I can’t tell if this sarcasm or not, but I think Zach has done a good job covering the Dukes. More importantly he started doing it at a time pretty much nobody else was. As for him being a sycophant, it’s a hard line to walk as a journalist. It is true you need to be objective (except in editorials like this), but you also have to get in tight enough to get your story.

Last edited by CLK (3/24/2024 4:01 pm)

Deleted Post Notice

I have reached a point where either posters are going to be respectful and avoid blatant personal attacks or they will  be gone or I will pull the plug on this Board. I am too old and have no desire to play patrol boy. Please.

Last edited by CLK (3/24/2024 4:10 pm)

It took the trolls all of 20 hours to start to attack again. Sad. I intend to celebrate our Dukes for the next 47 years. Hooray for the Red and Blue.

Who are the high level coaches you seem to be referring to?  I really dont pay much attention outside of the A10 anymore.

I've pretty much settled in on Joyce being the next man up, and am looking forward to it.   IDK anything about NIL sources or whatever LeBron could have to offer, but I assume its good for the program.   

I would like to hear from Dixon, Necas, Barre, DiMichele, Rozier, Hronsky on their thoughts towards next year.  Be nice to see them at the Joyce presser this week.  I want to see a lot of Hronsky fade-aways next year.   :-)

Last edited by townsonkid (3/24/2024 7:01 pm)

phil95 wrote:

Did I write some place that I prefer a full-scale rebuild? I don’t recall doing so.

That is not what I want but, there are plenty of scenarios under which a new coach comes in keeps/gets to keep his preferred 4-6 returnees AND the overall roster ends up being even better than this year's. Duquesne is hot right now. This could happen!

I think there are some very attractive options to either methodology of enlisting the services of a new coach & that both should be explored. When was the last time Duquesne had multiple, great choices for selecting a new coach? Maybe when Satalin was hired?
How many times has a rookie head coach gone on to big success when his first head job was in the A-10? (I don't know but I'll bet someone on this board knows how to check.)

I also think we posters/fans should be prepared for 2-3 of the the returning players & at least 1 of the commits to not be a part of next year's squad regardless of who is coach. That is not because I have any inside info but because that is just the nature of today's college basketball universe.

For example, there is no way that Rozier, Nicholls, & the freshman PG signee are all going to be on this team at the same time. Similarly, the other present commit sustained a major injury & it would be no shock if he never made an appearance on The Bluff. That might not be right or nice but it is a fairly likely outcome.

Finally, even if DJ is the new coach, don't you think the last 4 weeks have earned him & his program a seat at the table where better players are on the menu? Can any of you comment on the relationship the Dru has with a player like Barba that has 3 years of remaining eligibility but has never really gotten a shot at playing time?

MikeR wrote:

phil95 wrote:

The source of this info also had some details of the very sexy details of what the LeBron camp is supposedly offering to lock the job down for DJ. Because the details of those details would expose the source, I am going to leave them out. Suffice it to say, during DJ would most certainly come with unusual benefits to a program like ours.

On another note, I think that many posters are discounting the idea that an outside candidate is likely to bring players from his current job as well as high school commits & the portal personnel that candidate has already been working. That could be a goldmine.

If many of the possible returnees (players and coaches) bolt because of a wholesale coaching change, what you are describing in your other note is a full-scale rebuild. Why would we want to do that at this point? It's more of a mine field than a gold mine.
 

I don't disagree with your notion that some of the players are going to transfer.  That is modern College basketball.  I do, however, think that Joyce is the best guy for the job.  My reasoning:

1.  I have pretty good intel that Joyce pretty much ran practice a lot of the time this season.  He has shown us that he is a good X and O coach which at this level is particularly important.  Obviously our defense will be good, and Joyce can bring in someone to run the offense, or keep McFadden on staff to refine things.  

2.  The connection with Lebron can only help us with the NLI.  In Keith's interview with Scott Van Pelt Keith essentially said that Lebron loves Dru and has a really hard time saying no.  That relationship is an unbelievable asset to the program.  

