Oct. 28, 2008

Streaming video of Coach Everhart's media day comments

PITTSBURGH - Duquesne freshman guard/forward Melquan Bolding (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Notre Dame Prep) was named to the Atlantic 10 five-man preseason All-Rookie Team released today as part of the A-10's annual media day.

In addition, the Duquesne team was picked to finish 12th in the 14-team conference in a preseason poll of league coaches and media. DU did not have any players named to the league's preseason First, Second or Third Teams or the All-Defensive Team.

Bolding, who was ranked as the No. 27 player in the class of 2008 and No. 13 fifth-year player in the nation by Hoop Scoop, averaged 18 points and seven rebounds per game last season for a Notre Dame Prep team that advanced to the national tournament semifinal.

Duquesne, coming off its first winning season since 1993-94, will be one of the youngest teams in the nation, with eight scholarship freshmen and four sophomores on the 15-man roster. Three-year starter Aaron Jackson - DU's lone senior - is also the team's only scholarship upperclassman. No school in the nation has more scholarship underclassmen than Duquesne's 11, and fellow Atlantic 10 member Saint Louis is the only other NCAA Division I school with eight scholarship freshman.

The Dukes, in their third season under head coach Ron Everhart, host exhibition games with St. Vincent (Nov. 1) and Seton Hill (Nov. 8) before opening the 2008-09 regular season at home against High Point on Friday, Nov. 14 at 8:30 p.m.

2008-09 ATLANTIC 10 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH(as selected by conference coaches and media - first place votes in parentheses)
 1.  Xavier (44) 2.  Temple (12) 3.  Dayton (3) 4.  Saint Joseph's 5.  Charlotte (2) 6.  Massachusetts 7.  Saint Louis 8.  Richmond 9.  Rhode Island10.  La Salle11.  George Washington12.  DUQUESNE13.  Fordham14.  St. Bonaventure