Kentucky basketball: what you need to know before Wildcats take on Duquesne

The Kentucky basketball team will be looking for their second win of the season when they welcome the Duquesne Dukes to Rupp Arena on Friday night. If you’re like me, you have no idea who Duquesne is or where the Dukes call home. Luckily my friend, the internet, has all those answers. Here’s what you need to know about Duquesne.

Duquesne is located in the Quaker State

The Dukes hail from Kentucky head coach John Calipari’s old stomping grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That steel city mentality that keeps Calipari coming back after every mean tweet is also what fuels the Dukes.

I’m not going to lie; I was guessing that Duquesne had an Illinois feel to them, so I apologize for not knowing where you call home. Also, is anyone going to say it? There’s too much Duke going on with this team. Can we fix this, please?

Veteran Coaching

The Dukes will be led by head coach Keith Dambrot, who brings a wealth of head coaching knowledge to the table. Dambrot is in his sixth year as the head man at Duquesne and his 25th year being an NCAA coach.

Dambrot spent 13 years at his alma mater Akron before heading North to take over the Dukes program in 2017. Dambrot’s list of achievements would make any young coach blush. The Dukes will be led by a coach who will not be intimated by the challenge of playing the Wildcats.

Dukes Looking For 2-0 Start

The Wildcats aren’t the only team looking for a 2-0 start to the season. The Dukes routed Montana on Tuesday night, 91-63. The Dukes reside in a stout Atlantic-10 that will more than likely be headlined by the Dayton Flyers.

Our own Busting Brackets has the Dukes as the 12th-best team out of 15 in the Atlantic-10. The team will be looking to prove the doubters wrong, and a win Friday night at Rupp Arena will put the entire country on notice.

Tipoff between the Cats and Dukes will be at 7 pm EST. on Friday night and will air on the SEC Network. This will be Kentucky’s last test before a heavyweight matchup with Michigan State in Indianapolis next week.

The Dukes should be excited for the challenge that awaits them on the hardwood. If there’s one thing that sets Kentucky fans apart from the rest of the country is that we respect when the visiting team gives their all, as long as they lose in the process. Go Cats!