The Duquesne men's basketball team has two of 10 allowed practices under its belt in preparation for its three-games-in-nine days tour of Ireland set for August 4-12 release here. Time to take a look at the upcoming season with excerpts from the 2015-16 prospectus:

2015-16 Duquesne Men's Basketball Prospectus

Jim Ferry enters his fourth season as head coach of the Dukes with something he hasn't had in his first three seasons - a solid group of four-year seniors.

"We were able to stabilize the program in our first three years - and we had to do a lot of rebuilding," says Ferry. "We now have a team built on upperclassmen, rather than five, six or seven new guys every year, which is huge.

"This is where you expect to see the program take off."

Seniors Derrick Colter (13.2 ppg.), Micah Mason (12.8 ppg.) and Jeremiah Jones (7.3 ppg.) and their 268 combined games played form the foundation for the 2015-16 Dukes.

"There is no question that Jeremiah, D.C. and Micah will be the leaders of this team," says Ferry. With the veteran senior class, Ferry is looking for more consistency. Last year, the Dukes proved they could play with anyone at home, posting double-digit February wins over NCAA Tournament-bound Dayton (83-73) at CONSOL Energy Center and NIT participant George Washington (78-62) at Palumbo Center. DU also notched Atlantic 10 home wins over Saint Joseph's, George Mason and Saint Louis. Two of Duquesne's three home conference losses came down to the last possession (61-60 to Rhode Island and 100-97 to St. Bonaventure in overtime), and the third, a 70-64 loss to No. 17 (AP) VCU at CONSOL Energy Center, was a two-point game with under two minutes left.

It was on the road where the Dukes struggled, sandwiching two wins around 10 consecutive losses from December through February. Overall, DU outscored opponents by 4.1 points per game at home and was outscored by 10.7 on the road. Despite its road struggles, Duquesne managed to finish the season with wins in six of its last 12 games, including an A-10 Championship first round win over Saint Louis.

"Part of it was youth, part of it was inexperience and part of it is playing really good teams," says Ferry of DU's road struggles. "That is something that has to improve for us to make a jump this year. We have to be more consistent defensively."

Four starters return highlighted by the backcourt of Colter and Mason. Colter - who enters his senior season with a team-high 1,086 points - made drastic improvements in both his overall (.370 to .442) and 3-point (.345 to .426) percentages from his sophomore to junior seasons while topping the 100 assist mark (113) for the third time in as many years.

Mason - one of the top 3-point shooters in college basketball - emerged as a more consistent scoring threat, closing the season with 16 or more points in nine of his last 10 games. The more aggressive Mason - who attempted 41 free throws in his first two college seasons - made his way to the foul line 42 times as a junior (38-of-42, .905). Mason retained his shooting touch, finishing 7th nationally in 3-point percentage (.447). He will enter his senior year as the second most-accurate 3-point shooter in NCAA history (.492).

"It's no secret that our strength will be our guard play," says Ferry. "When you have D.C., Micah and now Rene Castro as your one and two guards - that's a pretty good backcourt. I'll put that up with anyone in this conference.

"People questioned the move of Micah to the point early last season," says Ferry, "but I really think that helped D.C. get off to a great start. Derrick was leading the country in 3-point shooting for awhile early in the season and ended up having a fantastic year. His turnovers were down and he just looked more comfortable out there.

"Micah became a much more aggressive player, especially late in the season. I think you'll see that kind of play from him this year right from the get-go."

Castro, a first-year transfer from Butler who spent last season practicing with the team, will make his debut in 2015-16 as a sophomore. A consensus 3-star recruit, Castro was the Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2012.

"The addition of Rene Castro will take some of the pressure off both Derrick and Micah who were playing close to 40 minutes a game down the stretch last season," says Ferry. "That was not our plan. Now, having three guards we can rotate in will maximize their impact on a game both offensively and defensively."

Also new to the backcourt is 6-5 UTEP transfer Mar'Qywell Jackson, who was also able to practice with the team last year.

Jeremiah Jones - a third returning starter - also finished strong last season, scoring in double digits in eight of his last 11 games. Jones, who had 77 assists in his first 60 games at DU, had 101 in 31 games in 2015, making it just the sixth time in school history - and first time since 1993-94 - that DU had two players with 100 or more assists in the same season.

