Danny Nee, the assistant coaches, the players and everyone else connected with the Duquesne University basketball program were all smiles when they posed for the team picture Oct. 15, the first day of practice.
The mood was upbeat. The room was filled with enthusiasm.
Fast-forward 21/2 months, and the picture has changed dramatically.
"I never dreamed there would be that much change in the picture we took," Nee said. "This isn't the team I thought we'd have."
The face of the team changed drastically before the picture was taken.
Vandrell Rivers, a junior-college transfer who was fourth in the country in assists last season, failed to qualify academically and never enrolled in school.
Rivers was expected to challenge for the starting point guard job. The loss of Rivers has forced Nee to rush freshman Aaron Jackson into a major role earlier than he might have liked. Adam Souply, a former walk-on who received a scholarship this season, is the only other true playmaker on the roster and has seen considerable playing time.
Bryant McAllister, who excels in the open court and is the team's best finisher, has been asked to handle the ball more and start plays. At times, the double duty has proved to be too much to handle and has reduced some of McAllister's offensive effectiveness.
The loss of Rivers was the start of a series of setbacks for the Dukes (2-9), who open the Atlantic 10 Conference portion of their schedule at La Salle in a rare weekday noon tipoff today.
While the Explorers have turned around their fortunes from 10-19 in John Giannini's first season to blossom into the surprise team in the league, the Dukes have continued their spiral downward and are rapidly approaching their 12th consecutive losing season.
"The biggest difference, first and foremost, is me knowing my own team. We had to feel our way through some things last year," Giannini said. "We're far more experienced, going 10 deep instead of seven. We know what we're doing."
The Explorers continue to feature 6-foot-9 Steven Smith (21.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 19 steals), but the emergence of 6-7 Paul Johnson has given them much needed help.
"Last year, we were the worst rebounding team in the conference," Giannini said. "Johnson helps make you better defensively and a better rebounding team."
Johnson, who averaged 11 points and 3.5 rebounds in two games, is the A-10 rookie of the week.
Duquesne's woes started to mount in preseason when 6-9 Kieron Achara, a second-team all-Atlantic 10 selection and by far the team's most accomplished inside presence, injured his shoulder while blocking a shot in a scrimmage against Cleveland State. Achara, who was ineffective in a couple of games early in the regular season, had season-ending surgery. He is eligible for a medical redshirt that would give him two more seasons of eligibility.
In mid-December, Nee dismissed sophomore Ryan Lambert, a 6-8 part-time starter who sat out last season after transferring from Western Kentucky. That was followed by the loss of Jack Higgins, a 6-5 senior guard and the most dangerous 3-point shooter on the team. Nee said it was "a coach's decision" to release Higgins, who missed the past three games.
Nee's fifth Duquesne team has been reduced to just nine available scholarship players in uniform, including three first-year players -- 6-9 freshman Ronnie Thomas, 6-6 redshirt freshman Brian Kelly and Jackson -- and seldom-used 6-10 sophomore Sean McKeon.
"We've had to make a lot of adjustments," Nee said. "We're still in the transition stage."
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Scouting Report
Matchup: Duquesne (2-9, 0-0 Atlantic 10) vs. La Salle (8-2, 0-0), noon today, Tom Gola Arena, Philadelphia.
Duquesne: Coming off a 71-68 loss to Appalachian in the consolation of the Duquesne Holiday Tournament for its third consecutive defeat. C Keith Gayden had his first two career double-doubles and was named to the all-tournament team. He has averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in the past three games and is shooting 58 percent from the field. ... G Bryant McAllister is second in the A-10 in scoring (18.0 ppg) and assists (5.2 apg). He is the school's 18th all-time scorer with 1,213 points.
La Salle: Coming off a 71-70 loss to Hofstra in which it led by eight points with five minutes remaining. ... F Steven Smith leads team in scoring (21.1 ppg). G Jermaine Thomas (11.7 ppg) and G Darnell Harris (11.4 ppg) are team's other double-digit scorers. ... Freshman F Paul Johnson is A-10 Rookie of the Week.
