Duquesne big-man transfer Dusan Mahorcic nears debut, plans to 'dominate'

There’s a new sheriff in town. His name is Dusan Mahorcic.

Word is the oft-injured Mahorcic is close to making his Duquesne basketball debut after months of strenuous rehab of his surgically repaired right knee.

The Serbian-born Mahorcic, who played just 13 minutes while getting nine points and three rebounds for N.C. State during a foul-plagued outing against Pitt in December 2022, is nearly 100% recovered from his second serious knee injury of his college career.

“We are looking to be ready for Santa Clara,” said the 6-foot-10, 250-pound grad transfer, referring to Duquesne’s Dec. 23 neutral-site game in Las Vegas.

Said Duquesne sports medicine and performance director John Henderson: “He’s taken a big jump recently. Originally, we were thinking he’d be ready to go by the time we played Cleary (Dec. 30), but he’s getting really close. Santa Clara is not off the table. It’s possible.”

Just when will there be a Mahorcic sighting has been a burning question throughout Duquesne fan base since the Belgrade native set foot on campus last summer.

Told that a Dukes fan had dubbed him ‘The Aircraft Carrier,’ the mammoth Mahorcic burst into a bellowing laugh.

“I love it,” he roared. “I’m going to dominate.”

Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot, who was set to take his team to Akron, Ohio, on its annual trip to LeBron James Arena on Monday to face Bradley, wouldn’t stop smiling at Mahorcic after a recent practice while the two traded barbs.

“I’m just happy for him because he’s been through a lot,” said Dambrot, who coached James in high school at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. James on Friday donated new shoes to the Dukes in time for their next game.

“It’s a terrible injury, and Dusan has had it twice. It’s a tribute to his determination and his love of the game to even be close to being able to play right now.”

Mahorcic sat close by, listening intently and at times nodding in approval.

“He’s had very few days where he’s felt sorry himself,” Dambrot said. “He’s battled through it. He’s just a tough guy, strong as an ox. He’s tough mentally. He’s got that Eastern European temper.”

Just then, Mahorcic cut in.

“Same one you’ve got,” he said, staring into Dambrot’s eyes.

The coach didn’t miss a beat, either.

“Same one I’ve got,” he said. “So, if we’re yelling and screaming at each other, don’t pay any attention to it. That’s what Serbian brothers do.”

Duquesne forward Tre Williams played against Mahorcic when the two were attending Missouri Valley Conference schools, Williams at Indiana State and Mahorcic at Illinois State.

“I know I’m undefeated,” Williams chirped. “We played twice in my sophomore year, the covid year. He’s definitely not shy about speaking his mind. He wants to come in and make an impact right away. He takes it personal … Adding him — and me — is going to take us from being a good rebounding team to a great one.”

Williams, a fifth-year senior, was set to return to the lineup Monday after recovering from a procedure to correct a dislocated joint in his hand suffered Nov. 10.

Henderson said Mahorcic probably could’ve gone to any Division I team when he entered the transfer portal. But Mahorcic settled on Duquesne, where he has referred to the Atlantic 10 Conference as “mid-major plus.”

“Dusan could have made some good NIL (name, image, likeness) money, but he made his decision based on his knee,” Henderson said. “He was thinking ahead, getting healthy for the long term. That’s an extremely mature decision. He wanted to go somewhere where he trusted the staff. He said he did his research and told me I proved myself with the other guy and he wanted to be the next one.”

“The other guy” is Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, whom Henderson aided in rehabbing a severe foot injury while the two were at Weber State.

“I trust John Henderson,” Mahorcic said. “He’d done a lot of injury rehabs like mine. That gave me some assurance. I didn’t really care if it was going to be a Power 5 school because I’ve got to go play pro after this. My goal was to come out healthy after college. And sadly, I had to take another year. I was halfway through the season at N.C. State. No bad blood there. It’s a business.”

Mahorcic and Henderson have spent countless hours working together to get Duquesne’s “Aircraft Carrier” ready to help the Dukes, who are off to a 7-2 start for a second consecutive season.

Duquesne, picked to finish fourth in the A-10, has its sights set on a possible return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.

