Duquesne Dukes Fan Forum » A10 Tournament Game Thread

BluffHunter · Yesterday 10:17 am

With a win over Rhode Island, the Dukes advance to the A-10 quarterfinals, where they’ll face another Rams squad—this time VCU. Duquesne last battled VCU on January 3rd, and a lot has changed since then. VCU has improved significantly, particularly on the defensive end, while the Dukes’ rotation looks much different.Back in January, Cam Crawford was still in the starting lineup and Alex Williams logged just 15 minutes. Lazar Milosevic was forced into nine minutes of action as both Dixon and Necas battled foul trouble. There’s also more at stake for VCU than just an A-10 semifinal berth. The Rams are currently on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and a loss today could jeopardize their chances at an at-large bid. This is a team that shared the A-10 regular-season title with Saint Louis, so the Dukes will need to be ready to go to war. Go Dukes!

TV Coverage on USA Network
Radio 104.7 HD2 with Ray Goss and Noah Buono

KenPom:
#128 Duquesne (18-14)(9-9)(1-0) (D1 Wins over #83 George Washington, #98 George Mason, #110 Davidson, #134 Rhode Island (x2), #139 Saint Bonaventure, #161 Richmond, #166 Fordham, #182 Queens, #227 Stony Brook, #235 La Salle, #280 Loyola Chicago, #295 Sacred Heart, #322 Loyola MD, #338 Niagara, and #343 Canisius. Losses vs. #286 Northeastern, #148 William & Mary, #139 Saint Bonaventure, #134 Rhode Island, #122 Saint Joseph's, #110 Davidson, #80 Dayton (x2), #73 Nevada, #62 Boise State, #47 VCU, #39 Saint Louis (x2), and #33 Villanova.)
#47 VCU (24-7)(15-3)(0-0) (D1 Wins over #52 South Florida, #56 Virginia Tech, #80 Dayton (x2), #83 George Washington, #98 George Mason, #110 Davidson, #122 Saint Joseph's, #128 Duquesne, #134 Rhode Island, #139 St. Bonaventure, #161 Richmond (x2), #166 Fordham (x2), #213 Samford, #235 La Salle, #239 American, #255 Saint Peter's, #280 Loyola Chicago, #306 Wagner, #338 Niagara, #357 Rider, and #363 Coppin State. Losses vs. #98 George Mason, #49 New Mexico, #39 Saint Louis (x2), #34 NC State, #32 Utah State, and #13 Vanderbilt.)
https://kenpom.com

NET:
#132 Duquesne
#44 VCU
https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings

Haslametrics:
#139 Duquesne - 73
#54 VCU - 82
https://www.haslametrics.com/preview.php?yr=&tid1=4391&tid2=5363&neut=1

BartTorvik:
#122 Duquesne - 75
#51 VCU - 83
https://barttorvik.com/trank.php?&year=2026&t1l=Duquesne&t2l=VCU#

2026 Atlantic 10 Tournament Official Bracket:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/atlantic10.com/documents/2026/3/7/26MBB_Bracket_Betterment.pdf

A10 Standings:
https://atlantic10.com/standings.aspx?path=mbball

Duquesne Preview:
https://goduquesne.com/news/2026/3/12/mens-basketball-dukes-advance-quarterfinals-of-a-10-championship.aspx

Betting:
Spread: Duquesne +8.5
Moneyline: Duquesne +295, Rhode Island -375
Over/Under: 150.5 (DraftKings)

Washparick4 · Yesterday 11:35 am

Going to be tough. We need some of that lock down D we had on occasion and making shots at a decent percentage from the field and line. Not to mention rebounding well and like last night minimal turnovers. Lot to ask but these guys can do it.

S.R.M. · Yesterday 2:17 pm

Getting extremely fired up for today's game. We need TG and Jimmy to play their best and we can win this game. VCU is looking like the best team in the conference over the last few weeks so we definitely need our A game today.

luckymcd · Yesterday 2:21 pm

This will definitely be a challenge; going against not only a very good team, but one that’s hungry to prove they belong in the NCAAs. The Dukes are definitely capable of knocking them off, but nothing short of our A game will get it done. The first game was a lot closer than the score indicates. Fouls could play a big part in deciding this one. So hopefully it’s a different crew than yesterday. I’m counting on a couple more days of Dukes attire, and with this one being against VCU I’m rocking the 2024 championship shirt today.

coffee · Yesterday 3:38 pm

Not going to be able to make this one... I just got a new grandson who will be a Duke some day!
Yell a bit louder guys since this big mouth can't be there.
Darn.. NB is calling the game with Ray. I was listening to Davidson's color guy. He was just as bad.

Last edited by coffee (Yesterday 4:00 pm)

DuqLaw95 · Yesterday 4:26 pm

Come on Guinyard you’re killing us with these bricks.

coffee · Yesterday 4:45 pm

Dukes looking good. Alex Williams is unstoppable but they just took him out.

