Jan. 9, 2003

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TELEVISION: Atlantic 10 TV with Spero Dedes & Mark Adams
(Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh locally)
DUQUESNE Radio: KQV-AM (1410) with Ray Goss & George Von Benko
INTERNET BROADCAST: www.redzonemedia.com

DUKES HEAD TO DAYTON FOR A-10 TV CLASH WITH FLYERS

Duquesne (7-8, 1-1), who evened its Atlantic 10 record with a 61-54 home win over Temple on Wednesday, heads to Ohio for an Atlantic 10 TV clash with Dayton (9-3, 1-0) at Noon on Saturday (Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh TV locally; KQV-AM 1410 radio & internet broadcast at www.redzonemedia.com).

The Dukes, who began the season 1-5, have bounced back to win six of their last nine. JC transfer forward Elijah Palmer led the Dukes with a career-high 20 points (8-of-13 from the field including four dunks), six boards, two blocks, two assists and a steal in the win over the Owls. Kevin Forney came off the bench to score all 11 of his points in the second half. The Philadelphia native also pulled down five rebounds. Freshman Bryant McAllister chipped in 11 points and dished out five assists.

Dayton opened its A-10 season with a 76-72 home win over La Salle on Wednesday. Six-nine junior Keith Waleskowski tied his career scoring & rebounding highs (24-13) to lead the Flyers.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY TENTATIVE STARTERS

DUQUESNE AND DAYTON

Dayton leads the overall series 33-15, including a 20-3 advantage in games played at Dayton. The Flyers also hold a 13-2 edge in Atlantic 10 regular season games. UD, winner of the last 11 in a row, has won the last nine meetings at UD Arena. DU's last series win at Dayton was on Feb. 1, 1983 by a 58-55 margin.

Last year Dayton swept Duquesne, 88-44 at Pittsburgh and 82-50 at Dayton. The 44-point margin of victory in the first game was the largest by either team in the series that dates back to Jan. 5, 1953.

DUQUESNE LATELY

• The Dukes, who are shooting an Atlantic 10 leading 44.6% from the field, have won six of their last nine games.
• DU's opponents are shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from the 3-point arc over that span
• Duquesne, who has struggled with turnovers (20.9/game) is coming off a season-low 14 in the win over Temple. It was the first time this season the Dukes had fewer turnovers than their opponent (16-14).
• The Dukes had 16 assists Wednesday, second highest on the season, led by freshman Bryant McAllister's five dishes. DU assisted on 76.2 percent of their made baskets.
• Duquesne features a completely revamped starting lineup from a year ago with PG Bryant McAllister (Fr.), JC transfers F Elijah Palmer (Jr.) & C Ron Dokes (Jr.), Gonzaga transfer G Jimmy Tricco (Jr.) and F Simplice Njoya (So.). Njoya, the lone returnee, is a relative "newcomer" after having to sit out 19 games as a freshman last season due to an NCAA suspension.
• Duquesne's 61-54 win over Temple ended an eight-game series losing streak with the Owls that dated back to Jan. 30, 1995.

IMPACT TRANSFERS

The transfer trio of Jimmy Tricco (Gonzaga), Ron Dokes (Lincoln Trail JC) and Elijah Palmer (Kennedy-King JC) has made an immediate impact on the 2002-03 Dukes. The threesome is averaging a combined 30.4 points and 14.3 rebounds per game (46% of the team scoring and rebounding).

Tricco, a 6-8 shooting guard, has led the team in scoring three times and in assists a team-high six times this season. He also leads the team with 38 assists. Dokes, a 6-9, 240-pound forward posted a game-high 29 vs. West Virginia and topped the 20-point mark a second time with 21 vs. Mount St. Mary's. He has led the team in scoring and rebounding four times. The 6-7 Palmer leads the Dukes in rebounding at 5.6 rpg. and has one 20-point game (20 vs. Temple).

