All the preseason rhetoric comes to a screeching halt tonight when Duquesne University takes its show on the road for what may be the team's most significant opener under coach Danny Nee, who enters his fourth season.
Duquesne would like to use the game against Santa Clara at 10:15 p.m. in the NABC Classic at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M., as a springboard for the school's first winning season since 1993-94.
"Each year the program has gotten better," Nee said. "The next step is to have a winning season. No excuses."
The Dukes, who return three starters and the sixth man from a 12-17 team, will play North Carolina A&T tomorrow night and take on New Mexico Sunday in a three-game stretch that could set the tone for the season.
"If we can find a way to win two, or even three games, confidence and momentum sets in," he said. "We need to feel successful because it gives you a chance to do it again and again, and ..."
The words trailed off. Nee paused before adding, "But if we lose all three games this won't be a great experience."
Santa Clara and Duquesne are similar in personnel and come from conferences that always are looking for respect. Both teams consider their veteran backcourt a strength and are searching for ways to upgrade the rebounding. The Broncos, with three starters returning from a 16-16 team, have been picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference behind defending champion Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and Pepperdine.
The Atlantic 10 Conference coaches picked the Dukes for fifth place in the West Division.
Santa Clara's guards -- 6-foot-2 Doron Perkins (13.3 ppg) and 6-2 Kyle Bailey (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.8 apg) -- are the team's two top returning scorers. Bailey has been limited in the preseason by an inflamed Achilles tendon. Of more concern to the Broncos is the loss of 6-11 sophomore center Sean Denison, who is out for eight to 10 weeks with a stress fracture of the foot. He became a force inside after moving into the starting lineup for the final seven games last season.
Duquesne will try to take advantage of Denison's absence with 6-7 junior-college transfer Keith Gayden and 6-10 sophomore Kieron Achara. The other starters will be forward Jack Higgins and guards Bryant McAllister and Martin Osimani.
"Higgins is the only player on the team who can create his own shot," Nee said of the 6-5 sophomore from Schenley High School. "We've got to get the other things up to an acceptable level."
Higgins, who ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with a 3-point shooting percentage of 45.6, preferred to roam behind the arc and went to the free-throw line only 11 times last season. He had 16 assists, 3 blocks and 5 steals in 421 minutes.
"When he doesn't play well," Nee said, "we'll be in trouble."
Duquesne's most pressing problem is on the boards.
"Rebounding is the biggest liability," Nee said. "But this is the first time the program is on the same page. I feel there is some continuity in the program, a consistency in how we go about our business."
The Dukes should be able to take care of business against North Carolina A&T, which was 3-25 last year and is picked to finish last again in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Aggies return three starters -- 6-7 center Greg Davis (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg), 6-4 Michael Hayes (4.9 ppg) and 6-5 Greg Roberts (5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
The New Mexico Lobos have three starters returning from a 14-14 team and are led by 6-8 senior forward Danny Granger (19.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg), a candidate for Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference. New Mexico is picked to finish in the middle of the conference.
"These three games give us something I can't teach. I can't create learning situations in a game," Nee said. "There's a quiet confidence we're trying to get something done."
NOTES: Vandrell Rivers, a 5-11 point guard who averaged 7 points and 6.4 assists per game last season at Southern Union State Community College in Alabama, is expected to sign a letter of intent with Duquesne. He ranked 16th in the country in assists in NJCAA Division I. ... Because the NCAA characterizes these games as "certified," they will be played under experimental rules: The 3-point line will be moved back nine inches to 20 feet, 6 inches; the free-throw lane will be widened by 1 1/2 feet on either side: an arc will be placed two feet from the center of the basket to designate the area where no charges will be called
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Matchup
Duquesne (0-0) vs. Santa Clara (0-0), 10:15 p.m. today, The Pit, Albuquerque, N.M.
Duquesne: The starters will be F Keith Gayden (JC transfer), C Kieron Achara (6 ppg, 3.7 rpg), G Martin Osimani (4.6 ppg, Atlantic 10-high 5.9 apg), G Bryant McAllister (11.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) , G/F Jack Higgins (9.7 ppg, 45.6 3-point percentage) ... Osimani will wear a mask to protect a broken nose ... Coming off a 12-17 season for 10th consecutive losing record ... Picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference West ... Dukes were 0-14 last season when they scored fewer than 70 points in a game ... Duquesne won the most recent meeting, 84-73 in 1971, to lead the series, 4-0.
Santa Clara: Coming off a 16-16 season, the Broncos are picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference ... Leading returning scorers are G Doron Perkins (13.3 ppg) and Kyle Bailey (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.8 apg) ... C Sean Denison is out 8-10 weeks with a foot injury ... F Travis Niesen (9 ppg) was impressive in preseason games.
