NBA Draft: Rutgers' last 1st-rounder, Quincy Douby, has been taking notes on Dylan Harper
Quincy Douby Jr. is a 6-foot-5 high school basketball standout in Miami whose father knows a thing or two about hooping at a high level.
The dad, Quincy Douby, was the last Rutgers basketball player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, going No. 19 overall to the Sacramento Kings in 2006.
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That's a good resource to have around the house, but here's an even better one: When 17-year-old Quincy wanted to know how Dylan Harper became so effective at the pick-and-roll, he was able to get a detailed and personalized answer.
'I reached out to Dylan a couple of times, asking him for advice for my son,' 41-year-old Quincy Sr. said by phone on Saturday. 'I hit him on IG (Instagram) because he's so good at pick-and-rolls and reading defenses. I told him, 'My son looks up to you; what do you do?' So he gave me the pointers on what helped him get to where he's at, and I let my son read that and it motivated him.'
Quincy Douby and Dylan Harper
Father and son will be glued to the NBA Draft June 25, when Harper – who starred at Don Bosco Prep before playing one collegiate season at Rutgers – is projected to go No. 2 overall. It will be a full-circle moment for Quincy Sr.
On NBA Draft night 2006, 'a total surprise'
In three season at Rutgers, from 2003-2006, Quincy Douby scored 1,690 points, shot 39 percent from 3-point range and 82 percent from the free-throw line. His junior season was the stuff of legend: Playing in a Big East Conference that sent 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 25.4 points, 4.3 rebound and 3.1 assists while shooting .401 from deep and .847 from the stripe.
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After earning first-team All-Big East honors and the Haggerty Award at the metropolitan area's top player, Douby declined an invitation to the NBA Draft's green room and instead attended a watch party at a friend's house because there were so many people who wanted to share the moment with him.
On draft night, Douby had a feeling he would be selected by the Nets with the 23rd pick – until the Kings called him right before choosing 19th and said he was their guy.
Rutgers guard Quincy Douby exhorts the crowd at Madison Square Garden during the 2004 NIT
'It was a total surprise – the Kings came out of nowhere,' he said. 'After I got off the phone I wanted to see it on TV, to make sure they actually called my name. It was a surreal feeling because I never played ball to make it to the NBA. I never dreamt that big because I started playing late.'
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Douby didn't play organized ball until his junior year at William Grady High School in Brooklyn.
'I was the only one in my entire family who ever played basketball, so I had never even imagined this,' he said. 'I was at a loss for words – I broke down and cried. Basketball for me, it was therapeutic. It was something fun, and I loved to compete. I never did it for the money and the fame. You go a lot further when it's more organic that way.'
After three years in the NBA, Douby became a pro star in China, averaging as much as 32 points per game.
'When I got to the league (the NBA), I was very confused; I didn't understand the business part because I didn't come from money," he recalled. "So I lost a little bit of the love for it. When I went overseas, I got the love back. I went over there and with my free time I read a lot of books, reinventing myself in terms of learning business.'
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He began investing in real estate, which is how he makes his post-basketball living (he also earned his bachelor's degree from Rutgers in 2023). Now Douby resides in Florida and has the flexibility to take a leading role in training Quincy Jr.
'My parents weren't able to be a part of my journey when I was young because they were Haitian immigrants and they were just trying to figure out paying the bills and all that,' Quincy Sr. said. 'I had to do it by myself. Now I get to do it with my son, and it's been fun.'
Advice for Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey
Quincy Jr. just finished his sophomore year of high school. He's a well-regarded combo guard who holds scholarship offers from Florida International, Jacksonville and Alcorn State and interest from some high-majors.
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How does he stack up against his dad in H-O-R-S-E?
'I'm not going to lie: Sometimes he wins,' Quincy Sr. said. 'I win the majority of the time, but sometimes he gets me.'
Douby has followed his alma mater closely through the years, but he had an extra reason to tune in this past season.
Oct 17, 2024; Piscataway, NJ, USA;Rutgers Scarlet Knights guards Airious Bailey (4) and Dylan Harper (2) get ready to grab a rebound in the first half against the St. John's Red Storm at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
'We watched a lot of Rutgers games this year – my son is a big fan of Dylan's,' he said. 'Building his IQ, we use guys like Dylan as the standard. We looked at his pick-and-roll game and dissected it. We took a whole bunch of notes this year.'
They'll continue to follow Harper and his Rutgers teammate, Ace Bailey, who is projected to be a top-10 pick on what will be a deeply meaningful draft night for the last Scarlet Knight who experienced that first-round call.
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'I'm so proud of them, the light they brought to Rutgers,' Douby said. 'A lot of the stuff happened over the course of years – firing coaches and scandals going on, so for them to come to Rutgers and represent, now taking it to the next level, that means so much to me.'
His biggest piece of advice to Harper and Bailey as they begin their pro-ball journeys?
'Understand there's going to be a lot of ups and downs – you're taking it to the next level in life, not just in basketball,' he said. 'Don't get distracted. Stay focused on the task. Network. There's a lot of opportunities to network with a whole bunch of people in the basketball world. Get information to propel your career and your life.'
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NBA Draft: Dylan Harper has a big fan in Rutgers great Quincy Douby
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