Duquesne university basketball

Men's college sport team

Duquesne Dukes
University	Duquesne University
Head coach	Dru Joyce III (1st season)
Conference	Atlantic 10
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Arena	UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse (capacity: 3,500)
Nickname	Dukes
Colors	Red and blue[1]
1940
1940, 1952
1952, 1969
1977, 2024
1940, 1952, 1969, 1971, 1977, 2024
1977, 2024
1980, 1981
1955

The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in faculty basketball.

The team, which in operation in 1914, has only shrewd played in NCAA Division Hilarious and has had six conventions in the NCAA Tournament. Justness Dukes play in the Ocean 10 Conference, of which they have been members since 1976 (minus the 1992–93 season tidy which the Dukes were single-season members of the Midwestern Collegial Conference).

Their head basketball instructor is Dru Joyce III.^[2]

The Dukes men's basketball team has confidential great success over the days, playing twice in national backing games in the 1950s take winning the National Invitation Battle championship in 1955. Duquesne very emerged victorious in the 1976–77 Eastern Collegiate Basketball League (the forerunner to the Eastern Energetic Association, now known as prestige Atlantic 10 Conference) tournament stand for 2024 Atlantic 10 tournament.

Character Dukes were also 1979–80 topmost 1980–81 Eastern Athletic Association regular-season co-champions. The Associated Press stratified Duquesne as the No. 1 college basketball team in character country for two consecutive weeks during the 1953–54 season.^[3] They also have gone through spanking new years, as Duquesne went 47 years between appearances in representation NCAA Division I Tournament (which was the eighth-longest active streak) after winning their first Ocean 10 title in 1977.

They reached (and lost) the A10 tournament final in 1981 don 2009 before finally winning goodness conference tournament in 2024 become peaceful snapping the 47-year appearance thirstiness appetite in the NCAA tournament.

Duquesne is the only school essay have back-to-back first overall picks in the National Basketball Organization draft (Dick Ricketts by excellence Saint Louis Hawks in 1955 and Sihugo Green by description Rochester Royals in 1956).

Nobleness Dukes men's basketball program potty also claim the first African-American player selected in an NBA draft (Chuck Cooper by rectitude Boston Celtics in 1950). Nobility 1939–40 Dukes basketball team reach the summit of with a 20–3 record humbling appeared in the Final Combine of both the NIT suggest NCAA Tournaments. Duquesne has confidential the most Atlantic 10 grading champions in conference history.^{[citation needed]}

History

See also: List of Duquesne Dukes men's basketball seasons

Early history

The description of basketball at Duquesne Doctrine can be dated back chitchat 1914, when the university management established basketball as a squad sport.

The first game, conflicting Bethany College, was won cede a gym under the faculty chapel on January 9, 1914 (Rishel 23). The team was first coached by Alexander Hogarty, whose tenure lasted only rob season. The position was full by Father Eugene McGuigan, who was called "Father Mac" dispose campus and "Coach Gene Martin" in newspaper reports in instability to prevent the name oppress a Holy Ghost father punishment being associated with the disorder of "Basket-ball".

Father McGuigan ormed football, baseball, and basketball he was transferred from Duquesne University in 1923 (Rishel 38).

When a proper gymnasium was constructed in 1923, Duquesne Sport was finally allowed to entertain into its own, as position previous court was in genuineness a stage below the synagogue and was not only aslope but demarcated by a dirk cage on its perimeter.

Teams had previously refused to statistic the "Bluffites" on their trace court. Coach "Chick" Davies initiated a new era in nobleness basketball program, filling the 1,200-seat gymnasium and bringing the gang into national prominence. In warmth first season with Davies, Duquesne tied with Waynesburg University purchase the Tri-State Conference championship stake dominated the same conference detain 1926 and 1927 before nomadic to a higher level elaborate competition.

The season expanded stay away from 20 to 28 games scold became more competitive in 1930 when the team faced nobility University of Iowa, Loyola Founding Chicago, Adrian College, Elmhurst School, Alfred State College, John Author University, American University, Catholic School, Colgate University, St. Bonaventure Asylum, Seton Hall University, Manhattan Academy, and the City College refreshing New York.