DUQUESNE QUICK NOTES

• JC transfer Ron Dokes' 29 points vs. West Virginia on Nov. 25 were the most by a Duquesne big man since Derrick Alston scored 30 vs. Detriot Mercy in the first round of the 1993 MCC Tournament. The 6-10 Alston was taken in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1994 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and played three seasons for the Sixers and Atlanta Hawks. He is currently playing professionally in Spain.
• Dokes, 6-9, hit 8-of-11 shots from the field (including four dunks) and 13-of-18 from the line vs. the Mountaineers. Dokes added 21 more vs. Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 7. The South Bend, Ind. native earned a spot on the FIU New Year's Classic All-Tournament team with 26 points and 13 rebounds (including 11 boards vs. St. Francis, N.Y.) in the two games. Dokes is shooting 50.5% from the field and 74.5% (38-of-51) from the free throw line. He is currently battling an injured shoulder that limited him to 21 minutes of action vs. UMES.
• 6-8 guard Jimmy Tricco, a first-year transfer from Gonzaga, has also reached the 20-point mark with 20 at George Mason. His put-back of his own miss with 2.5 seconds left in regulation forced overtime in DU's 71-68 win over Florida International. Tricco has led the Dukes in scoring three times and assists six times in 13 games. Tricco's career scoring high entering the season was 13 set at Boise State during his sophomore season at Gonzaga. He has hit five three-pointers in a game twice this season (5-of-10 vs. Cleveland State and 6-of-8 at George Mason). He shot 34.8% (8-of-23) from the experimental 20'6" 3-point arc at San Juan. 90 of his 129 field goal attempts (69.8%) have come from beyond the 3-point arc. Tricco's six three-pointers at GMU were the most by a DU player since Courtney Wallace hit 6-of-11 from long range vs. La Salle on Feb. 20, 1999.
• Senior swingman Brad Midgley has come off the bench to be a major contributor for the Dukes. Wednesday's game with Temple was his 100th as a Duke! The 6-5 Pittsburgh native is fourth on the team in assists (24) and is third on the team with 17 steals in just under 21 minutes per game. He made his first start of the season (Palmer out with tendinitis in knee) vs. Mount St. Mary's. Midgley missed the FIU game with the flu, and played just 15 minutes vs. UMES while still recovering from the virus.
• Sophomore power forward Simplice Njoya posted his second career double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds vs. Sacred Heart in the first game of the San Juan Shootout, and followed that with back-to-back scoreless outings vs. Troy State and Denver (0-of-9 in the two games). Hounced back with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Florida International and a career high-tying 17 points (5-of-9) vs. UMES and added a career high four steals vs. the Fighting Hawks. The 6-10 Cameroon native has been slowed by foul trouble; although he has fouled out just once, Njoya has finished eight other games with four fouls. He is shooting 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from behind the 3-point arc.
• JC transfer Elijah Palmer, who missed the Mount St. Mary's game due to tendinitis in his left knee, leads the team with 30 offensive rebounds. His 5.6 overall rpg. average also leads the squad. Palmer exploded for 35 points and 18 rebounds in earning MVP at the FIU New Years Classic where he posted a double-double (18-10) vs. St. Francis, N.Y. and followed that with 17 points and 8 boards vs. Florida International. Then he added 16 more vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore and a career-high 20 (8-of-13 including four dunks) vs. Temple. He was 1-of-11 from the arc before hitting 3-of-3 three-pointers vs. FIU and has made six of his last nine 3-point attempts. His lone double-digit scoring game prior to the FIU Classic was 13 vs. West Virginia
• Freshman point guard Bryant McAllister moved into the starting lineup for the San Juan Shootout (Dec. 20-22) and and scored in double digits in his first four games as a starter. Cooled off with just nine points in three games before bouncing back to score 11 and add a team-high 5 assists vs. Temple. The Pittsburgh native is shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the free throw line overall. He saw a streak of five consecutive double-digit scoring games snapped at FIU, McAllister was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the week of Dec. 14-21 after averaging 15.3 ppg. in three games. He scored a season-high 19 points vs. Troy State and has led the team in assists five times.
• Senior guard Kevin Forney leads the team with a 12.3 ppg. scoring average. The Philadelphia native has scored in double digits in each of the Dukes' last nine games. Forney, who leads the team with 55 career starts, has come off the bench in four of DU's last five games. Forney started at Saint Joseph's and responded by tying his career high with 22 points vs. the Hawks (7-of-11 from the field) in his hometown. He also leads the team with 19 steals.
• Entering the season, Forney was the only player on Duquesne's roster with a 20-point game in Division I play. So far this season, Dokes, Forney, Palmer and Tricco have all hit that mark with McAllister just missing with 19 points vs. Troy State.

