PSR Showdown
Does Duquesne Basketball Still Matter?
By Mike DeCourcy

What they really need to do at Duquesne is come to the realization that they are not an Atlantic 10 program. It is long past the time for them to give it up. They have not been an Atlantic 10 program for more than a decade. Since John Carroll's fifth year when they won 17 games (93-94) and made the NIT, there has not been a hint of life in this program. They should find a conference at the mid-major level that is competitive and willing to take them on.

They have a facility that would be high-class in a good mid-major league. They have a strong fan base that I think would embrace a move like that. Given the fan base that they have, I can't imagine that they wouldn't rather win against, say, an Iona, than to constantly lose against Rhode Island or Xavier. I think their fans – the same ones who have been going to the games since I covered them for the Pittsburgh Press 15 years ago – would probably enjoy watching Duquesne excel at a mid-major level.

There's just never been any sign that Duquesne knows how to run a basketball program, and it has gone on for years. They don't know how it needs to be done. They are not willing to do what's necessary to get to the point where they DO know how to get it done. They've just got to give it up because its not getting any better.

Finally, I don't buy the argument that basketball in the city of Pittsburgh needs Duquesne to be successful. Pitt was drawing nearly 13,000 people per game at the Peterson Events Center last year, and was giving the city a good name in terms of the apparent interest in basketball. No one was saying, "Hey yeah, but gee, Duquesne's not very good." All the city needs for basketball to be visible is for Pitt to be good.