No. A10WBB doesn’t get an at-large bid without playing (and winning) games like those. The schedule had to be that way unless we were planning to settle for running through the A10 and nothing more. Dayton does it frequently as well, they were also less fortunate with it this year.

It also shouldn’t matter one way or another for a good team. Maybe these seniors aren’t/weren’t ready to lead? I don’t know. I’m not sure what is different this year other than starting with a couple of injuries. I like to think that having CR healthy in those games would have made a difference for the team. It sure did today.

Last edited by Face (1/13/2019 7:21 pm)

Interesting post, johnnycoach. Dan Burt is a basketball coach -period. I want him here as long as he wants to be here. He has difficult decisions to make each game with his guards. When he puts his best offensive players on the floor, it usually means that he has his worst defensive team on the floor. When he has his best defensive team on the floor, the offense suffers. Libby is getting 30+ minutes because she can play both offense and defense. Kadri plays due to the same reason. Everyone else has a unique strength as either an offensive oriented player or a defensive oriented player. So, it makes sense that Coach adjusts during games and looks to find some balance. I agree that Chas should get far more minutes because she thinks the game better. Connor should play because of her defense and if she gives 8 points or better, the team has a fighting chance to win. The other forward has to be who is giving Coach the most. Paige, Laia, Halle,Angela, Eni - it would be nice if one of them steps up big. At this point in the year, you would like to be settled, but Coach is going to earn his money this year in figuring out things game by game.

When the 2018-2019 schedule became available, I expressed concerns about opening the season on the road against teams like TCU and Texas and got some flack.

Perhaps we can agree on this- It's GOOD to schedule teams of that caliber DURING the non-conference season, but STARTING the season against them, on the road, was a recipe for 2 losses.  

The problem (as stated then and stated now), was Duquesne lacked the ATHLETICISM and TALENT level to compete at both ends of the floor.  The OFFENSE the Dukes play was disrupted by TCU and Texas due to Duquesne's lack of quickness and it became an overwhelming challenge to score points.

I believed then and believe now- those two opening losses totally rattled Duquesne's seniors (especially the guards) and they have never recovered.  All of you have posted reasons for the (up till now) poor season- lack of confidence among the players, lack of leadership, simply poor shooting, etc.  They are all valid.

Duquesne- loaded with skilled veterans coming off an excellent 25 win season seemed poised to make a serious NCAA run, but remember - this was/is a skilled NON-ATHLETIC team that lacks PHYSICALITY and I predicted those two losses before the season started.  We don't know what options Dan had in scheduling, but I think those two losses (and the way the team lost them), had a severe impact on the team's confidence level which has continued to plague them.