Duquesne Basketball

It's not every year a regular-season matchup between the Duquesne and Loyola Chicago men's basketball teams makes national headlines, but that is exactly what happened during Wednesday's game.

It turns out, those headlines were because of a prank.

Officials had to stop play in the second half because someone who appeared to be a food delivery person stepped onto the court while carrying a bag of McDonald's. Yet Duquesne confirmed to Jenna Harner of WPXI that the interruption was a prank.

"This was a prank, planned in advance, done for internet exposure," a statement from the school said. "We determined that the individual was wearing a mic while someone filmed him as he walked on to the court during active play.

"While the incident may have seemed funny at the time, and no harm was done, we are mindful that incidents like this can put players and officials at risk."

The game continued after the interruption, and Duquesne outscored the Ramblers 41-18 in the second half on the way to a 72-58 victory.

Bryce James, the 15-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James, announced Sunday he received his first Division I college basketball scholarship offer from Duquesne.

James, a member of the 2025 recruiting class, is set to play alongside brother Bronny at the Sierra Canyon School in California this season. They played their first competitive game together earlier this month as part of the Axe Euro Tour.

Recent videos of the James brothers have showcased a growth spurt by Bryce. He's gone from being several inches shorter than Bronny, who's two years older, to a few inches taller.

Benyam Kidane of Sporting News noted Bryce now stands around 6'6'' with a well-rounded skill set that's allowed him to excel at both ends of the floor and in transition.

LeBron posted a message on Twitter about watching his sons on the Axe Euro Tour:

Recruiting rankings for 2025 haven't been released, but given the wing's impressive development and obvious name recognition, he figures to attract a lot of attention over the next few years.

From that perspective, getting in with an early offer is a win-win move for Duquesne, led by head coach Keith Dambrot.

If James ends up being a high mid-major prospect—the Dukes play in the A-10—then they'll have been in on the ground floor of his recruiting process.

Should he blossom into a coveted Power Five recruit, which seems quite likely at this stage, then the Dukes will have received plenty of publicity from being his first offer.

So it's a worthwhile venture for Duquesne, which has compiled a modest 71-71 record during Dambrot's five-year tenure leading the program.

The Duquesne men's basketball team was stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during a snowstorm Friday night following a victory over George Mason for 30 hours and 24 minutes before the team finally announced it had reached home.

Head coach Jim Ferry sent a text message to Andy Katz of ESPN in the middle of the situation: "We [are] holding up. Bus is warm. Everyone is tired." 

Duquesne Athletics showcased the weather, which had seemingly turned the expressway into a parking lot overnight:

The team was clearly trying to make the best of a tough situation, though:

The game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday but was moved to 2 p.m. Friday in hopes of avoiding any issues with the arrival of Winter Storm Jonas.

The teams had no problems getting the game in, as Duquesne won 86-75. Micah Mason led the way with 23 points, while L.G. Gill chipped in 18 points and seven rebounds.

ESPN reported the Dukes started their journey home around 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday but couldn't make it back to Pittsburgh from Fairfax, Virginia, before the storm hit.

Either way, it's great news to see the team has finally reached its destination.

Where is Duquesne University, you ask?

Duquesne, my friend, is located at 1200 Slammington Avenue, Dunksburgh, Pa. Feel free to stop by and pick up a poster. 

Indeed, some special college basketball is being played in Pittsburgh this winter, much of it coming from Duquesne University forward Ovie Soko.

The Dukes' 6'8" senior is abusing the rim and ripping nylon at the rate of 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. These numbers will stand out on any NBA scout's list but not half as much as the circus dunk Soko slammed home Wednesday night against the Fordham Rams.

The goal-shaking moment was spotted by Scott Gleeson of For The Win, and it came on an off-the-glass assist that's difficult to encapsulate in words.

Duquesne guard Derrick Colter received a dish in transition and threw a reckless, off-the-backboard pass to Soko, who flew in out of nowhere and put the biscuit in the basket.

