from abroad, plus LaSalle transfer Fousseyni Drame and veteren big Tre Williams, who has the bulk to challenge Chad underneath. None of the four or five bigs Dambrot rotates on the front line have been consistent producers, instead it’s more like Dambrot hopes that one of the group will give him a double double each game, and recently someone has or has at least gotten close.
The Dukes are 3-6 in the league but their first A10 win was against us and they have gone 3-1 in the league recently ( including wins over Fordham ant home and URI on the road) including the win against us. Of course in that game we didn’t have Mika available and I’d like to think we’ve got the guard position figured out with Banks and Mika coming off the bench. At least we have avoided anything like that horrible - maybe worst-ever-first-half-by-a-Bona team anytime, anywhere against the Dukes here in Pittsburgh.
In short, I think no matter what five they put on the court, we will be able to put a better group on the court, but we all know that doesn’t necessarily equal a win and (another bad cliche warning!) - that’s why you play the game.

[wgt]

Agree, lots of substitutions with only one constant. Grant & Clark III will play 30+ mins barring foul trouble.
After 5 consecutive losses in conference (Dayton, Richmond, Loyola among them) they win 4 straight then stumble at home against Davidson (3-6).

So what will we see tomorrow?

I expect a different game than our loss at their place, with hopefully MIKA rather than LUC at the point. It was our worst shooting of the season, 27% FGs, 15% TREYS and 67% FTS producing 50 pts!!!

Our D was excellent! We held CLARK III to 9 pts (he averages 15 ppg) and held them to 54 pts. Their top scorer GRANT (18 ppg, #3 scorer in conference) missed game due to injury.


Their greatest strengths are steals (#3 in conf) and crashing the offensive glass (#3 off rebs). CLARK III is #1 in thefts and will pressure Chad on double teams.

Things I would like to see. MIKA taking more TREYS. He's making 46%. But DARYL, MOSES, and ASSA are taking more.

CHAD getting rid of the ball faster when collapsed on. BARRY getting more PT. Getting DIXON into foul trouble as he aggressively goes for blocks. Watch for DIMICHELLE TREYS in spite of poor season #s.


If we match their intensity & avoid long pointless stretches I like our chances.

[ceharv]

Wgt - glad you mentioned Dixon. He’s probably their best post defender and shot blocker and likely will draw the assignment of stopping Chad but he gives away considerable size, so getting him in foul trouble could really screw up their defense down low, also, not to nitpick, but I don’t think both Grant and Clark will play 30+ mins, the way Dambrot has gone recently, as he has favored using more true Forwards to try to get more rebounding. Neither Grant or Clark are lead ball handlers and that would probably wear them down pretty quickly, even with Rozier giving them a break. I think and hope he’ll have problems matching up with our guys defensively but still scoring enough points.

[wgt]

Bonnies are 6.5 pt favorites.

[bonawolf02]

Really need to put it on the Dukes today. Game in Pitt I don't believe was as true reflection of where these two teams are at. It needs to be a St. Joes game type of result. Let's get out of the gates fast - and sustain for 40.

Lock in.

Go Bonas!

[ohs73]

I expect a large and raucous RC audience today. Duquesne has always cut a slice of animosity in the Bonnies' guts. Players and patrons alike.

[Sipowicz]

Please SETH JOHNSON, please do not have the camera guy highlight the dancing old guy in the reds, not a good look!

[Dunga]

Feb 10, 2024 13:41:00 GMT -5 Sipowicz said:

Please SETH JOHNSON, please do not have the camera guy highlight the dancing old guy in the reds, not a good look!

Was that Sipowicz dancing in the reds? :)

[Sipowicz]

I’m just jealous because he has more moves than me!