“It will happen,” Mahorcic said before emphasizing the prediction.

“It. Will. Happen.”

In Mahorcic, you come away wondering what drives a man’s passion, like his. Dambrot, Henderson, even teammates such as sophomore big man David Dixon seem to agree.

“He’s given me a taste of what bigger guys are going to do when I go up against them,” said the 6-9 Dixon, who, along with 6-9 Chabi Barre, are enjoying early-season success as inside presences for the Dukes.

Meanwhile, Henderson gleefully recalls the day he met Mahorcic.

“When he shows up on campus, it was a Sunday night,” Henderson said. “He’s texting me, ‘Are you there?’ I’m like, ‘Nobody’s working at 8 o’clock Sunday night.’ But I wanted to meet him. So, he comes into the weight room, we shake hands, and he says, ‘Are you ready to work? I say, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ We put him through a workout that night. That was the first thing he did before he unloaded his car.”

Mahorcic, who is on his sixth school in Duquesne, suffered a dislocated kneecap at Utah during the 2021-22 season, then tore it to shreds in a nasty fall the following season at N.C. State.

Now, nearly back to normal — if there ever is such a thing with him — Mahorcic is the epitome of an an assiduous worker.

“He reminds me of Damian Lillard,” Henderson said. “You don’t get a day off with guys like this. He’s fun to work with. There are a lot of guys who are gas pedal guys. You’ve got to push the gas to get them going. He’s a brake pedal guy. You’ve got to hit the brakes and tell him, ‘Hey, that’s too much.’”

Mahorcic doesn’t seem to be listening.

“When I got hurt at N.C. State, I’m not going to lie to you. I thought it was over,” he said. “I had a feeling somebody shot me in the ankle. I can’t explain the feeling. I’ve been waiting for this chance for too long. It’s been a long year.”

Mahorcic, beginning in 2018, for one year each attended Division II Lewis (Ill.) and Moberly (Mo.) Community College but did not play because of low academics while adjusting to American culture and its language. He finally made his college debut at Illinois State in 2020, where he spent one season before playing in 13 games in 2021 at Utah before his first major injury.

He played in just 10 games last season at N.C. State and came to Duquesne with career averages of 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in a total of 45 games.

With the long-awaited addition of Mahorcic, Duquesne’s lineup becomes arguably the biggest in the A-10. Finding playing time for everyone will be a major battle for Dambrot, who said, “Everyone is affected.”

Williams agreed.

“It’s definitely hard to deal with because everybody wants to play the whole game. But we’re all winners, and we know we have to make sacrifices for what’s best for the team. We talk to the younger guys, tell them everybody will get their fair share. Buy in when you’re in there, do your best and we have that ultimate goal in the back of our minds. Take it game-by-game. We’ve all got a chip on our shoulder, knowing that this could be the year we make a lot of noise.”

Said Dambrot: “It’s hard on everybody, but Dusan has a good relationship with the guys. I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue because they like him. There won’t be any animosity. I think they all respect what he’s done, and he’s tried to help them while he’s been out.”

Mahorcic has been working with the team’s younger players, giving them everything he has so they can continue to get better, he said.

“Both of those guys (Dixon and Barre) have bright futures, man.”

When Mahorcic returned to the court for the first time to take part in practices, he looked like “a grandpa,” he said.

“The mental part is the one thing that can stop you from doing anything,” Mahorcic said. “Some people never come back from a severe injury like this. I am running better now. It’s getting better. I just need some time and love.”

Speaking of that universal remedy …

“I love everybody here,” he said. “This is one of the tightest groups I’ve been around. You’ve got a bunch of guys here that it’s their last year. I want to get to the NCAA Tournament one more time. Everybody knows if we win, everybody eats. I feel there is an urgency. Everybody wants to win. We have guys who are holding guys accountable.”

Mahorcic plans to hold accountable anyone who gets in his way. It’s nothing personal.

Or is it?

“I respect others, but when we get on the court, I don’t really care what name is on the front of the jersey,” he said. “I really take the 5-spot personally. I’m going to make sure when I’m on the court that I dominate the whole glass and whatever else is around it — the paint, everything. I’m going to uphold what the 5-man is supposed to do.”

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