Duquesne University Athletics

Duquesne Picked Ninth in 2025 A-10 Preseason Poll

9/30/2025 10:00:00 AM

Dukes return two starters, 10 players under second-year head coach Dru Joyce III

Pittsburgh, Pa. – According to a poll of Atlantic 10 head coaches and media, the Duquesne University men's basketball team has been picked to finish ninth in the A-10 in 2025-26. The annual preseason poll was announced Tuesday at A-10 Basketball Media Day, held at PPG Paints Arena, the site of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship.

The Dukes received 155 points in the poll. Picked as the preseason favorite was VCU, which collected 11 first-place votes and 342 points, one point more than Saint Louis (341), which also earned 11 first-place tallies. Dayton (321), with three first-place votes, George Washington (296) and Loyola Chicago (286) round out the top five. The Ramblers picked up a pair of first-place votes in the poll.

George Mason (254) was slotted sixth, followed by Saint Joseph's (195) and St. Bonaventure (185). Trailing Duquesne and rounding out the poll is Richmond (142), Davidson (107), Rhode Island (102), La Salle (56) and Fordham (53).

The Dukes are led by Dru Joyce III, who enters his second year as head coach and welcomes back two starters and 10 returning players for 2025-26. Redshirt senior guard Cam Crawford and junior forward Jakub Nečas each played in 29 games last season, with Crawford earning 22 starts and Nečas 21.

Crawford finished the 2024-25 campaign as the top deep threat in the Atlantic 10, converting 43.1 percent (44-for-102) of his attempts from beyond the arc, including 46.5 percent (33-for-71) against conference opposition. Crawford concluded the year with averages of 8.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Nečas missed a double-double by a point in the last game of the year for Duquesne last season against St. Bonaventure in the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship, scoring nine points while setting a career high with 10 rebounds. Overall he averaged 6.0 points and 4.4 caroms per game.

The Dukes should also be bolstered by the return of senior forward David Dixon, one of just four players across the Atlantic 10 entering their fourth and final year with their respective program. Dixon is a 55.1 percent (221-for-401) shooter from the field in 96 career games, including 24 starts, and is the program's active leader in points (569) and rebounds (423). He is also just the second player in program history to eclipse career totals of both 100 dunks and 100 blocks with totals of 104 and 129, respectively.

Joyce III added eight new players to the roster for 2025-26, including guard Tarence Guinyard, a transfer from UTM who was named to the 2025 All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) First Team last season after ranking fourth in the league in scoring at 16.3 points per game. The Dukes also added 6'10" forwards John Hugley IV and Stef van Bussel to assist in the post. Hugley IV, a transfer from Xavier, was named to the 2022 All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Honorable Mention Team while at the University of Pittsburgh.

Duquesne opens the 2025-26 season Monday, Nov. 3, against Niagara at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. It begins a three-game homestand to open the year as well as a stretch seven of its first nine games at home. Season tickets are on sale now.

2025-26 Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll

School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. VCU (11)	342
2. Saint Louis (11)	341
3. Dayton (3)	321
4. George Washington	296
5. Loyola Chicago (2)	286
6. George Mason	254
7. Saint Joseph's	195
8. St. Bonaventure	185
9. Duquesne	155
10. Richmond	142
11. Davidson	107
12. Rhode Island	102
13. La Salle	56
14. Fordham	53