as a year of the 4 allowed for non seniors or does everybody come back in the same class as this season?

So many kids are struggling that one can't help but wonder if it's the system. Only Chad Baker has a respectable 3-PT percentage at 40.4 (21-for-52), though he's been streaky. I don't know about you guys, but I cringe every time someone chucks up a 3 early in the shot clock or off a run-out/transition play. If our team 3-point percentage is 28.8, then our percentage on the latter has got to be somewhere around 8-10%. Yet the kids really seem to love taking those shots. 

Duq81 and others have made great points about the way the game is played today and the importance of shooting and specifically the 3 point shot! Can't argue with you guys and I keep hoping TDM will find it and get hot but maybe it is just not going to happen! Do you try Murphy more? I don't have the answer for this team right now but definitely agree with you guys that moving forward this needs to be a recruiting priority. I am still a KD guy but maybe he does need to adjust his philosophy to emphasize 3 ball more

DennisC91 hit the nail on the head:  " But this is who we are. Dukes are 323rd in 3-pt FG percentage out of 340 NCAA D1 teams, and that was before last night's debacle."

You can't win if you can't make shots, and this has been the same problem for KD for the last 4 years.  The dukes try to compensate in other areas like defense, and post play, but that can only carry you so far.  It comes down to this, he needs to recruit better players who can shoot as well as defend.  There are a couple freshman players who have shown potential, but have not proven themselves to be consistent.  What you would expect from most freshman.  In my humble opinion KD should be looking at the best transfer players he can get.  In today's world it is the best way to rebuild. 
 

FAM wrote:

Pistol - Excellent Post

Levon- Not beating up Hughes - However... I have said every year that Hughes has played here that his emotions are out of control, Coach accepts it, and it hurts the team. All are facts

Go Dukes

KD has trouble controlling himself   so go figure.

Pistol - Excellent Post

Levon- Not beating up Hughes - However... I have said every year that Hughes has played here that his emotions are out of control, Coach accepts it, and it hurts the team. All are facts

Go Dukes

I agree with most of you guys, especially CLK and 81', and after a morning discussion with my good friend the GMan, let me reiterate a couple of points that fall on KD's doorstep:
1. KD, in the last recruiting class said "we've addressed length" (correct) and "we've address shooting"...I call bullsh.. 
2. As GMan has pointed out in 4 years our best 1 or 2 guard recruit was Sin, let's face it.  And when the other PG's you recruit are called Evan Buckley,  Brandon Wade and Belechik (as Iron Duke calls him) then you have failed at bringing in any competition to SC and you end up having to kiss his ass and put up with his dissatisfaction - and also offer his brother who had no other offers a scholie.  I do still think Acuff can be a good player, but I question his quickness too - like someone else posted.  GMan said he'd like to see us recruit some guards at the 1 and 2 out of NYC, Philly, Jersey or DC and I wholeheartedly agree with him.  KD has limited himself to the Michigan and Ohio areas it seems to me, look at who the one guy we signed for next year (and the kid seems to me like a Jett except 2" taller), and that leads me to point #3.
3.  I've said this before and I'll say it again, this coaching staff may need a shake-up to expand recruiting areas and bring in a fresh perspective on talent evaluation and game strategy at a minimum.  KD crows about how long his staff has been with him and fellas that is not necessarily a good thing.  You don't want a turnstile of assistant coaches, but you don't want the same faces for 2 decades either - they get too comfortable!! 
4. KD deserves to start taking some the heat.  Everyone is dealing with the same issues in the conference and this is year 4 for KD.  When have we recruited quality guards at the 1 and 2 other than SC??? We were supposed to have a lock down shooter in Jett and he can't see the Court.  We've never recruited anyone better than Marcus and Mike who were brought in 4 years ago, other than EWilli

I believe we are in the bottom 4.  Folks were upset at the beginning of the season on where we were ranked in the A-10.  Obviously, the A-10 ranking was correct.  I can almost accept the missed shots.  Teams pack it in so we can't get to the inside which is our strength and we can't shoot from the outside.

There is NO EXCUSE for the following:
-The lazy passes-
-The 5th year senior still being a head case, the coach never controlling him, and the impact on the game.  I wonder if the freshmen coming up...and we know who...will take the same path.

Article in Tribune-Review Today Says it All: Michael Hughes ejected in Duquesne's loss to La Salle

stew wrote:

Very discouraging,we are looking at a major rebuild next year unless Dambrot gets lucky bringing in quality
transfers at both guard positions.I dont think Acuff is the answer,doesnt seem very explosive.I need
a heavy dose of mind altering drugs after watching a team committ over 20 turnovers and  still win by 20.
It cant get much worse.

As I pointed out earlier, 20 turnovers at only 75% of the game!
 

El Presidente wrote:

Often wondered why a great shooter like Micah, who was in the business of working to develop players shooting skills, couldn't be employed in some fashion by Duquesne. There was no finer 3 point shooter than Micah. Didn't he shoot over 50% from beyond the arc maybe his junior year? Someone can correct me if I have that wrong.

56% in 2013-14, the best single season percentage in NCAA history. He's 4th best ever for his career. I didn't know he ran shooting camps, but we could certainly use that knowledge. Unfortunately I don't think it can be this season as I expect we are at the maximum number of coaches. You can have unlimited "consultants" but they aren't allowed to work with the players directly.

I agree with the judge and the president. In the immediate aftermath of such an ugly loss it's hard to not be down on the team. I do like the pieces we have though (including the coach).

If even just Weathers and Hughes could get it going in the same game we can beat anyone in the A-10. If the outside shots are also falling that game we can compete with just about anybody. The preview Phoenix posted said LaSalle was one of the most schizophrenic teams in the country, but we weren't far behind. You'd expect that from true freshmen. Even the fifth year seniors seems to come and go though. Weathers and Hughes seem to alternate who takes over games and TDM is still as streaky as ever.

The talent is definitely in place. The coaches have done a good job assembling a team as talented as any in the conference. They did a great job reassembling it on the fly after the departures. They need to take that next step and bring it all together.