"Jeremiah has gotten better and better each year," says Ferry. "He's the true leader of this group. He's physical, he's tough and he's our best defender. He really settled into his role as an offensive player last year. He showed a real understanding of what his offensive impact needed to be for us to be successful. He showed a knack for finishing around the basket as well as an ability to create opportunities for other players. He really took off toward the end of the season."

Ferry is looking at sophomore Eric James (4.6, 2.4) and freshman Josh Steel - a native of Harlow, England - to provide depth behind Jones.

"We've come up a little short in the past with that next guy in addition to Jeremiah," says Ferry. "Now we have some different options. Eric James has added strength and maturity and hopefully that can translate to the court. Josh Steel has good size and brings the ability to shoot, pass and drive the ball. We're looking for some exciting things out of him. We hope that between Eric and Josh that we'll be able to play a little bigger at that spot."

Last year's frontcourt consisted of graduated 6-8 senior forward Dominique McKoy (7.9, 6.2) along with two sophomores and two freshmen.

"A big part of any success we'll have this season will revolve around how much this group has learned and how much they'll improve," says Ferry.

"The frontcourt last year - outside of McKoy - was really young, and with youth comes inconsistency. We had freshmen who had never played, combined with sophomores who had barely played. I think our frontcourt was part of the reason we struggled defensively. We were playing with little or no experience. The best thing about our frontcourt is that our freshmen and sophomores are now sophomores and juniors, and in a league like the Atlantic 10, that's pretty important."

Juniors L.G. Gill (6.9, 4.1) and Darius Lewis (3.5, 3.1) are the most experienced members of the frontcourt.

Gill, who has attempted 175 3-pointers in two seasons (.331), has played in 60 career games, while the 6-11 Lewis blocked a team-high 31 shots in 31 games in his first season as a starter last season.

"What I like is our versatility in the frontcourt," says Ferry. "We can go really big and physical or quick and athletic - or a combination of both. We have a 3-point shooting stretch forward in L.G., we have someone who is long and athletic and can attack off the dribble in TySean Powell, and we have low post scoring in Darius Lewis and Jordan Robinson. It is a unique combination of forwards that will ideally make us difficult to guard."

Powell, a 6-6 sophomore, shot .579 and led the team in dunks (20) and conventional three-point plays (10 in 11 attempts) last season. He also proved adept at getting to the foul line, finishing third on the team in free throw attempts (47-of-72). Powell's shooting percentage was the sixth-best in school history. The only freshman to have a more accurate season was two-time first team All-A10 forward Bruce Atkins who shot .615 as a freshman in 1978-79.

Six-eight, 225-pound freshman Nakye Sanders will also be looked upon to provide depth at the forward spot.

"Nakye is a physical, aggressive rebounder who will really help us with our depth up front," says Ferry. "He has that knack for going and getting the basketball."

Six-eight, 255-pound Jordan Robinson (3.9, 2.1) showed glimpses of his potential shooting a team-high .625 in just under 10 minutes per game. The Toronto native, who got to the foul line 46 times in 217 total minutes played, saw action in 11 of 18 A-10 games.

"At the five spot you have Darius Lewis who is pushing 7-feet tall and really physical," says Ferry. "He established himself as a presence for us around the rim as a sophomore. In games he played well, we generally as a team played well. Jordan Robinson, at the end of the season last year, gave us the opportunity to throw the ball inside to someone who could score around the rim. The adjustment for those two - getting the minutes they played - will put them way ahead at the start of this season as opposed to last year."

DU will get a head start on the 2015-16 season with a trip to Ireland in early August. The team will practice for 10 days before departing and will play three games in nine days while on the Emerald Isle.

"Those 10 days of practice will allow us to get a look at our freshmen and give us a jump in getting better defensively," says Ferry. "We're really going to focus on ourselves and our philosophy and establishing a defensive disposition as to what we are and what we have to be to win."

Duquesne will face a pair of ACC teams (Pitt and Georgia Tech) in addition to one Big Ten team (Penn State) in nonconference play. The Dukes will also take part in the eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase in late November to help prepare for the 2015-16 Atlantic 10 season.

"Our goal is to always compete for a championship," says Ferry. "We'd like to be into the top part of the league and compete for postseason play. Our league will once again be a bear, but we feel we're more prepared for it than we've ever been. Now its our turn to really get in the mix."