3.  Joyce isn't going to cost as much as some of the big name candidates mentioned as possibilities.  I don't expect us to have to pay him quite as much as Keith as this is his first gig.  This will allow more money for the staff formation, although I hope most of the staff remains.  

4.  I don't really think there are other great candidates I prefer over Joyce.  Joyce wants this.  It's his dream.  I think he is a safer bet than betting on a low major coach like Vermont's Becker or even poaching someone from the MAC like Groce.  I don't see us landing Chris Mack or ISU's coach or Bucky from Samford.  Even a Will Wade .  They are holding out for bigger jobs, more money, or staying put in a comfortable position.  

5.  Ride the momentum.  Let Dru do his thing.  He's extremely likable and clearly knows how to coach.  I am excited for the continuation of the Dambrot Era.  

This is all the good stuff about hiring Dru in one place. Well done.

Simms wrote:

phil95 wrote:

Did I write some place that I prefer a full-scale rebuild? I don’t recall doing so.

That is not what I want but, there are plenty of scenarios under which a new coach comes in keeps/gets to keep his preferred 4-6 returnees AND the overall roster ends up being even better than this year's. Duquesne is hot right now. This could happen!

I think there are some very attractive options to either methodology of enlisting the services of a new coach & that both should be explored. When was the last time Duquesne had multiple, great choices for selecting a new coach? Maybe when Satalin was hired?
How many times has a rookie head coach gone on to big success when his first head job was in the A-10? (I don't know but I'll bet someone on this board knows how to check.)

I also think we posters/fans should be prepared for 2-3 of the the returning players & at least 1 of the commits to not be a part of next year's squad regardless of who is coach. That is not because I have any inside info but because that is just the nature of today's college basketball universe.

For example, there is no way that Rozier, Nicholls, & the freshman PG signee are all going to be on this team at the same time. Similarly, the other present commit sustained a major injury & it would be no shock if he never made an appearance on The Bluff. That might not be right or nice but it is a fairly likely outcome.

Finally, even if DJ is the new coach, don't you think the last 4 weeks have earned him & his program a seat at the table where better players are on the menu? Can any of you comment on the relationship the Dru has with a player like Barba that has 3 years of remaining eligibility but has never really gotten a shot at playing time?

MikeR wrote:

If many of the possible returnees (players and coaches) bolt because of a wholesale coaching change, what you are describing in your other note is a full-scale rebuild. Why would we want to do that at this point? It's more of a mine field than a gold mine.
 

I don't disagree with your notion that some of the players are going to transfer.  That is modern College basketball.  I do, however, think that Joyce is the best guy for the job.  My reasoning:

1.  I have pretty good intel that Joyce pretty much ran practice a lot of the time this season.  He has shown us that he is a good X and O coach which at this level is particularly important.  Obviously our defense will be good, and Joyce can bring in someone to run the offense, or keep McFadden on staff to refine things.  

2.  The connection with Lebron can only help us with the NLI.  In Keith's interview with Scott Van Pelt Keith essentially said that Lebron loves Dru and has a really hard time saying no.  That relationship is an unbelievable asset to the program.  

3.  Joyce isn't going to cost as much as some of the big name candidates mentioned as possibilities.  I don't expect us to have to pay him quite as much as Keith as this is his first gig.  This will allow more money for the staff formation, although I hope most of the staff remains.  

4.  I don't really think there are other great candidates I prefer over Joyce.  Joyce wants this.  It's his dream.  I think he is a safer bet than betting on a low major coach like Vermont's Becker or even poaching someone from the MAC like Groce.  I don't see us landing Chris Mack or ISU's coach or Bucky from Samford.  Even a Will Wade .  They are holding out for bigger jobs, more money, or staying put in a comfortable position.  

5.  Ride the momentum.  Let Dru do his thing.  He's extremely likable and clearly knows how to coach.  I am excited for the continuation of the Dambrot Era.  

Drus brother Cam Joyce coached Cleveland St.Ignatius to a Ohio state lt championship.Quinn Woidtke
a player Duquesne offered for a 2025 scholarship looked good,didnt score a lot,played good defense.Very
strong 6-1 probably 190 lbs to 200 lbs. Starrting QB for the football team.

