Duquesne MBB Uses Cohesion, Aggression, Adjustments To Prepare For Season

June 10th is a date many in Pittsburgh know started U.S. Open week at Oakmont Country Club, but at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, Duquesne Men’s Basketball Coach Dru Joyce III was building something, and it started with a lifelong friend, sports psychologist Dr. Joe Carr.

The time with Carr totaled three days before a basketball was ever touched and it was an important part to this process because as Joyce explained this was clearly establishing standards and expectations, while also building a level of trust.

“He addresses the elephant in the room, and he has a unique ability to do that,” Joyce detailed. “He various strategies of bringing that out but he also allows to feel courageous, to feel brave to speak openly. He creates that kind of environment and I trust him. I’ve known him since I was 16 and has been a mentor in my life for so long and it’s ultimately important and a plus to have him as part of our program.”

This effort quickly led to a collective buy in that has only been built upon day after day. 

“We’ve played almost every day since we’ve come together in the summer and sometimes you have some competitive guys in the room, and they can get on each other’s nerves a little bit,” said Joyce. “It was refreshing to see us come together to see what our connection looks like, not just play well but supporting each other playing well. When you have one guy check in and he feels the energy and effort and is getting that same love from the guy that subbed out. I was really impressed by how we handled those situations and just rooting for each other, we have to keep doing that. That’s the type of spirit and atmosphere I want around this team.”

Part of that growth also has been exhibited by having some selfless behavior, by sacrificing an understand that a role is to be played that has to be ready to be fulfilled at all times, that it is not to diminish anyone, but just what is deemed best for the program, something which has been a growing process.

The team has been empowered to find 1% daily improvement on the court, but have been challenged to do the same off it.

“It’s a lot more than just basketball, our coaches are teaching us to be great men and great fathers one day,” junior guard Jimmie Williams said. “I was looking at it for other things than just basketball. Basketball is always going to be there, but Coach Dru did a great job showing us that bonds matter and lifelong friendships matter.”

While the team is achieving growth, Joyce aims to do the same, consistently asking himself how he can challenge them in the right way every day and carry that competitiveness into game. As a competitor himself, he loves it and is optimistic that what he deems a great experience so far can continue.

In past seasons there has been a clear leader and this year that box is checked off as well.

“Coach Dru,” responded Williams.

A JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A SINGLE DRIVE

Senior guard Tarence Guinyard posted an Instagram video of his driving into Pittsburgh from Tampa, Florida, an approximately 1,025-mile effort totaling 15-plus hours if done consecutively.

The drive itself had storms in Georgia, so he had to stop on a couple of different occasions, but it was a journey which resembles a basketball game and one that had him ready for Monday night’s season opener against Niagara.

“The whole drive, you’ve got the first half of the drive, it wasn’t too bad and stopping in Georgia because of the storm it resembles the other team going on a run, but you’ve got to figure out what you’re going to do,” he reflected. “I had to stop and take another route, but in the end I got here, but it resembles getting a win.”

The road to Duquesne was less complicated for Guinyard who was recruited by assistant coach Ari Stern, a process which mainly was talking on the phone and texting about NBA games. It was no pressure and only grew when he took his official visit, having a homely, family feel. When he spoke one-on-one with Joyce in his office, what he desired and thought a winner was, that was when the decision was ultimately made.

“I feel like a winner is someone who doesn’t stop,” assembled Guinyard. “Even if another team goes on a run or is hitting shots, a winner is someone who is going to keep going to the end to win the game and do whatever they can.”

It was a process Williams also identified with, feeling he was in need at Duquesne and that he felt the coaching staff trusted him, something which is very important to him. Williams believes that when he is trusted and someone has his back he plays better.

In turn, this has unlocked new aspects within his game.

“I think I see things a lot better than I did last year,” he outlined. “I think I slowed up the game and I’ve tried to take steps to work on my body more, more film to advance my game. I feel like I worked very hard this summer and offseason so really excited and ready to go.”

Since June the team has bumped bodies but as aggressively as they have worked on the court is just as intentional as the relationships have been built off it. Guinyard maintains how that first impression of family has only strengthened, between everyone joking around and talking about where they are from.  

Family has been a big part of Guinyard’s life, in fact it comprises his why and pushes him to take that next gear.

“I’ve got two boys at home and one on the way so that’s what motivates me,” Guinyard pridefully stated. “My family, my mom, my brother. My brother trained me, so he was a big reason why I play.”  

FINDING TWEAKS

Joyce understands that defense has been a winning ingredient as Duquesne has been a detailed side through dictating, disrupting and making opponent’s lives difficult, but he understands that it is hard to win games in the 60’s, so he understood that there was work to do.

Building the team around that work was crucial for Joyce, who saw some glaring offensive issues in rim protection, finishing around the rim and free throw production.

“We wanted to fix those areas and looking at data and history found teams continue to win when they’ve had success for years and try to establish what our identity needs to be and incorporate some of the things we can add to it,” he observed. “Nothing in basketball is really new it’s adding a wrinkle or two and that’s what we’ve done. As good as you are on defense, it’s hard to win games in the 60’s, so emphasis on pace and increasing the possessions in a game is a focal point for us. We’ll see how it goes, but we’ve made the adjustments and we’re comfortable playing with pace.” 

Duquesne has experienced encouraging results early in a scrimmage victory over Cleveland State and a publicly viewed exhibition win against Virginia Tech.

Now, the team feels that the pieces are in place for the season in hopes of returning to the standard set in 2023-24, Duquesne’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 47 years.

“We are so tight off the court and on the court, we go even harder, so I feel like it will be easier going against someone we don’t know so together we’ll go out and dominate,” concluded Guinyard.