Ben Deihl & Rebecca Jozwiak | sports editor & multimedia editor

Duquesne men’s basketball had a down season last year, going 13-19 overall with an 8-10 conference record. Just the year before, the Dukes had broken a long playoff drought, winning the A10 and securing a bid to the national men’s basketball tournament.

Now in Head Coach Dru Joyce’s second year, the Dukes are looking to flip the script and prove they’re still an A10 powerhouse.

After a lackluster 0-6 start last season, the Dukes were able to turn it around in A10 conference play, going 4-1 in their first five matchups. A defining moment of the season came in the team’s second conference game of the year, defeating Saint Joseph’s 85-81 in overtime.

But Duquesne proved to be a streaky team last year, as midway through last season they went on a five-game losing streak, including scoring a season-low 53 points in a deflating 62-53 loss to Massachusetts.

The Dukes finished their season on another three-game losing streak. Their final loss of the regular season came in devastating fashion, as the Dukes rallied to force overtime, but eventually lost 90-88 to St. Louis.

“We root for each other, and we need to continue to do that,” Joyce said. “There’s going to be some challenging times throughout the season. I want that spirit and atmosphere on this team.”

Despite the loss, Duquesne earned the No. 9 seed in the A10 championship. The positives didn’t last long, as the Dukes lost to St. Bonaventure 64-59 in the tournament’s first round.

With the low-scoring offense seen last year, Joyce and his team of coaches have made sure to make adjustments with a fresh starting five.

“You’re going to need your defense to provide that winning ingredient,” Joyce said. “There’s so many variables that happen within a game. We want to be stout defensively.”

The Dukes started off this season on an impressive note, defeating Virginia Tech in exhibition play, 83-81. Senior guard Tarence Guinyard put up a team-leading 21 points. The Tennessee-Martin transfer won the game for Duquesne, on a dunk with less than a minute left in the game.

The Dukes start their regular season campaign on Nov. 3, facing Niagara at home for both teams’ season opener. Niagara had a similar year to Duquesne last season, going 11-20 overall with a 6-14 conference record.

Duquesne then faces their first challenge series of the season, participating in the Villanova Challenge. The series will start with Sacred Heart, a team the Dukes have only played once before in team history.

Duquesne will add another historic first on Nov. 11, taking on Queens University of North Carolina for the second match of the challenge. The two programs have never played each other before.

Villanova will be Duquesne’s final matchup of the challenge — and likely the Dukes’ biggest test. As a bonafide blue blood in college basketball, the Wildcats are no stranger to the spotlight.

Villanova won two national championships in 2016 and 2018, and the team’s most recent success is a Final Four appearance in the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The Dukes finish their nonconference schedule with Loyola Maryland, Central State, William & Mary, Stony Brook, Canisius and Cleary at home. Duquesne will play Northeastern in the Morgan & Morgan classic before taking a trip out west to play Boise State and Nevada to close out nonconference play.

Duquesne’s most important stretch of the season starts Dec. 30, as the Dukes visit Davidson for their first A10 matchup. The Wildcats have been a thorn in Duquesne’s side, as the Dukes have a 1-13 all-time record against them and are currently on a six game losing streak. With home-and-home matchups in 2025, the Dukes look to earn their first win over Davidson since 2020.

Duquesne also plays Dayton twice this year, and the Dukes have had their number in recent years. After starting the series 0-7, the Dukes are 4-2 against the Flyers in the past five games.

VCU has won two of the last three A10 championships. Duquesne is 4-9 all-time against the Rams, but they have won three of the last five. VCU took the most recent matchup, 71-62, but a bigger Duquesne squad could give the Rams a run for their money.

The Dukes also have home-and-home series with Saint Louis, Saint Bonaventure and Rhode Island. Duquesne will be looking for revenge against the Bonnies, as they knocked the Dukes out of the A10 tournament last year.

Apart from VCU, Duquesne plays George Washington, La Salle and Richmond at home. George Washington will be a game to keep eyes on, as the Revolutionaries were picked to finish second in the A10 this year.

With Duquesne’s recent A10 championship win and bid to the big dance, returning players like Cam Crawford are hungry for their shot to etch their names in Duquesne’s history books.

“I’ve never been dancing,” Crawford said. “That’s my real motivation this year. Everybody’s set up, everybody’s ready for it.”

Duquesne will travel to face Saint Joseph’s, Fordham, Loyola Chicago and George Mason in away games. Saint Joseph’s will be eager to play the Dukes, as they fell victim to “the David Dixon game” in the frustrating overtime loss last year.

Duquesne was projected to finish ninth in the A10 in a preseason poll, with VCU tallied to once again take the conference crown.

The A10 was one of three conferences to have seven or more teams finish with 20-plus wins last year, the others being the Big Ten and SEC. The A10 could prove to be one of the most competitive basketball conferences in the nation, with Duquesne right in the middle.

Ben Deihl can be reached at deihlb1@duq.edu

Rebecca Jozwiak can be reached at jozwiakr@duq.edu