Refs are calling fouls that just are not there.

Last edited by coffee (Yesterday 4:52 pm)

DuqLaw95 · Yesterday 4:59 pm

Two wide open layups missed. Something tells me the game will be decided by those inexcusable misses.

DuqLaw95 · Yesterday 5:11 pm

Wow. Just pathetic. The last 7 minutes of the first half was some of the worst basketball I’ve ever seen.

Feel bad for Dixon to go out this way, but he’s a Duquesne legend forever.

townsonkid · Yesterday 5:17 pm

My picture froze we were doing well, came back on minutes later, not so good and got worse.

Motor · Yesterday 5:49 pm

DuqLaw95 wrote:
Two wide open layups missed. Something tells me the game will be decided by those inexcusable misses.

How many open layups has Hall missed? How many open shots?
Different story if make’s those
Dang

Last edited by Motor (Yesterday 5:54 pm)

DuqLaw95 · Yesterday 5:53 pm

Motor wrote:
DuqLaw95 wrote:
Two wide open layups missed. Something tells me the game will be decided by those inexcusable misses.
How many open layups has Hall missed?
Different story if make’s those
Dang

I believe he’s up to 3 or 4 missed layups. And he just missed a wide open three. Just ridiculous.

Last edited by DuqLaw95 (Yesterday 6:03 pm)

coffee · Yesterday 5:55 pm

If the Dukes played like this yesterday, they would not be playing today. If they played like they did yesterday, they'd be winning today.

townsonkid · Yesterday 6:26 pm

Power out here, tree fell into transformer, caught a house on fire. Not a good night.

Last edited by townsonkid (Yesterday 6:26 pm)

coffee · Yesterday 6:48 pm

The Dukes could have won this one. VCU was NOT at their best.

To answer Ray’s question at the end of the broadcast:

For the 2026 postseason, the College Basketball Crown is the only alternative major tournament scheduled. They take 8 teams to Las Vegas and offer NIL money.

BluffHunter · Yesterday 6:53 pm

Duquesne had the opportunities and just couldn’t take advantage. Yes, there is something to be said about the officiating but that’s not the reason the Dukes lost. Thank you Dave Dixon for everything. Putting his body on the line time and time again for our university. One of Duquesne’s finest.

DuqBlue · Yesterday 6:55 pm

They fought hard and made it a game. I think Coach Dru progressed more this season.

I left. I am rooting for anyone but Dayton.

Last edited by DuqBlue (Yesterday 6:55 pm)

FAM · Yesterday 8:00 pm

Bluff n Duq Blue. I agree 100% with your posts.

NapaDuke · Yesterday 9:32 pm

OK, my take. I got back from the game with one of my best friends that is more rabid than me about DU BB , for over 55 years, but he never post. We both walked out with Norm Nixon that we both knew in college and took pics with him, so cool. BUT, So, let's remember, VCU was co-champs, and beat Dayton twice and beat St. L. And we just did our best to nearly beat them. The A-10 does deserves 2 in the NCAA, and if we won with our dismal record against VCU, then we then lost to St.L. VCU would only be NIT and only ST. L. in the NCAA. as the only A-10 team, meaning the A-10 only deserves one bid. Now, moving on to the Dukes this season, Dru is learning the ropes as a top coach. First, coach, figure out after you recruit players in the summer, who and why are the top 6 players you start next year, then find which players come off the bench, but only when the top 6 players can't play. Too much subs in these last two seasons, just kills the momentum. This was a great game for DJ's coaching. we played even, and at the end, just a few lucky breaks, and we could of won. Not a fluke, DJ took his team to the last minutes this time. I got a good feeling, he is getting a handle on "game time coaching". We nearly pulled this off. That fan base these last two games, (about 4000), the ticket office has all of their names and should reach out and offer an array of plans, and those cheap seats high up the Coop. If so many Dukes fans showed up these last two days, they may come on a game by game offer now, and the DU ticket office does have their names now. DU? Do some work.. This season ended as a good season. DU, and the coaching staff, build from this season. Go Dukes. AND, David Dixon, God Bless you, thank you for being a Duke. You are the best. A very noble man. God Bless you.

Last edited by NapaDuke (Yesterday 10:10 pm)

duq.dog · Yesterday 11:41 pm

It was pretty clear the conference was going to do everything in their power to protect their two auto-bids going into today and that is exactly what we saw. Did the refs cost Duquesne the game? No, but they certainly hindered it. Just so sick of seeing the same bad actors game after game (Red Face). Great teams find a way to overcome these obstacles. Good teams keep it close.

