*OPINION PIECE* BUMMER

  Dukes Chat usually speaks of only positive news concerning Duquesne University Athletics, but a comment on Dukes Football's recent loss to Iona College deserves some words.
  In no way is the quest for a ninth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship over. After all, Iona defeated the Dukes in 2006 as well, only to blow the championship late in the year. And give credit to the Dukes for rebounding that season to earn a share of the crown despite that loss -- its toughest, really, of the program's NCAA Division I-AA tenure. Upsets happen.
  But with all due to respect to the 2007 Dukes -- they're still a good team -- this was no upset. Iona is better right now.
  Of course, the Gaels don't have as much going for them future-wise as Duquesne does, but that means nothing in 2007.
  Here's hoping that the Dukes can shake this off like they did last year, but again, they'll need some help.
  For now, what a bummer.

(Image: Duquesne University Football Championship Banner, Copyright Duquesne University)

*OPINION PIECE* A Major Step Forward for ALL Teams

  Duquesne University Athletics has announced a partnership with adidas that makes the apparel company the official sponsor of the Dukes.
  Ron Everhart, Suzie McConnell-Serio, Shawn James, Derron Thomas, permanent seating for Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field, scholarship football and the multi-purpose recreational center have all been tremendous additions for Duquesne Athletics. Each speaks volumes about how seriously the university is taking athletics.
  But while the new additions have been improvements mostly for basketball and football, the deal with adidas -- which will provide footwear, uniforms and other apparel to all 20 Dukes varsity teams -- is great for the non-revenue/"Olympic" sports at the university as well.
  For Duquesne's teams that lack the funding that the football and basketball teams have, something that this deal is MAJOR, MAJOR news. Teams like women's cross country and wrestling will now have free adidas gear at their disposal and will be even more closely aligned with Duquesne's marquee squads.
  A Duke has always been a Duke, and each Duquesne team wears the red and blue. But now each team will look even more alike, and because each team's uniforms will come from adidas, they will also all have the same benefit -- the overall improved image of Duquesne Athletics.

(Image: adidas Logo, Copyright adidas)

Last Countdown (for a While) -- Top Ten Coaches in Duquesne Athletics History

  In a few short days, Dukes Chat will unveil the latest of its countdowns -- the Top Ten Coaches in Duquesne Athletics History.
  This will be the last of the Dukes Chat countdowns for a while.
  Stay tuned.

(Image: Cartoon Whistle, Copyright Discovery Education)

*OPINION PIECE* No. 1 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1954-55 Men's Basketball - Surely to spark no debate, Dukes Chat announces that this team is undoubtedly the greatest in Duquesne Athletics History.
  The rationale for doing so is simple. The National Invitation Tournament in 1955 was the equivalent of today's NCAA Division I Championship. Led by All-American Sihugo Green and finishing with a 22-4 record and a No. 6 Associated Press ranking, this team took the 1955 NIT title, and no Duquesne sports team has won an NCAA championship at the highest level before or since. Therefore, this team achieved more than any other sports team in Duquesne University history.
  Basketball, particularly men's basketball, is the premiere sport at Duquesne. It has been this way since World War II, and this team did more than its part to drive this notion home.
  The future of Duquesne Basketball, and Duquesne Athletics in general -- not coincidentally -- seems incredibly bright. This team, in some way, is to thank for that. The new Multipurpose Recreational Center, the soon-to-be-new permanent grandstand seating around Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field and the hiring of Ron Everhart are all steps that Duquesne University has taken to try to recapture the athletic glory of its past, highlighted, of course, by the 1955 NIT champions.

(Image: Retired Sihugo Green Jersey, Copyright Duquesne University)

*OPINION PIECE* No. 2 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1939-40 Men's Basketball - Though Duquesne University would often turn down bids to play in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship to compete in the more prestigious (at the time) National Invitation Tournament, during this season, the Dukes participated in both.
  Though, they certainly did a lot more than just participate. Duquesne Men's Basketball reached the Final Four of both the NCAA and NIT Tournaments in 1940 -- advancing all the way to the championship game of the NIT.
  Duquesne University is one of the first two schools to participate in both tournaments in the same season. (The other team -- University of Colorado at Boulder Men's Basketball -- played in both in 1940 as well.)
  The Dukes overall record in the 1939-40 season was a tremendous 20-3.