Davies, immensely well-received, coached Duquesne basketball until 1948 (Rishel 40–41).

World War II era

The university tried to show on to basketball during Field War II, having reworked rank gymnasium in 1942 to settle an extra 800 spectators, however was forced to drop nobleness sport at the end faux the 1943 season (Rishel 81–82).

However, the sport was reinstated in the spring of 1946. During the 1946–1947 season Davies led the Dukes to 19 straight victories before a bereavement to Georgetown University. In think it over same season, Duquesne received tight third invitation to the Putter around, losing by one point give your approval to the University of Utah, nobility eventual champion, which it difficult defeated during the regular seasoned (Rishel 101).

During this labour postwar season, the University deduction Tennessee refused to play spruce scheduled game against Duquesne filter the McKeesport (PA) Vocational Pump up session School because the Dukes difficult a black player--Chuck Cooper. Righteousness December 23, 1946, game abstruse been highly anticipated since River had two All-Americans and team a few other returning lettermen.

As Davies refused to remove Cooper the squad, Tennessee canceled reduced the last minute. In 1950, Cooper became the first African-American drafted to play professional sport when he joined the Beantown Celtics (Rishel 101).

Mid-century success

Dukes Basketball continued to impress twig a new coach in magnanimity 1948–49 season--Donald "Dudey" Moore, who had also played for Duquesne.^[4] In the 1949–50 season, Moore's team achieved a 17–5 lean in the 1948–49 season, talented in 1950, 23 wins most recent another bid to the Putter around.

By the 1950s, Duquesne's Tree Street gym had become mediocre to seat the team's spectators, so games were usually stilted in a high school gym in McKeesport or the Duquesne Gardens in Oakland. Even adventure this point, daily practice was held at North Catholic Tall School (Rishel 102).

The Fifties marked an age of unlimited success for Dukes Basketball, disconnect Moore leading his team unexpected six NIT bids (1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956).

Distinction team went 21–1 during glory 1951–52 regular season and was the top seed in rendering tournament. Moore was named "Coach of the Year" by loftiness New York Basketball Writers Association.^[4] In 1953, Duquesne was somber as a preseason "best problem the East" and possibly distinction nation.^{[citation needed]} With a 23–2 record, they were top spore for the NIT that day.

Although they lost to illustriousness College of the Holy Rood, they achieved a new compose of 26 victories in far-out season. Top-seeded again in '54, Duquesne, following a 19–4 wonted season, finally won the caption of NIT Champions in 1955 (Rishel 137–138).

The 1956 time almost came to an specifically end, as the Duquesne Gardens, then Duquesne's home court, was to be demolished.

However, add on a gesture which athletic supervisor Doc Skender called "one a range of the finest acts of honesty I've ever known," long-standing opponent compeer the University of Pittsburgh licit the Dukes use of rendering Fitzgerald Field House for countryside games (Rishel 138).

Coach Sedative Manning, initially unpopular, soon playful the Dukes to another vintage of postseason play, ending scaffold in the Final Four send back the 1962 NIT tournament, add-on further appearances in the Loiter in 1964, 1968, and 1970, plus appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1969 and 1971.

Notable in this decade was Willie Somerset, nicknamed by birth press as "Wonderful Willie." Notwithstanding that only 5'11", he could bound higher than any other athlete on the team (Rishel 177).

1970s to 1990s

The 1970s aphorism the end of Manning's label. Duquesne had seen only several different basketball coaches in bill years, but this decade unaccompanied saw three coaches: Red Manning, John Cinicola, and Mike Payment.

The decade was relatively dull, although it saw the likes of "the greatest guard pathway Duquesne basketball history"--Norm Nixon (Rishel 216). The 1980s were forceful by problems with many players' academic eligibility—calling into question primacy university's recruiting and support procedures—and are best described as "trying times" for the Dukes (Rishel 246).

There were only three winning seasons in the decade--'80–81 and '85–86. Even so, magnanimity 1988 construction of the Far-out. J. Palumbo Center—Duquesne Basketball's ongoing home—is a notable event work for this time period.

21st century

The Dukes have had mixed outcome in the 21st century, move one NCAA Tournament (reaching righteousness second round in 2024), individual NIT Tournament (eliminated in honourableness first round in 2009) take four College Basketball Invitational tournaments (twice making the second round).

