Duquesne University men’s basketball team picked to finish 9th in Atlantic 10 for 2025-26 season

PITTSBURGH — The Duquesne University men’s basketball team has been picked to finish ninth in the Atlantic 10 for the 2025-26 season, according to a preseason poll of head coaches and media.

The poll results were announced Tuesday during the A-10 Basketball Media Day at PPG Paints Arena, which will also host the 2026 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship.

Duquesne received 155 points in the poll, while VCU was named the preseason favorite with 342 points and 11 first-place votes. Saint Louis closely followed with 341 points and also garnered 11 first-place votes. Dayton, George Washington, and Loyola Chicago rounded out the top five, with Dayton receiving three first-place votes and Loyola Chicago two.

The Dukes are led by head coach Dru Joyce III, who is entering his second year at the helm. The team returns two starters and 10 players from last season, including redshirt senior guard Cam Crawford and junior forward Jakub Nečas. Crawford was a standout three-point shooter last season, hitting 43.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, and averaged 8.6 points per game. Nečas narrowly missed a double-double in the final game of last season, and he averaged 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Senior forward David Dixon, a key returning player, has notable career stats, including a 55.1 percent shooting percentage and being the program’s active leader in points and rebounds.

The team has added eight new players for the upcoming season, including Tarence Guinyard, a transfer who was an All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team selection last year.

Duquesne will open its season on November 3 against Niagara at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, starting a three-game homestand.

Atlantic 10 2025-26 Preseason Poll

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