Receiving the ball near the top of the key with LSU leading 31-16 and less than 10 seconds left before halftime, LSU forward Ronald Dupree broke with the ball on the dribble-drive, slashed to the basket and threw down a two-handed thunder dunk that brought the PMAC crowd to its feet.
The half ended and an energized Dupree ran off the court with a hop and excitement in his step. As he passed the LSU student section, he waved his arms in the air and hollered at the student section, “Get ya asses up!”
The LSU students responded to Dupree, who going into Tuesday night’s game against Delaware State had not been playing like the two-time All-Southeastern Conference performer he has been the previous two seasons.
“I was trying to get them rowdy, get them excited,” Dupree said. “I think we’re back playing some good basketball. They’ve been kind of quiet for three games now. I think it was appropriate for them to start cheering and getting the intensity back out there.”
After averaging 17.3 and 16.2 points per game the past two seasons, Dupree got off to a slow start this season, averaging 10.3 points in his first three games.
A career 47 percent field goal shooter, Dupree’s field-goal percentage hovered at 37 percent over the first three games. Even worse, Dupree missed 10 of his first 16 free-throw attempts.
After some soul searching, a more aggressive, determined and motivated Dupree took the floor Tuesday night against Delaware State, and the senior from Biloxi, Miss. delivered an 8-for-9 performance, tallying 18 points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes of action.
“I reevaluated myself,” Dupree said. “I just listened to the coaches and took advice from the coaches and try to get my game back to where it was. My focus now is to attack the rim, be aggressive and the outside shots will come.”
Instead of settling for jump shots and 3-pointers, Dupree drove to the basket again and again Tuesday. Against Texas A&M, Dupree settled for the outside shots and he was held to 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
“He wanted to shoot jump shots first and he didn’t shoot very well,” said LSU coach John Brady. “In the timeout he said, ‘Coach, I’ve got to take the shot, they aren’t guarding me. And I said, ‘they aren’t guarding you for a reason.'”
Brady said Dupree was playing the game in reverse, looking for the jump shot first before driving to the basket, instead of looking to go to the rim.
“He’s going to bring attention to himself by doing what he does naturally: catching the ball, slashing to the goal, getting fouled, running, playing aggressive and dunking the ball,” Brady said. “He’s not going to bring any attention to himself jump shooting. He’ll bring some attention, just not the type of attention he wants.”
Dupree’s teammates noticed a change in the forward’s play. Collis Temple III said Dupree looked like his old self.
“His game is slashing, getting to the basket, dunking, getting people to foul him when he gets to the basket,” Temple said. “You’ve got to respect his unbelievable quickness and jumping ability. And if they don’t collapse, they get dunked on. If they do collapse, that will open up the outside.”
Dupree is capable of hitting the outside shot, but he realizes his strengths are playing inside.
“I’m still growing as a player,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn. My game hasn’t matured to where I can just rely on my jump shot, initially. I have to penetrate off the dribble and get myself feeling good and get some baskets.”