[Image: Paul Widowitz (left) in 1940, Copyright Duquesne University]

*OPINION PIECE* No. 3 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1941 Football - The only apparent reason that Duquesne University went uninvited to a college football bowl game this season was that most schools were simply afraid to lose to the Dukes. In this way, it's unfortunately clear that a lot about scheduling in college football hasn't changed.
  The 1941 Dukes Gridders get the nod over the Orange Bowl-winning team of the 1936 season as Duquesne's best football team because of their awesome and sometimes bar none accomplishments.
  In 1941, Duquesne went undefeated and untied (8-0-0) and earned a No. 8 Associated Press national ranking. But even more impressively, the Dukes led nation in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense in '41.

(Image: Current NCAA Football Logo, Copyright National Collegiate Athletic Association)

USA Today Article About the Future of the FCS Playoffs

Read here.

Should the New Permanent Seating Be Named?

  With Duquesne University Athletics announcing that construction on the soon-to-be-new permanent seating to line Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field will begin once the 2007 football season is over, the question is begged: Should this permanent seating be named after someone from Duquesne Athletics' colorful past? If so, then who?
  Should the overall facility simply remain as "Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field"? Perhaps it should be changed to "Arthur J. Rooney Stadium." What about "Greg Gattuso Grandstand"? Or something honoring new Duquesne Athletics Hall of Fame honoree John Rosato? Does this have to be football-specific?
  Please share your thoughts. If you are unsure how to do so, simply click on the "_ comments" link below this post.

*OPINION PIECE* No. 4 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1953-54 Men's Basketball - Not that different from the team that won the championship game of the 1955 National Invitation Tournament, this version of the basketball Dukes lost in the championship round of the NIT to the College of the Holy Cross.
  The 1953-54 Dukes Ballers went 23-6 -- not that dissimilar, again, to the next year's squad's 22-4 -- and garnered a very impressive No. 5 national ranking from the Associated Press.
  Dick Ricketts was a leader and an All-American for this team and went on to an NBA (and MLB actually as well) career. He was taken with the first overall selection by the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks in the 1955 NBA Draft.

(Image: Current NBA Logo, Copyright National Basketball Association)

Dukes Men's BB a Sleeper

From the Duquesne Athletics' Web Site:

"Basketball Times, the nationally-respected college basketball publication, has named the 2007-08 Duquesne Dukes as one of four 'Under the Radar Guys' in its October issue. It is the first time in the four-year history of the annual 'Under the Radar' issue that a team has been chosen.

"Editor John Akers annually runs nearly every projected Division I starter through an efficiency rating known as the 'Larry Bird formula' - a plus/minus system of positive and negative statistics - and takes note of those players who jump out unexpectedly. They then run those players through another filter - testing their efficiency again, but against better teams - before making final decisions.

"This year it is the Dukes along with Florida center Marreese Speights, Georgia Tech guard Lewis Clinch and Utah center Luke Nevill that were chosen as under the radar guys.

"Says Akers in the 'From the editor ...' portion of the October issue, '... no one in four years' worth of 'Under the Radar Guys' has jumped out like the Duquesne Dukes.'

"A three-page feature inside tells the Duquesne story.

"Kieron Achara, of whom Akers says 'Kieron Achara might have been the nation's most under-rated player, his terrific individual season hidden by a late start, limited minutes and a losing season,' graces the cover."

(Image: October 2007 Issue of Basketball Times, Copyright Basketball Times)

Work from the Blog Host

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Duquesne University Football Article

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*OPINION PIECE* No. 5 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1936 Football - Not much more can be said about this tremedous football team.
  The 1936 Dukes gridders garnered a No. 14 Associated Press ranking while posting an 8-2 record, capped-off by a win in the 1937 New Year's Day Orange Bowl.
  To this day, the 1937 Orange Bowl win remains Duquesne Football's only official major bowl game victory.
  Guided by the almost forgotten Coach Clipper Smith, this team's only two losses came by a combined nine points. One of those losses was by a mere 2-0 score. The Dukes shut out seven teams this year.
  Mike Basrak, an Associated Press All-American and 1937 Orange Bowl MVP, was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in 1937.

(Image: Current National Football League Logo, Copyright National Football League)

***CORRECTION***

  A few mistakes in facts have recently been made. The mistakes pointed out by an anonymous reader/commenter occurred in the "*OPINION PIECE* No. 7 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History" post and have since been corrected.
  Dukes Chat regrets the errors and thanks the reader/commenter.

*OPINION PIECE* No. 6 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1949-50 Men's Basketball - Duquesne University's finest basketball team of the 1940s -- yes, 1950 is the last year of the 1940s -- enters this countdown at No. 6.
  "Dudey" Moore's Dukes climbed all the way to a No. 2 Associated Press ranking this year and posted a 23-6 record in advancing all the way to the Final Four of the National Invitation Tournament.
  Lest we forget, the NIT was the premier college basketball tournament in the country during this time period.

