Once again this year, the Duquesne basketball program faced a disheartening offseason that saw the departure of five players who all saw action last season.
Forward Quevyn Winters, a dead-eye from beyond the arc last year, decided to transfer closer to home, citing family reasons. Winters averaged 9.6 points and 22 minutes per game last season. The other players to leave include centers Martins Abele and Derrick Martin, along with point guard Marvin Binney and sophomore small forward Kadeem Pantophlet. Pantophlet, a frequent starter who averaged 5 points per game, decided to switch sports and played soccer for the Dukes this fall.
All of these players, save for Pantophlet, were recruited by previous coach Ron Everhart. The mass exodus from the program does not reflect well on second year head coach Jim Ferry.
The Dukes, who are picked to finish last in the Atlantic 10 for the second straight year, will not exactly be starting from scratch. They return sophomore point guard Derrick Colter, who won Atlantic 10 rookie of the week honors three times last season. Colter was unquestionably the star of the team last season, becoming the first freshman in school history to lead the team in scoring and assists.
Ovie Soko, a transfer from UAB who sat out last season due to NCAA rules, will be eligible to play this year. Soko scored 17 points in the Dukes’ 103-88 exhibition win over Clarion last Saturday. Jeremiah Jones and Jerry Jones, who were on last year’s team, will also be returning this season.
First year junior college transfer Dominique McKoy will also be on the floor this season. McKoy led all scorers with 20 points against Clarion.
Two promising forwards from Toronto will also be joining the effort this year for the Dukes. Jordan Robinson, a big-boned forward was rated a 3-star prospect by Scout and ESPN.com. Robinson was ranked as the No. 28 power forward in the nation.
Isaiah Watkins, a 6-7 forward was a consensus 3-star recruit who played at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J. Watkins, who signed with Duquesne last November, had scholarship offers from Washington and Oregon State.
Desmond Ridenour, who was rated as Ohio’s number three point guard prospect, will also join the team this year as a freshman. Ridenour signed with Duquesne last April and had offers from several MAC schools.
With more size and skill down low, fans will likely not see the same Duquesne offense as last year. Ferry’s characteristic upbeat pace will still be there, but the team will not have to rely as much on 3-point shooting to win games. Combine a stronger post presence with Colter’s uncanny ability to get to the rim, and Duquesne shouldn’t even be a shadow of the team they were last year.
Aside from the tough Atlantic 10 schedule, Duquesne has prominent nonconference matchups against West Virginia (Nov. 17), Pitt (Nov. 30), Penn State (Dec. 11) and Robert Morris (Dec. 14).
Photo Credit: Duquesne Athletics