These things don’t happen often in organized basketball—not without a heap of confidence existing between teammates. Colter trusted Soko to anticipate the pass and finish it. Had it not worked, this could’ve easily ended up on SportsCenter's "Not Top 10" plays.

Soko's dunk was highly reminiscent of a certain Dwyane-to-LeBron connection against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.

Soko finished the game in fittingly dominant fashion, defeating Fordham and registering a career-high 29 points. 

Admittedly, I haven't been following Duquesne's basketball season, but based on this brief glimpse, I'm intrigued. The Atlantic 10 Conference is far from stacked, but it isn't without competition.

We'll have a better idea of Soko's talents when the 8-5 Dukes take on stiffer foes in Virginia Commonwealth and Saint Louis later this January. 

Despite the level of competition concerns, a 6'8" forward averaging over 18 points a game in Division I basketball isn’t a fluke. Look for Soko to creep his way into NBA draft talk this spring. 

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Former LIU-Brooklyn coach Jim Ferry has accepted the head coaching position at Duquesne, according to a tweet by CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman.

Reportedly, associate head coach Jack Perri will replace Ferry as the Blackbirds' new head coach.

Rumors have been the circulating for the last number of days that Ferry would take the job with the Dukes, but there was a lot of speculation that the deal would fall through after reports broke out after last season that Ferry was hired as the head coach of Manhattan. (Ferry ended up staying with the Blackbirds, and Louisville assistant Steve Masiello ended up getting the gig with the Jaspers.)

Ferry spent 10 years with Long Island, where he built them up from the bottom of the NEC to two consecutive national championships. His overall record with the Blackbirds was 150-149.

The Blackbirds were .500 or worse in seven of their first eight seasons under Ferry, but each of the last two seasons they went 25-plus games and went 16-2 in the NEC. They lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament both years, losing to North Carolina in 2011 and then Michigan State in 2012.

Duquesne struggled this season, going 16-15, 7-9 in the A-10. Former head coach Ron Everhart was fired, and since then many players have announced that they will transfer.

Most notable is sophomore T.J. McConnell, now committed to Arizona. McConnell averaged 11.4 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game for the Dukes during the 2011-12 season.

Ferry's Long Island teams were known for being among the best offensive teams in the country, but also among the worst defensively. On kenpom.com, the Blackbirds ranked No. 275 in defense for the 2011-12 season.

Duquesne will be in major rebuilding mode after losing four of their top five scorers from the last season, but Ferry has been in this type of situation before.

The only question is whether or not he will be able to succeed at a higher level of competition.

St. Bonaventure snapped visiting Duquesne’s 12 game winning streak with a thrilling 64-62 win in front of a packed house at the Reilly Center, but did they do more than just beat the league leaders?

In a game that Bona refused to lose and Duquesne refused to win, Michael Davenport hit his first three point basket just 25 seconds into the game and he drilled his last with just 1.6 seconds remaining. Yet in between, this game might have revealed that the Atlantic 10 shouldn’t be expected to be as productive in the NCAA tournament next month.

Duquesne came into Bonaventure in the midst of their most successful campaign in more than a decade.  The Dukes hadn’t lost on the road since Dec. 4.  They were averaging almost 82 points a game.  Their backcourt tandem of T. J. McConnell and Mike Talley are three point masters and boasted an assist to turnover ratio of better than two to one.  McConnell is a five time A10 Rookie of the Week and was touted by one Pittsburgh scribe before the game as a can’t miss NBA prospect.

But when the dust had settled, Duquesne’s win streak was over and they were no longer undefeated in the conference.  It took the Dukes less than five minutes to erase a four point half-time deficit.  They had a bunch of second half chances to put Bona away but couldn’t make the clutch plays when they would have counted.  It would be convenient but assign the Duquesne defeat to the Bonnies’ defensive effort but anyone who has seen Bona play this year knows that defense is not their strong suit.  They still seem bewildered by the simple pick-and-roll that Duquesne used frequently but the Dukes’ long-range game deserted them.  They barely topped 25% shooting for three pointers (7 for 26 attempts).  They were only marginally better overall, hitting just 35.8% of their shots.