One to Watch
Sophomore Butler transfer Rene Castro, who spent last season practicing with the team, will make his Duquesne debut in 2015-16. "Rene is a strong, physical combo guard who is a fierce competitor," says Ferry. "He can shoot, he can score and he's crafty with the ball. He has a knack for getting into the lane and a knack for scoring the basketball. Rene's addition will give us a real dynamic backcourt. He's a perfect complement to Micah and Derrick." The 6-2 Castro, who was recruited to Butler by former BU and current Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, was ranked as the No. 6 prospect in New England and top player in Massachusetts by New England Recruiting Report following his senior season at Worcester Academy - the same prep school that produced Duquesne 1,000-point scorers Bill Clark (2008-11) and Aaron Jackson (2006-09).

Additional Newcomers
Duquesne will have three other new faces in addition to Rene Castro. Six-five wing Mar'Qywell Jackson, a UTEP transfer, will be eligible this season. A consensus three-star recruit out of high school, Jackson - like Castro - practiced with the team last season. The Detroit native was ranked 53rd on the 2014 Hoop Scoop Top 100. Six-eight, 225-pound forward Nakye Sanders, who was named All-USA New York by USA Today, will compete for playing time in the frontcourt. Sanders, who finished his high school career as the seventh-leading scorer in Staten Island history with 1,513 points, averaged 16.6 points, 15.2 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game as a senior for Tottenville HS. Rated as a three-star recruit by rivals.com, Sanders - who won't turn 18 until Nov. 1 - topped the 1,000 career rebound mark as a junior. DU crossed the Atlantic Ocean to sign 6-4 guard Josh Steel. Steel, who hails from Harlow, England, was rated as the 32nd overall prospect in Europe among those born in 1997 by eurohoops.com.

What's Gone?
Two-year starter Dominique McKoy (8.8, 6.7 in two seasons at Duquesne) graduated in May. McKoy, who started 53 of the 60 games he played after transferring in from Cowley CC, shot .569 as a Duke. Rising junior Desmond Ridenour (2.0, 0.7) and rising senior Jordan Stevens (8.9, 1.6) both transferred in the spring. In addition, walk-on Christian Johnston (0.3, 0.3) graduated with one season of eligibility remaining.

Waiting in the Wings
Nebraska transfer Tarin Smith, a 6-2 guard from Ocean Township, N.J., will be sitting out the 2015-16 season. "Tarin can play both guard spots and he is a great defender," says Ferry. "We recruited him aggressively out of high school and we're really excited he transferred back to us. You can see the things he does well in our individual workouts. He's at a different level athletically than some of the guards we've had in the past." Smith, who was one of only four players to see action in all 31 games for Cornhuskers as a freshman last season, averaged 4.5 ppg. He showed steady improvement, averaging 5.3 ppg. on 48 percent shooting in UN's last nine games. The St, Anthony HS product averaged 7.3 points and shot .643 (9-of-14) in consecutive late-February starts at Maryland, vs. Iowa and at Ohio State. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

2015-16 QUICK HITS

• Duquesne returns four starters - 5-11 Sr. G Derrick Colter (13.2, 2.9), 6-2 Sr. G Micah Mason (12.8, 4.0), 6-3 Sr. F Jeremiah Jones (7.3, 4.5) & 6-11 Jr. C Darius Lewis (3.5, 3.1) from last year's 12-19 (6-12, 11th in Atlantic 10) team.

• DU's three scholarship seniors: Colter (91/91), Mason (86/64) and Jones (91/83) have played in a combined 268 games with 238 starts. Colter & Jones - who were part of Jim Ferry's first recruiting class - have played in every game in their Duquesne careers. Mason, who transferred to DU after one season at Drake, is on pace to be the second most-accurate 3-point shooter in NCAA history (.492). Colter enters his senior year with 1,086 points.

• DU's four other returning lettermen include: 6-7 Jr. F L.G. Gill (6.9, 4.1), 6-5 So. F Eric James (4.6, 2.4), 6-6 So. F TySean Powell (6.9, 3.2) and 6-8 So. C Jordan Robinson (3.9, 2.1).

• Two transfers who practiced with the team while sitting out last season are eligible in 2015-16: 6-2 So. G Rene Castro (Butler) and 6-5 Fr. G Mar'Qywell Jackson (UTEP).

• The Dukes added a three-man recruiting class in 6-8 Fr. F Nakye Sanders (Staten Island, N.Y.), 6-4 Fr. G Josh Steel (Harlow, England) and University of Nebraska transfer 6-2 So. G Tarin Smith (Ocean Township, N.J.). Smith, who played in all 31 games for the Cornhuskers last season, will sit out in 2015-16.

