PITTSBURGH - Duquesne University head men's basketball coach Danny Nee (right) announced today that guard Ryan Tricco (Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep/Mesa College) has accepted the institution's offer of a full athletic scholarship and has enrolled in classes at DU.

The 6-4, 210-pound Tricco will have three years of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2003-04 season. He will be able to practice with the team this year. Ryan joins his older brother, Jimmy, who transferred to Duquesne from Gonzaga University prior to last season. Jimmy will be eligible as a junior this year.

"Ryan Tricco is a welcome addition to the Duquesne program," said Nee. "He comes from a great family and that is important to us. On the floor, he'll give us a real boost with his shooting ability. I also like his competitiveness. He's got three years of eligibility remaining, which is a big plus both academically and athletically. We are looking forward to him being a solid contributor for us in the future."

Tricco led Mesa College with a 16.1 ppg. scoring average on the way to earning NJCAA All-Region I Second Team Division I honors as a freshman. His scoring average ranked 11th in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. Mesa finished last season 15-15 overall and 12-12 in the ACCAC.

Tricco averaged 17.0 ppg. as a senior for 22-7 Brophy College Prep in Phoenix. A four-year letterman, he was named honorable mention all-state and second team all-region as a senior. He was also part of Brophy state championship volleyball teams as both a freshman and senior and earned all-state volleyball honors in each of his final two seasons.