B. J. Monteiro was a standout for the Dukes hitting for 17 points while Damien Saunders chipped in with 16.  Bill Clarke tallied 15.  But Duquesne starts a small lineup and unless they regain a shooting touch that carries through the A-10 tournament, their season won’t go beyond the middle of March.

Bona continues to improve and if Coach Mark Schmidt finds a true point guard who understands that getting the ball to 20-point-a-game scorer Andrew Nicholson is his primary function, Bona will get even better.  After Davenport opened the game with a trio of three pointers, Nicholson took over in the first half, using his exceptionally long arms to go over, under, and around Duquesne defenders.  After the UMass zone defense gave Bona fits the previous week. One might have thought Duquesne coach Ron Everhart might have sought similar success, but he went straight man-to-man and didn’t have answer for Nicholson, who hit six of seven shots in the first 20 minutes.

Bonaventure itself provided an answer, getting the ball to Nicholson for only five second-half shots that produced only three points from the lanky Canadian and those all came at the foul line.  Bonaventure guards need to be thinking Nicholson first, shots second, and Coach Schmidt needs to be designing some schemes to make it a little easier for Nicholson to get the ball.  That’s not the case now as Nicholson earns every point and every rebound against repeated double and triple teams. 

Senior Ogo Adegboye struggled again, turning the ball over eight times.  The final time could have been a dagger in the heart of Bona chances.  Adegboye inexplicably threw an inbound pass to no one with just nine seconds left and Bona trailing by one but T. J. McConnell turned it right back over with an ill-advised pass.  That set up Davenport’s final three pointer and the biggest win for the Bonnies in the Schmidt era.

On the bright side for Bonaventure, freshman Matthew Wright continues to impress as he gains more confidence that comes with more playing time.  After finishing the non conference portion of the season 1 for 21 in three point attempts, Wright notched 15 points in 23 minutes for the Bonnies.  In conference play, Wright has improved to a 57.1% shooting percentage and is hitting 50% of his threes in the last four A-10 games.  You have to wonder how much longer he can get limited playing time with Adegboye struggling.

Continuing the "Players to Watch" series, this is the second installation, featuring the Atlantic 10 conference (which is incorrectly named, like most other conferences with a number in it, since the A-10 actually has 14 teams).

And so, without further ado, these are the players to watch in the Atlantic 10.

The Duquesne Dukes lost their Sunday home game to the Temple Owls 8-3. Unfortunately, it is the last home game the Duquesne baseball program will ever play. The baseball program is being eliminated, along with men's swimming, wrestling, and golf, in order to strengthen other athletic programs.

Several players will continue to play baseball for other college programs. The former Dukes will be able to play immediately next season. Sophopmore catcher Rick Devereaux will attend Pitt next season. Freshman pitcher Robert Corsi will play for Rutgers in 2011. Sophomore relief pitcher Jim Devine will move cross-state to play for Temple next year. 

A few other players hope to walk on to other Division I programs. 

The move to eliminate four major athletic programs has been named a "strategic restructuring" by Duquesne's brass. The school has said that more than $1 million will be saved by eliminating baseball, swimming, wrestling, and golf. Apparently, the $1 million will help the school's other athletic programs.

Why eliminate the programs now? 

Duquesne is a Division I school, a mid-major who is not known well outside of Pittsburgh. The economy is bad right now, and money is tight. But why eliminate four programs in order to save two or three?

Duquesne football will not be eliminated. Football was never the strong point for Duquesne, as they started out as a club team, played Division I for a short period of time, then became a club team again, and played Division III football from 1979-1992. In 1993, Duquesne football was granted the chance to become a Division I football school, playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

The football program has never been ranked for an entire season, has only finished in a ranking higher than No. 10 once (1941, No. 8 final ranking in AP poll), and hasn't been ranked for 68 years.

