coffee wrote:

This is a nice article. I'd reestablish some of the natural rivalries of various levels of competition. Bring on Penn State, WVU both at PPG Paints Arena, and maybe Xavier. St. Francis, Cleveland State, Youngstown State at the Palumbo and Akron would be interesting!

http://www.thepointofpittsburgh.com/scheduling-duquesne-in-2018-19/

KD won't schedule Akron.   Kent, Buffalo and OU would be good teams to get on the schedule.  Ytown would be a good team to bring in but DU should never go there. Cleveland State is far from being competitive....you will always be able to add them later.    Valparaiso really manages their RPI by scheduling numerous D2 and NAIA games because they do not count in RPI calculations.  They are a team with a much higher RPI than actual difficulty....I would get them on the schedule too.  Pitt, WVU and PSU all seem like natural fits.  Marshall should be a regular as well.

KD likes to schedule early season tournaments.  You can get good teams on a neutral court.  Expect 1 to 2 per year.  KD and staff have always recruited well in the Cincy area and a home and away with Xavier and/or Cincy seem like a natural too.

Last edited by Dsnyder15 (4/01/2018 10:42 am)

I always liked playing WVU, and Penn St., but I don't know if they want to play us here anymore. If I remember correctly, we beat both of them the last time we played them at PPG. They're both on Pitt's schedule now, so they may not feel the need to play us. I don't want to be a buy game for either of them. Two buy games is ok, one against a powerhouse (Duke, UNC, UK, KU, MSU, especially Villanova), and one against a more generic P6 (Wake, Minnesota, Creighton, Vandy etc.). See if you can get a couple of 2 for 1 deals with better teams from AE, or Summit. Add a couple of cupcakes, and maybe a couple of home and aways with MAC, CUSA, or even better, AAC teams. I'd even do a reverse 2 for 1 with a team like Houston, or SMU.

I think it's been said that we are playing Notre Dame this year, who lose their two best players.

Thanks for sharing and combine KD s liking to schesule early tournaments as deported by DSnyser and Coffees idea of local natural rivalries equals bring back the Steel Bowl! I know that Duquesne hosting NCAA and selling it out has to bring some cache to the idea and most importantly I think it could be a money maker for the teams? Duquesne Pitt every year rotating in WVU Penn St or Robert Morris and an outside team or just make it a local tournament? I  realize scheduling is difficult with teams seeking 2 for 1s or only away games but with good sponsorship and a TV package it might be sold? What do you guys think?Thanks again

I like it and agree preserving the City game! I am also goung by DSnyder saying KD likes early tournaments too. I am pretty old and my recollection may be off but it seems that it was a popular event back in late 60s early 70s and some of Duquesne best teams

Duq81 Pipe dreams are fun and I did previously say  that scheduling would be difficult but certainly not impossible either. Real question is would it would draw and behoove teams financially and I was suggesting that recent NCAA attendance might indicate another shot at the concept. Realize that it might not work of course but better than playing little sisters of the poor at Palumbo early too

Last edited by Judge Jack McVay Jr (4/01/2018 10:13 pm)

Thanks and I think you are right and Pitt definitely not going to want to play twice so City game would have to be one of games.I am skeptical about it selling out like NCAA and also whether WVU would want. Thanks again  Jack

How about a Keystone Tournament?

​Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris  vs.   Temple, Drexel and St. Joes or LaSalle?

​The Battle of the Turnpike?  Pittsburgh v. Philly?

Tejas_Duke wrote:

How about a Keystone Tournament?

​Pitt, Duquesne, Robert Morris  vs.   Temple, Drexel and St. Joes or LaSalle?

​The Battle of the Turnpike?  Pittsburgh v. Philly?

St. Joe's, Temple, and LaSalle have too many games tied up in the Big 5 to want to do that. Schools want a bunch of home games. Pitt is never going to give up home games to play Drexel, or some A10 also rans, and I don't blame them. When they do a tournament, they want some powerhouses in there, not a bunch of average or less programs. Let's get better, and maybe we'll find ourselves invited to a tournament with some big time quality teams in it. You have to leverage your position in the pecking order. Kansas doesn't come to Pitt, Pitt doesn't go to LaSalle, and Duquesne and LaSalle shouldn't be playing at AE, or Summit League schools. Sucks for those at the bottom, but you have to look out for yourself.