• The Dukes will prepare for the 2015-16 season with a nine-day, three-game trip to Ireland August 4-12. It will be the second foreign tour by a DU team (the Dukes played four games in three days in Toronto over Labor Day weekend in 2007).

• 2015-16 marks the 100th season for Duquesne basketball.

• DU's five home-and-home Atlantic 10 opponents are unchanged from last season. The Dukes will face Davidson, Dayton, George Washington, St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis twice as part of the 18-game Atlantic 10 schedule.

• Duquesne will participate in the eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase Nov. 23-25 at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. The field includes: Central Michigan, Drake, Milwaukee, Murray State, Pepperdine, Weber State and Western Kentucky (the pairings are TBD). The Dukes will also face two Atlantic Coast Conference schools (at Georgia Tech and vs. Pitt) and one Big Ten school (Penn State) in non-conference play. The Pitt and Penn State games will both be played at CONSOL Energy Center.

NOTING THE DUKES

• Duquesne returns four starters (career games played in parentheses): senior guard Derrick Colter (91), senior guard Micah Mason (86), senior forward Jeremiah Jones (91) and junior center Darius Lewis (41).

• Colter (1,086), Mason (823) and Jones (646) all enter their senior years with over 600 points.

• Colter (13.2 ppg.) and Mason (12.8 ppg.) shot a combined .438 from the 3-point arc in finishing one & two on the team in scoring last season. A guard either led, or tied for the team lead in scoring, in 28 of 31 games in 2015. The lone non-guards to lead the Dukes in scoring outright were returnees L.G. Gill (twice) and Jeremiah Jones.

• The 3-point shooting of Colter (60-141, .426) and Mason (88-197, .447) helped the Dukes finish with the third-best single-season mark in school history (.370) - and best by a DU team since 1992 - last season. DU's 7.9 3-pointers per game was the fifth-best mark in school history.

ATLANTIC 10 RETURNING DUOS WITH MOST 3-POINTERS MADE LAST SEASON
Duquesne's returnees accounted for 217 of the team's 245 3-pointers made last season (89%). Leading the way is the backcourt of Micah Mason and Derrick Colter who combined for 148 "threes" - the most of any returning duo in the Atlantic 10. Mason & Colter combined to hit 43.8 percent of their 3-point attempts:

148 -- Micah Mason (88-197) & Derrick Colter (60-141) - 148-338 total - .438 - Duquesne
137 -- Brian Sullivan (83-234) & Jack Gibbs (54-127) - 137-361 total - .380 - Davidson
124 -- Melvin Johnson (86-237) & JeQuan Lewis (38-106) - 124-343 total - .362 - VCU
116 -- Jordan Price (69-203) & Cleon Roberts (47-141) - 116-344 total - .337 - La Salle
114 -- ShawnDre' Jones (64-170) & T.J. Cline (50-129) - 114-299 total - .381 - Richmond

• Mason, who led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage in 2014 (65-116, .560), finished seventh nationally last season (88-197, .447). Mason has hit five or more "3s" in a game nine times (seven at Duquesne and two as a freshman at Drake). Mason enters his senior season as the second most-accurate 3-point shooter in NCAA history (193-of-392, .492).

• Despite its 12-19 record in 2015, Duquesne was outscored by an average of just 2.9 points per game. Duquesne was 1-4 in games decided by three or fewer points, including a 1-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play.

• In conference play, DU averaged 74.7 ppg. at home and 67.7 on the road. The Dukes outscored A-10 opponents by +1.3 ppg. at home and were outscored by 14.7 ppg. on the road. DU held A-10 opponents to .411 shooting at home. On the road, A-10 foes shot .490.

• Three of DU's A-10 games - all at home - came down to the last possession: a 71-68 win over Saint Joseph's, a 61-60 loss to Rhode Island and a 100-97 OT loss to St. Bonaventure (the Dukes led Rhody by 13 and the Bonnies by 15 in the second half). In addition, DU had the ball down two with under two minutes left in a 70-64 "home" loss to No. 17 (AP) VCU at CONSOL Energy Center on Jan. 17. The Dukes were also tied with UMass with under three minutes left at Mullins Center on Feb. 14.

• The Dukes defeated Saint Louis, 61-55, in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship. The win was DU's third opening round Championship win in 20 years. The others came in 2004 (1-1) and 2009 (3-1). Duquesne's 12 blocks in the victory tied the Atlantic 10 Championship single-game record set by UMass vs. West Virginia on March 4, 1990.