(Image: Current National Invitation Tournament Logo, Copyright National Collegiate Athletic Association)

*OPINION PIECE* No. 7 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1968-69 Men's Basketball - Simply put, this team's credentials are outstanding and go a long way in cementing Duquesne's place in college basketball lore.
  A 21-5 overall record this season for "Red" Manning's Dukes earned them a No. 9 Associated Press ranking, as the team reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championship Tournament.
  This was Duquesne's best sports team of the 1960s and easily one of its greatest basketball teams ever.
  Consider this about Duquesne's competition this season. The team played six games against teams ranked in the Associated Press' top 16, including three of its final four.

[Image: Former Duquesne University Basketball coaches "Red" Manning (right) and "Dudey" Moore (left), Copyright Duquesne University]

*OPINION PIECE* No. 8 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1939 Football - Duquesne University Football's 1939 edition is often overlooked in terms of Duquesne's greatest football teams ever. The Dukes' success in bowl games from this time period and the mid-major powerhouses of the Greg Gattuso era often overshadow this team... unjustly.
  Keeping in mind that Duquesne Football was competing at a higher level in 1939 than it was during the Gattuso era, you can logically place this team above any of Gattuso's. And, keeping in mind that Duquesne Football was undefeated in 1939 with a very respectable schedule, you can sure argue its place on this countdown.
  Not only was this team undefeated (8-0-1), but it also garnered a No. 10 ranking from the Associated Press.
  Easily the biggest win of this season came when Duquesne visited and upset the then-No. 1 ranked (AP) University of Pittsburgh, 21-13. In the 1939 season finale, both Duquesne and its opponent -- Detroit College (now the University of Detroit Mercy) -- came into the game undefeated and untied. The game ended with a score of 10-10.

(Image: NCAA Logo, Copyright National Collegiate Athletic Association)

Women's BB Full Schedule

  The full 2007-08 Duquesne University Women's Basketball schedule was recently released. To view it, click here.

(Image: Duquesne University Women's Basketball Team, Copyright Duquesne University)

*OPINION PIECE* No. 9 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1951-52 Men's Basketball - The first basketball squad creeps into this countdown of greatest Duquesne University Athletics teams at No. 9.
  This team certainly wasn't the greatest of its kind in Duquesne Athletics history, but its accomplishments are very hard to overlook.
  A 23-4 record under the legendary Coach Donald "Dudey" Moore got the Dukes to a No. 4 ranking in the Associated Press' College Basketball Poll that season. Moore's 1951-52 team also took home fourth place honors in the National Invitation Tournament -- the most prestigious collegiate basketball tournament in the country at the time -- and made it to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Basketball Championship.

(Image: Associated Press Logo, Copyright New York Newspaper Publishers Association)

*OPINION PIECE* Fortune Shines on Dukes

  Duquesne Men's Basketball finally catches a break.
  In light of the campus shootings last year, Robert Mitchell's departure and Stuard Baldonado's recent legal troubles, it was more than refreshing to see that Lady Luck was at least temporarily wearing red and blue when the Dukes' 2007-08 Atlantic Ten Conference schedule was released.
  Although the Dukes' 2007-08 Atlantic Ten opponents have been known for some time, the specific dates and times for games against those opponents have only recently been announced.
  The fortunate highlights: The Dukes open league play at home for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, they will not have more than two consecutive road games for the entire season AND, combined with a three-game homestand against non-league foes, they will have two three-game homestands.
  And lest we forget, the (non-league) City Game against the University of Pittsburgh is also at home this season.

(Image: Coach Ron Everhart, Copyright Duquesne University)

*OPINION PIECE* No. 10 Greatest Team in Duquesne Athletics History

1933 Football - The team with a 10-1-0 season and a victory in the 1934 Festival of Palms Bowl starts this countdown off.
  The Festival of Palms Bowl was the forerunner to the annual Orange Bowl, which Duquesne University Football would eventually win in 1937. Unlike the Orange Bowl though, the University of Miami (Fl.) was guaranteed an invite to the Festival of Palms Bowl. The NCAA, thus, does not officially consider the Festival of Palms Bowls to be official bowl games. This fact puts Duquesne's 1933 football team down to No. 10 on this countdown despite its outstanding record and impressive performance in 1933 against Miami -- 33-7. (A true bowl game would have pitted Duquesne against a better team.)
  Make no mistake about it though. Miami is and always was a solid college football program, and this postseason victory was still a mighty accomplishment -- enough of an accomplishment, coupled with Duquesne's overall record for the 1933 season, to put this team on the countdown.

(Image: Miami Beach Palm Trees Painting, Copyright AllPosters.com)