This Dukes team ended the season as good. I would say Dru met expectations for this year. Just a shame we never got to see this team play at their fullest abilities. The inability to find a consistent 5th starter is probably the largest contributor towards this team not being able to out-perform high expectations. Hall, Crawford, DiMichele, & Edwards couldn't figure it out for one reason or another. Along with a flat back-up center who comes back from a 6 game suspension as a quitter.

Where were the managers? Not one of them was on the bench. Am I missing a rule on this? 30 seconds into timeouts and you have the end of the bench scrambling to bring chairs out.

Good season overall. Very frustrating at times but I do appreciate Dru. Improvement from last and that is all I can ask for. Just worried some of these players will be very difficult to replace. Dave being irreplacable. Alex deserves his flowers too. Wish we got to see more of him, phenomanal player.

Last edited by duq.dog (Yesterday 11:47 pm)

BluffHunter · Today 12:06 am

NapaDuke wrote:
OK, my take. I got back from the game with one of my best friends that is more rabid than me about DU BB , for over 55 years, but he never post. We both walked out with Norm Nixon that we both knew in college and took pics with him, so cool. BUT, So, let's remember, VCU was co-champs, and beat Dayton twice and beat St. L. And we just did our best to nearly beat them. The A-10 does deserves 2 in the NCAA, and if we won with our dismal record against VCU, then we then lost to St.L. VCU would only be NIT and only ST. L. in the NCAA. as the only A-10 team, meaning the A-10 only deserves one bid. Now, moving on to the Dukes this season, Dru is learning the ropes as a top coach. First, coach, figure out after you recruit players in the summer, who and why are the top 6 players you start next year, then find which players come off the bench, but only when the top 6 players can't play. Too much subs in these last two seasons, just kills the momentum. This was a great game for DJ's coaching. we played even, and at the end, just a few lucky breaks, and we could of won. Not a fluke, DJ took his team to the last minutes this time. I got a good feeling, he is getting a handle on "game time coaching". We nearly pulled this off. That fan base these last two games, (about 4000), the ticket office has all of their names and should reach out and offer an array of plans, and those cheap seats high up the Coop. If so many Dukes fans showed up these last two days, they may come on a game by game offer now, and the DU ticket office does have their names now. DU? Do some work.. This season ended as a good season. DU, and the coaching staff, build from this season. Go Dukes. AND, David Dixon, God Bless you, thank you for being a Duke. You are the best. A very noble man. God Bless you.

Walking out with Norm sounds awesome Napa. Dave Dixon is a noble man.

StillatShales · Today 12:39 am

I'll post something later on that's more in depth. But the refs were terrible, full stop... completely one sided. At one point (red face) was just chit-chatting laughing it up with VCU's PG. Meanwhile they kept giving Dru warnings for being passed the coaching line. I literally wanted Dru to just loose his #$&@ but that's not him. The stoppage in play on the phantom out of bounds... the shot clock violation when it hit he rim... amateur hour. We didn't do ourselves any favors, but David Dixon deserves to be playing on Saturday, and the refs didn't think so.

phil95 · Today 9:08 am

I love Dixon & expect to remember him fondly for the rest of my days, but he isn't, in my opinion, any kind of Duquesne great. I find that talk mildly insulting to the all-time greats of yesteryear & dismissive of the stars of the last 50 years.

Zero all-conference awards, 6.5/4.7/.9 for his career, terrible A/TO numbers, endless foul trouble, & was never better than the 3rd best player on any team. That's not guy that belongs in the same conversation as Alston, Mike James, Ajax, Saunders, Dae Dae, Jimmy, TG, etc...

coffee · Today 9:28 am

I'll never criticize T.G. as being at fault, but if he had his normal game, the Dukes win. He was 1-7 and 1-5 from beyond the 3. It's hard to play his normal game carrying 4 fouls. Defenders could dismiss him driving to the hoop and stay in his face to guard the three.

Same with Dixon. He plays closer D and stays in the game more without carrying fouls.

I'm sorry but the A 10 refs were guarding VCU's tourney chance. Maybe some day we get the refs calling the close ones our way?

I'm proud of this team and staff!!! They've given us a team that is fun to watch an were in EVERY game this year..

Time to reload for next year.

Last edited by coffee (Today 9:38 am)

levon1975 · Today 9:36 am

I just want to take a moment to recognize the level of play we have seen from Alex Williams in the latter stages of the season and especially in tournament. Neither of our two opponents, URI or VCU had any answer for stopping Alex. Even double-teams in the paint with the Serb were ineffective. This is a very unique player, combining the great touch from 3-point land with the power and nifty moves around the hoop to punish defenders at the rim. There just aren’t many players like Alex in college basketball today.
I know he was still brushing off some rust in the early season after missing all of last season due to injury, but I am glad that he was able to display his unique blend of talent before his Duquesne career ended. Great work from Alex Williams and thank-you!
Is there any way we can find an extra year?