I have heard from several sources that Duquesne has significantly increased their funding of the program this year. According to these sources Duquesne spending is  in the top half of the League. Not in the top 4 or 5 by a wide margin though, but eual or better than most. So if Duquesne finishes in the bottom of the League it won't be because of funding.

This seems somewhat encouraging. If the budget is in the top half but not as high as the 5th, it couldn't be lower than the 7th. That is higher than I would have guessed. Unfortunately, I can't see the Dukes clawing their way to the top without moving up a few more places.

I can't help thinking that if they had taken the same approach to coaching compensation during the 2024 "search," the program may have put the positive momentum from the NCAA team & returning players to better effect. I suppose that the opposing argument is that those players may not have returned if Dru hadn't been hired.

I also think the men's program needs a GM. Not because it is cool, but because non-traditional player sourcing & contract management have become highly specialized skills that the average coach or assistant is unlikely to have.

CLK wrote:

I have heard from several sources that Duquesne has significantly increased their funding of the program this year. According to these sources Duquesne spending is in the top half of the League. Not in the top 4 or 5 by a wide margin though, but eual or better than most. So if Duquesne finishes in the bottom of the League it won't be because of funding.

This is not meant to be some ringing endorsement of the roster. But how many of us expected TG or JWill to have the seasons they had and who thought AWill would contribute like he did coming back? I know I didn’t  Point being, I have little idea what to expect from the transfers coming in and until they are playing A10 level teams, I won’t. 

The reality of the portal and NIL is that a Duquesne is going to get either Power 4 guys forced down or lower level guys looking to move up who the P4s are not interested in. And if the top tier mids,  like a Dayton, are interested in a guy, DU probably doesn’t have the money and pedigree to seriously compete.

What causes me more concern is that JWill is going B10 and Jacob to the SEC. No offense to either, but the fact that DU can’t hold guys like that from P4s, is a big problem. Again, not blaming the players, but guys would rather be secondary or role players elsewhere, for bigger money, than lead guys here. 

So, for the most part the roster will be built with guys moving down 2 rungs and guys hoping to keep moving up to  a P4 or big money mid.  Our best hope is the staff IDs lower level guys who do enough to keep moving up or guys who move down who produce but are content to finish out their careers here.  I have no idea if that’s what’s coming in. 

ACV81's comment about true freshmen brings up what is one of most intriguing parts of the whole mess that is college basketball. Remember when you'd get a freshman and say, "Hey, this Nixon kid could be something someday." It's even more recent than that, e.g. David Dixon. But now I guess the fear is that a player might develop, then take his talent elsewhere, e.g. McConnell or even Necas. So what do you do? Have a contract? God, it gets worse with every breath.