After missing six games for what Duquesne men’s basketball coach Dru Joyce III said was a “coach’s decision,” John Hugley IV returned to the lineup Tuesday night against Dayton at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Hugley was not in the Dukes’ starting lineup after starting all 10 games in which he appeared.
The enigmatic senior forward, who has played for three other Division I programs, including Pitt, was suspended by Joyce following a Dec. 10 loss at Boise State for what Duquesne on Tuesday clarified was because of “a violation of team rules and standards of the program.”
A school spokesman said Hugley returned “after showing growth in those areas, and Duquesne will do its best as a staff and a team to support him moving forward.”
Hugley, who entered Tuesday night’s game as Duquesne’s second-leading scorer (15.4 ppg) and rebounder (5.6 rpg), returned to practice following the Dukes’ 93-80 home loss to VCU on Saturday.
A former all-ACC honorable mention as a sophomore at Pitt, Hugley has scored 20 points or more four times this season.
His college playing career, which also includes one season each at Oklahoma and Xavier, has been marred by personal, legal and injury matters.
He told TribLive in July 2025 that he was excited to join Duquesne’s program.
“I love Pittsburgh. This is a second home for me,” Hugley said. “It’s just like my home in Cleveland. I want to come here to live one day. … Just happy to be here.”
Joyce, an Akron, Ohio, native, and Hugley have been acquainted since Hugley’s high school days at Lyndhurst (Ohio) Brush.
“It’s huge having John here,” Joyce told TribLive upon Hugley’s arrival at Duquesne last summer. “His experience is something I can’t take credit for. He’s seen basketball at some high levels. He’s been coached by some great ones: Jeff Capel (Pitt), Porter Moser (Oklahoma), Sean Miller (Xavier). These guys have coached deep into March Madness. They’ve had No. 1-ranked teams at times. He comes from that stock of seeing basketball played at a high level, and it does wonders for our team.”