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Duquesne would like to use the game against Santa Clara at 10:15 p.m. in the NABC Classic at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M., as a springboard for the school's first winning season since 1993-94.
"Each year the program has gotten better," Nee said. "The next step is to have a winning season. No excuses."
The Dukes, who return three starters and the sixth man from a 12-17 team, will play North Carolina A&T tomorrow night and take on New Mexico Sunday in a three-game stretch that could set the tone for the season.
"If we can find a way to win two, or even three games, confidence and momentum sets in," he said. "We need to feel successful because it gives you a chance to do it again and again, and ..."
The words trailed off. Nee paused before adding, "But if we lose all three games this won't be a great experience."
Santa Clara and Duquesne are similar in personnel and come from conferences that always are looking for respect. Both teams consider their veteran backcourt a strength and are searching for ways to upgrade the rebounding. The Broncos, with three starters returning from a 16-16 team, have been picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference behind defending champion Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and Pepperdine.
The Atlantic 10 Conference coaches picked the Dukes for fifth place in the West Division.
Santa Clara's guards -- 6-foot-2 Doron Perkins (13.3 ppg) and 6-2 Kyle Bailey (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.8 apg) -- are the team's two top returning scorers. Bailey has been limited in the preseason by an inflamed Achilles tendon. Of more concern to the Broncos is the loss of 6-11 sophomore center Sean Denison, who is out for eight to 10 weeks with a stress fracture of the foot. He became a force inside after moving into the starting lineup for the final seven games last season.
Duquesne will try to take advantage of Denison's absence with 6-7 junior-college transfer Keith Gayden and 6-10 sophomore Kieron Achara. The other starters will be forward Jack Higgins and guards Bryant McAllister and Martin Osimani.
"Higgins is the only player on the team who can create his own shot," Nee said of the 6-5 sophomore from Schenley High School. "We've got to get the other things up to an acceptable level."
Higgins, who ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with a 3-point shooting percentage of 45.6, preferred to roam behind the arc and went to the free-throw line only 11 times last season. He had 16 assists, 3 blocks and 5 steals in 421 minutes.
"When he doesn't play well," Nee said, "we'll be in trouble."
Duquesne's most pressing problem is on the boards.
"Rebounding is the biggest liability," Nee said. "But this is the first time the program is on the same page. I feel there is some continuity in the program, a consistency in how we go about our business."
The Dukes should be able to take care of business against North Carolina A&T, which was 3-25 last year and is picked to finish last again in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Aggies return three starters -- 6-7 center Greg Davis (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg), 6-4 Michael Hayes (4.9 ppg) and 6-5 Greg Roberts (5.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
The New Mexico Lobos have three starters returning from a 14-14 team and are led by 6-8 senior forward Danny Granger (19.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg), a candidate for Player of the Year in the Mountain West Conference. New Mexico is picked to finish in the middle of the conference.
"These three games give us something I can't teach. I can't create learning situations in a game," Nee said. "There's a quiet confidence we're trying to get something done."
NOTES: Vandrell Rivers, a 5-11 point guard who averaged 7 points and 6.4 assists per game last season at Southern Union State Community College in Alabama, is expected to sign a letter of intent with Duquesne. He ranked 16th in the country in assists in NJCAA Division I. ... Because the NCAA characterizes these games as "certified," they will be played under experimental rules: The 3-point line will be moved back nine inches to 20 feet, 6 inches; the free-throw lane will be widened by 1 1/2 feet on either side: an arc will be placed two feet from the center of the basket to designate the area where no charges will be called
===
Matchup
Duquesne (0-0) vs. Santa Clara (0-0), 10:15 p.m. today, The Pit, Albuquerque, N.M.
Duquesne: The starters will be F Keith Gayden (JC transfer), C Kieron Achara (6 ppg, 3.7 rpg), G Martin Osimani (4.6 ppg, Atlantic 10-high 5.9 apg), G Bryant McAllister (11.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) , G/F Jack Higgins (9.7 ppg, 45.6 3-point percentage) ... Osimani will wear a mask to protect a broken nose ... Coming off a 12-17 season for 10th consecutive losing record ... Picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference West ... Dukes were 0-14 last season when they scored fewer than 70 points in a game ... Duquesne won the most recent meeting, 84-73 in 1971, to lead the series, 4-0.
Santa Clara: Coming off a 16-16 season, the Broncos are picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference ... Leading returning scorers are G Doron Perkins (13.3 ppg) and Kyle Bailey (12.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.8 apg) ... C Sean Denison is out 8-10 weeks with a foot injury ... F Travis Niesen (9 ppg) was impressive in preseason games.
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