Addison Smith | Sports Editor
Dominique McKoy is a junior forward for the Duquesne men’s basketball team, poised to be one of the leaders for the next season. He came to Duquesne from Cowley Community College, which he attended after one season at Rhode Island, and sat down with The Duke to discuss his season thus far, his best friend on the team and his future.
AS: You seem to not only be getting more minutes, but you seem to have taken on a leadership role, especially recently. Can you talk about that?
DM: Just speaking with all the coaches from earlier in the year. They wanted me to step up and be more of a leader just because I was an older guy, I’ve been in college two years already. I played in this conference and I know what’s going on. I have a feel for it. Just stepping up and being a leader to all the freshmen and sophomores and just sharing my experiences with them and all the stuff I’ve been through, just trying to help them get through every day.
AS: Can you talk about your experience and what you’ve told the freshmen and the sophomores?
DM: Just to play hard. Just treasure these moments because it seems like yesterday I was a freshman at Rhode Island and now I’m a junior. It goes by really fast. I was just telling them to cherish every moment they have and play hard, just leave it all on the court.
AS: When Ovie Soko leaves, you’re probably going to be looked at to step in his leadership shoes, are you ready to take on a role like that?
DM: I feel like I’m ready for that position right now. I’ve just been playing on his side, just being [the] Robin [to his] Batman. I think I could definitely fill his shoes when he leaves.
AS: Is the end of this season kind of going to be like the end of The Dark Knight Rises where you kind of see Robin appear at the end of the movie to take on Batman’s role? Do you think it’s going to be like that?
DM: (laughs) Yeah, probably so.
AS: You’ve talked about being a mentor to these students, did you come into Duquesne knowing you would be taking on such a huge leadership role?
DM: Not really. I kind of felt, once I came up here, it was going to be like, I was going to listen to what they had to say because I know DC (Colter) played here, Jeremiah (Jones), Jerry (Jones) and Ovie (Soko). I wasn’t coming in trying to be a boss or a leader, I came in here and tried to follow behind what they were doing. As the year went on, like me personally, I like to talk to people. Being a leader is just natural so it just came out of me. That’s what it was.
AS: Can you talk about your relationship with Ovie a little bit, and have you put yourself under his wing especially with him graduated and leaving next year?
DM: Me and Ovie, we’re pretty much like brothers. I came on my visit and I met him in May of last year. Me and him got real close and started texting each other; just keeping up with each other. He had a big role and is a reason why I came here. I wanted to play with him. Like I said, me and him are like brothers. We have a real close relationship. You’ll always see us together walking around campus. We go out and do stuff together like that. Me and his relationship is real tight, on the court and off the court, it’s better for me. Next year I know that I can do all the things that he was doing this year.
AS: Do you have somebody in mind to take on your leadership role once you graduate next year?
DM: DC (Colter), Jeremiah (Jones), Micah (Mason), just because when I leave, they’ll all be seniors.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