There is a huge amount of money at stake and NOBODY is getting in this league unless it. invites schools who can make Big East more money. This is money driven to invite Gonzaga.

Zach is a registered poster on this Board.  I will afford him the same privilege of any other poster a sparing him from personal attacks. Any ad hominin or perceived ad hominin attack will be deleted.  any repeat offender will l be lose their privileged to post on this Board. 

Prince of Pilsner wrote:

phil95, you claim to be a basketball referee, I'd like to see you in action.  Please post the next game you ref.  If not, it will be my loss.  

I think you have me confused with someone else. There is a poster with tons of experience that weighs in on these matters with great expertise.

While I have done some reffing on and off since the late 1980s, I am not our resident expert on that subject and haven't been certified anywhere for a long time. I don't recall ever mentioning my referee bona fides on this forum. Have I talked about being a ref? I don't usually bring that up because I have never done a lot of it and am bad at it. 

I must admit that I never got serious about it because I simply could not maintain my objectivity. I was the worst. I always found myself realizing after the fact that I had played favorites with players and gone hard on difficult coaches because I got caught up in the emotions of the game. I was diligent when doing the training, learning the rules, doing the continuing education stuff, etc... but I was/am the wrong guy for even semi-serious games. It's embarrassing but true. I have really enjoyed learning about being a ref way more than being a ref.

Once in a while I will do a game or 3 for kid's or church leagues when they are in a pinch. Those are more my speed.

Last edited by phil95 (3/29/2024 6:39 pm)

Going back to this topic, VBC wrote:
Back when the Big East was formed and we were invited to join I was glad that we stayed in the Eastern 8 which is now the A-10.  It was the better league at the time.  Villanova also was begging us to stay in the league which included teams that are now in the Big 10, ACC, Big 12 as well as the Big East.
From Wikipedia:
The core of the Big East formed when Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, and Syracuse invited Seton Hall, Connecticut (UConn), Holy Cross, Rutgers, and Boston College (BC). Holy Cross turned down the invitation, as did Rutgers initially, while BC, Seton Hall, and UConn accepted. Villanova and Pittsburgh joined the conference shortly thereafter.
So, no, we were never invited to join. St. John's tried to get us in but to no avail. Once Pitt was invited and accepted we were out. How could you not want to join the Big East now? The football schools are gone. Every Saturday afternoon, CBS broadcasts a Big East game. Over the last nine years, men's basketball teams have earned 42 NCAA invitations averaging 5.25 per season. Women's basketball is coming off its most successful season with five NCAA Tournament bids.
Oh yes, if they offer, we must go.
 

Last edited by KenOTR73 (4/01/2024 10:37 am)

luckymcd wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

How could you not want to join the Big East now? The football schools are gone. Every Saturday afternoon, CBS broadcasts a Big East game. Over the last nine years, men's basketball teams have earned 42 NCAA invitations averaging 5.25 per season. Women's basketball is coming off its most successful season with five NCAA Tournament bids.
Oh yes, if they offer, we must go.
 

Ask DePaul how they like being in the Big East. They've finished last 12 of the last 16 seasons, and still finished with a losing record in the other 4. I'm not saying we shouldn't go in the highly unlikely event the Big East invites us, but it's definitely not a no-brainer.

If you look at the total body of their work:
Location: Chicago, Illinois Coverage: 101 seasons (1923-24 to 2023-24)
Record (since 1923-24): 1516-1122 .575 Conference Champion: 2 Times (Reg. Seas.), 0 Times (Tourn.)
NCAA Tournament: 22 Years (21-25), 2 Final Fours, 0 Championships
NCAA Champion:Ranked in AP Poll: 11 Times (Preseason), 12 Times (Final), 156 Weeks (Total)

Their NCAA Tournament record blows us away. It tells me that their current administration has just lost interest. Kind of like us for 50 years. I'm sure their primary years of success were back in the 50's and 60's like us. In any case if our administration is serious about elevating our program then they should be proactive and put a presentation together and approach the B.E. honchos. If not, stay in the A-10.

Last edited by KenOTR73 (4/02/2024 8:39 pm)