Hidden stat: Duquesne swept the two-game series last season and has an opportunity to win three in a row in the series for the first time since 1971 and '72.
The mood was upbeat. The room was filled with enthusiasm.
Fast-forward 21/2 months, and the picture has changed dramatically.
"I never dreamed there would be that much change in the picture we took," Nee said. "This isn't the team I thought we'd have."
The face of the team changed drastically before the picture was taken.
Vandrell Rivers, a junior-college transfer who was fourth in the country in assists last season, failed to qualify academically and never enrolled in school.
Rivers was expected to challenge for the starting point guard job. The loss of Rivers has forced Nee to rush freshman Aaron Jackson into a major role earlier than he might have liked. Adam Souply, a former walk-on who received a scholarship this season, is the only other true playmaker on the roster and has seen considerable playing time.
Bryant McAllister, who excels in the open court and is the team's best finisher, has been asked to handle the ball more and start plays. At times, the double duty has proved to be too much to handle and has reduced some of McAllister's offensive effectiveness.
The loss of Rivers was the start of a series of setbacks for the Dukes (2-9), who open the Atlantic 10 Conference portion of their schedule at La Salle in a rare weekday noon tipoff today.
While the Explorers have turned around their fortunes from 10-19 in John Giannini's first season to blossom into the surprise team in the league, the Dukes have continued their spiral downward and are rapidly approaching their 12th consecutive losing season.
"The biggest difference, first and foremost, is me knowing my own team. We had to feel our way through some things last year," Giannini said. "We're far more experienced, going 10 deep instead of seven. We know what we're doing."
The Explorers continue to feature 6-foot-9 Steven Smith (21.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 19 steals), but the emergence of 6-7 Paul Johnson has given them much needed help.
"Last year, we were the worst rebounding team in the conference," Giannini said. "Johnson helps make you better defensively and a better rebounding team."
Johnson, who averaged 11 points and 3.5 rebounds in two games, is the A-10 rookie of the week.
Duquesne's woes started to mount in preseason when 6-9 Kieron Achara, a second-team all-Atlantic 10 selection and by far the team's most accomplished inside presence, injured his shoulder while blocking a shot in a scrimmage against Cleveland State. Achara, who was ineffective in a couple of games early in the regular season, had season-ending surgery. He is eligible for a medical redshirt that would give him two more seasons of eligibility.
In mid-December, Nee dismissed sophomore Ryan Lambert, a 6-8 part-time starter who sat out last season after transferring from Western Kentucky. That was followed by the loss of Jack Higgins, a 6-5 senior guard and the most dangerous 3-point shooter on the team. Nee said it was "a coach's decision" to release Higgins, who missed the past three games.
Nee's fifth Duquesne team has been reduced to just nine available scholarship players in uniform, including three first-year players -- 6-9 freshman Ronnie Thomas, 6-6 redshirt freshman Brian Kelly and Jackson -- and seldom-used 6-10 sophomore Sean McKeon.
"We've had to make a lot of adjustments," Nee said. "We're still in the transition stage."
====================
Scouting Report
Matchup: Duquesne (2-9, 0-0 Atlantic 10) vs. La Salle (8-2, 0-0), noon today, Tom Gola Arena, Philadelphia.
Duquesne: Coming off a 71-68 loss to Appalachian in the consolation of the Duquesne Holiday Tournament for its third consecutive defeat. C Keith Gayden had his first two career double-doubles and was named to the all-tournament team. He has averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in the past three games and is shooting 58 percent from the field. ... G Bryant McAllister is second in the A-10 in scoring (18.0 ppg) and assists (5.2 apg). He is the school's 18th all-time scorer with 1,213 points.
La Salle: Coming off a 71-70 loss to Hofstra in which it led by eight points with five minutes remaining. ... F Steven Smith leads team in scoring (21.1 ppg). G Jermaine Thomas (11.7 ppg) and G Darnell Harris (11.4 ppg) are team's other double-digit scorers. ... Freshman F Paul Johnson is A-10 Rookie of the Week.
Hidden stat: Duquesne swept the two-game series last season and has an opportunity to win three in a row in the series for the first time since 1971 and '72.
