One would think Jason Duty would have been ecstatic about his contributions to the Duquesne University basketball team this past season.

A walk-on and 2006 Vincentian Academy graduate, he played in 25 games for the Dukes -- including nine starts -- which are remarkable numbers for a non-scholarship player.

But, no, there was no ecstasy. It was replaced by frustration. And, at times, there was plenty of it.

"[Duquesne] coach [Ron] Everhart was giving me all the opportunities I could ask for. Even with all the talented players we had, he gave me a chance. It was frustrating not to take advantage of the opportunity," said Duty, a Cranberry resident.

After a strong first month of the season, Duty, a 6-foot, 175-pound guard, went cold shooting the basketball in December, a deep freeze that continued throughout the rest of the season. His shots wouldn't fall, his minutes declined and his confidence waned.

After a promising freshman season, you could say he was "off Duty."

Now, close to five months after a season which he would like to forget, Duty isn't about to look in his rear-view mirror. Not with his junior season approaching. Dwelling on the past didn't contribute to him make the gigantic leap from WPIAL Class A to the Atlantic 10 Conference, and he believes it won't help him now.

"At this point, my mind set is not to worry about last year, but to look forward to what I can do this year," he said.

Duty's resurgence has been in full gear during the offseason, and was highlighted by his play in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club's Pro-Am summer league. Duty's team, which included Dukes' teammate Jimmy Sherwood and West Virginia University point guard Joe Mazzulla, advanced to the semifinals of the six-team league.

While most of the local players who participated -- many were from Division II and III colleges -- were in awe of playing with and against Division I talent, Duty was used to it. So, more than anything else, he spent his time keeping his game sharp.

"For me, it was just great to play with a bunch of good players at the Division I level, and players we'll play against this season," he said. "It's a good time to work out and get back in shape. And it's a good place to work on things and to keep up with the pace of the game."

Keeping up with the pace of the game has rarely been a problem for Duty. Although his pedigree and overall skills might not always be similar to the competition, Duty seems to always level the playing field with his hustle and passionate play. He usually makes an impact with his perimeter shooting, too, as evidenced by him making 10 of the first 17 3-pointers of his freshman season.

But toward the end of his first season, that accuracy suffered as he connected on just four of his final 30 shots from behind the arc in the Dukes' final 11 games. Those struggles continued last season when he shot 31 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range.

His playing time also dwindled, dipping from 15 minutes per game as a freshman to a little more than 11 as a sophomore.

In an attempt to rekindle his past success and add some new wrinkles to his game, Duty has been working diligently on shooting as much as possible, and on improving his ballhandling ability in an attempt to make himself more than a one-dimensional player.

With his third season just around the corner, Duty sounds as confident as ever. He is firmly intent on banishing his prior inconsistencies.

"I was a little passive the past two years," he said. "Everything just happened so fast, becoming a part of the team and everything.

"I have two years left and I've been given a great opportunity, and I just want to take advantage of it. I'm just going to try to contribute and become an even bigger part of this team."