REDSHIRT PLANS

Duquesne head coach Danny Nee plans to redshirt junior forward Jon Pawlak and freshman guard Mike Spadafora. Technically, a non-participation redshirt may only be granted at the conclusion of the season only if a studentathlete does not represent DU in a contest.

Could Pawlak and Spadafora play this season? Yes. Will they? Not currently planned.

If either Pawlak or Spadafora were to appear in any game against outside competition (which included the two exhibition games), they would forfeit the opportunity to redshirt. The 6-9 Pawlak saw action in all 28 games last season. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in just over 19 minutes per game. Spadafora, who attended Philadelphia Archbishop Wood High School, is a non-scholarship player this season.

BACKCOURT MOVE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Duquesne head coach Danny Nee inserted freshman Bryant McAllister into the starting lineup at the point guard spot for the San Juan Shootout and the move has paid immediate dividends, especially for senior guard Kevin Forney. Since the move (a span of eight games), Forney, who had started the first seven games of the season at the point, has averaged 14.5 points and shot 49.4 percent (42-of-85) from the field. McAllister, who scored in double digits in his first four career starts, ended a streak of three single-digit scoring games with 11 vs. Temple.

Both were honored for their efforts since the move as McAllister was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for the week of Dec. 14-21 and Forney was named to the San Juan Shootout (Dec. 20-22) All-Tournament Team.

ON THE ROAD

DU went 2-11 on the road last season (not including a neutral-site loss to Pitt). The Dukes snapped a 22-game road losing streak with a 68-61 win at West Virginia, and a 20-game Atlantic 10 road skid with a 72-69 win at Rhode Island. The Dukes showed marked improvement on the road in league play with a 96-89 OT loss at St. Bonaventure and a 55-51 defeat at Richmond. Duquesne led St. Bonaventure 76-70 with 1:48 left, and held a 51-50 lead at the 1:33 mark at Richmond.

Duquesne is 1-4 on the road this season with a 71-68 overtime win at Florida International in the title game of the FIU New Year's Classic. DU has yet to defeat four current A-10 members on the road: Dayton (0-7), La Salle (0-7), Fordham (0-3) and Richmond (0-1). DU's top road victims in league play are: St. Bonaventure (8 wins, 1997-98 last), Rhode Island (8 wins, 2001-02 last), George Washington (6 wins, 1999-00 last) and Massachusetts (5 wins, 1988-89 last).

TURNOVER TROUBLES

Duquesne has been plagued by turnovers in the early season. Through 15 games, the Dukes are averaging 20.9 miscues per game. None of the team's regulars has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. Have fewer turnovers translated to victories? Not exactly. DU has averaged 20.1 turnovers per game in its seven wins and 21.6 turnovers per game in its eight losses. "If we could just control the turnovers, we'd be a much better basketball team," said DU head coach Danny Nee following the Dukes' 24-turnover outing at Saint Joseph's. "They can be corrected with a little more toughness and a little more concentration."

Duquesne took a step in a positive direction with a season-low 14 turnovers in the win over Temple. It marked the first time this season the Dukes had fewer turnovers than their opponent (16-14).

RICHMOND NEXT

Duquesne returns home to face Richmond on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 4:00 p.m. EST. The Richmond game will also be televised as part of the Atlantic 10 package (with Scott Graham & Jack Armstrong). A-10 TV games may be seen locally on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh.

This is Foam Finger Game #2. "Duquesne No. 1" foam fingers, sponsored by Stargate, will be given to the first 500 fans in attendance.

Please note that the tip time for the Jan. 18 game vs. Richmond is 4:00 p.m. (EST). Some previously released schedules may list the start time as 12 noon. The game was moved late to accomodate Atlantic 10 Television.