Despite coming off a subsequent straight winning season and deprivation to Temple in the Ocean 10 Conference Championship Game lead to 2009, coach Ron Everhart was fired after the 2011–2012 season; the university cited a inadequacy of postseason success as character main reason for the firing.^[6]Jim Ferry was hired but bootless to improve the team's profile and was fired in 2017 with an overall record prime 60-97.^[7]Keith Dambrot was hired occasion from Akron and coached nobleness team to a bid comic story the 2024 NCAA Tournament in the same way an 11 seed after heavenly the Atlantic 10 Conference Event for the second time.

They defeated the 6th-seeded BYU Cougars in the first round 71-67, their first NCAA tournament ensnare in 55 years.^[8]

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Dukes have appeared in decency NCAA Tournament six times. Their combined record is 5–6.

Year	Seed	Round	Opponent	Result
1940	Elite Eight Final Four	WKU Indiana	W 30–29 L 30–39
1952	Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight	Princeton Illinois	W 60–49 L 68–74
1969	First Round Sweet Sixteen Regional 3rd Place Game	Saint Joseph's North Carolina St. John's	W 74–52 L 78–79 W 75–72
1971	First Round	Penn	L 65–70
1977	First Round	VMI	L 66–73
2024	#11	First Round Second Round	#6 BYU #3 Illinois	W 71–67 L 63–89

NIT results

The Dukes have appeared wealthy the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 17 times.

Their combined epidemic is 17–19. They were Monkey around champions in 1955.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1940	Quarterfinals Semifinals Final	St. John's Oklahoma A&M Colorado	W 38–31 W 34–30 L 40–51
1941	Quarterfinals	Ohio	L 40–55
1947	Quarterfinals	Utah	L 44–45
1950	Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	La Salle CCNY St. John's	W 49–47 L 52–62 L 67–69
1952	Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Holy Cross La Salle St. Bonaventure	W 78–68 L 46–59 L 34–48
1953	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Tulsa WKU St. John's Manhattan	W 88–69 W 69–61 L 55–64 W 81–67
1954	Quarterfinals Semifinals Final	Saint Francis (PA) Niagara Holy Cross	W 69–63 W 66–51 L 62–71
1955	Quarterfinals Semifinals Final	Louisville Cincinnati Dayton	W 74–66 W 65–61 W 70–58
1956	First Round Quarterfinals	Oklahoma A&M Louisville	W 69–61 L 72–84
1962	First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals 3rd Place Game	Navy Bradley St. John's Loyola–Chicago	W 70–58 W 88–85 L 65–75 L 84–95
1964	Quarterfinals	Army	L 65–67
1968	First Round	Fordham	L 60–69
1970	First Round	Georgia Tech	L 68–78
1980	First Round Second Round	Pittsburgh Saint Peter's	W 65–63 L 33–34
1981	First Round	Michigan	L 58–74
1994	First Round Second Round	Charlotte Villanova	W 75–73 L 66–82
2009	First Round	Virginia Tech	L 108–1162OT

CBI results

The Dukes have appeared scam the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) four times.

Their combined top secret is 2–4.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2010	First Round	Princeton	L 51–55
2011	First Round Quarterfinals	Montana Oregon	W 87–74 L 75–77
2016	First Round Quarterfinals	Nebraska–Omaha Morehead State	W 120–112 L 72–82
2023	First Round	Rice	L 78–84

National Campus Basketball Event results

The Dukes appeared in position only National Campus Basketball Trial affray.

Their record is 0–1.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1951	Quarterfinals	Wyoming	L 63–78

Retired numbers

Main article: List vacation NCAA men's basketball retired numbers

On January 27, 2001, during rendering halftime of a game desecrate Xavier University, the Duquesne Establishing Department of Athletics retired greatness jersey numbers of five allround its all-time greatest players: Disgorge Cooper, Sihugo Green, Norm President, Dick Ricketts and Willie Somerset.^[5]Mike James' number 13 was out-of-the-way in 2017.

All-time coaches

Main article: List of Duquesne Dukes hands basketball head coaches

Notable players

All-Americans

Professional

References

External links