Now, rankings are definitely not the only thing that matter in college football, but the Duquesne football program has not produced nearly the amount of NFL players as cross-town rival Pittsburgh has. The football team has an all-time winning percentage of .754, but the football program has only made it to two BCS bowl games (1934 and 1937, both Orange Bowls).

Surprisingly, no women's sports will be eliminated. It is possible that Duquesne feared being accused of sexism if they would have eliminated a women's sport.

The soccer team will not be eliminated. Not to bash soccer, but I know for a fact that more Americans care about baseball than soccer. 

Cross country and other track & field events will not be disbanded, as it is relatively cheap to pay for cross country and track competitions.

So was the baseball program slighted? Was baseball still deserving of a program at Duquesne?

Well, maybe wrestling has a better case not to be eliminated. The wrestling program has been immensely successful, and the baseball program hasn't performed well this season. The Dukes are currently 15-38 with a 9-15 record in the A-10. 

And as you can see, the school's decision was not about history, it was about current problems. The football team hasn't been ranked in 68 years, and Duquesne's baseball program beat ranked Pittsburgh last week. 

Baseball is America's pastime, but, unfortunately, it will no longer take place at Duquesne University.

Well, we finally made it. After a season full of upsets, blowouts, and spectacular performances, the madness is finally upon us. But before we all mentally checkout of work today, lets take a look at the NIT action from March Madness Eve. There were a handful of compelling matchups, and the games definitely did not disappoint.


Wednesday's Results

- #2 Virginia Tech 116, #7 Duquesne 108 2OT -This was the type of game that we should be seeing plenty of this afternoon. Aaron Jackson dropped 46 points and went 8-13 from behind the arch for the Dukes. Four of five Tech starters scored more than 20 points, including A.D. Vasallo, who had 33 points and 12 rebounds. The Hokies prevailed in this dandy of a contest despite getting only four points from their bench.

- #4 Miami (FL) 78, #5 Providence 66 -Jack McClinton scored 25 points including 7 three pointers. Dwayne Collins chipped in 12 rebounds as Miami outrebounded the Friars 44-35, and got the 12 point win. This game was suppose to be played in Miami, but the Latin Music Awards were in town, so the 'Canes had to travel to Rhode Island to pick up the postseason W.

- #3 Baylor 74, #6 Georgetown 72 -The Hoyas shot 76 percent from the field in the first half and led by 10 at the break. Baylor erased the deficit less than 90 seconds into the second period. After that, Baylor continued to pour it on, causing turnovers and making easy baskets. Baylor scored on every possession that came after a timeout in the second half. Four of those five possessions ended in an alley-oop to Kevin Rogers. Baylor picks up their first postseason win in 59 years. Georgetown ends a disappointing season in disappointing fashion.

- #1 Auburn 87, #8 Tennessee-Martin 82 - Lester Hudson, the Nation's No. 2 scorer had 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Skyhawks (I love that nickname, could be one of the best in all of D-1), but career highs from DeWayne Reed and Quantez Robinson were enough to propel Auburn to the win, and a place in the second round.

Other N.I.T Results

- #4 Kansas State 83, #5 Illinois State 79 OT
- #4 Tulsa 68, #5 Northwestern 59
- #1 Creighton 73, #8 Bowling Green 71
- #1 Florida 84, #8 Jacksonville 62

Second Round Matchups (3/19 - 3/23)

- 3/19: #6 Rhode Island @ #2 Penn St.
- 3/19: #3 New Mexico @ #2 Notre Dame
- 3/20: #4 Kansas St. @ #1 San Diego St.
- 3/20: #4 Miami (FL) @ #1 Florida
- 3/21: #3 Baylor @ #2 Virginia Tech
- 3/21: #4 Tulsa @ #1 Auburn
- 3/23: #6 Davidson @ #2 St. Mary's
- 3/23: #4 Kentucky @ #1 Creighton