Since we covered the highlights...now for the lowlights...
Special emphasis was put on men's basketball as it is the feature sport at DU.
Special emphasis was put on men's basketball as it is the feature sport at DU.
1. The collapse of the men’s basketball team. Losing three games near the end of the season to teams you beat by double digits earlier in the year – Dayton, St. Louis, and the tourney to St. Joe’s, was disheartening to say the least.
2. Along with that, the collapse keeps the Dukes out of the NCAA tournament as well as the NIT. Given the start and 11-0 run the Dukes had, most fans were expecting more.
3. The women's basketball team finishes on the "Last Four Out" list on both ESPN and collegerpi.com. Unfortunately, the Dukes don't dance, and are left behind in the NIT. Disappointing? Yes. Heck of a season? Absolutely.
4. The Dukes men's basketball team finishes 1-3 at the Consol Center, their home away from home. Most disheartening was perhaps the physical nature in which Xavier dominated the Dukes to close out the game in front of a sold-out lower bowl.
5. Duquesne lost an icon, Nellie King. While Nellie King will be most remembered for his work with the 'Buccos, what he did at Duquesne will be remembered.
6. The Dukes in front of their biggest crowds disappointed: the Dukes finish 1-9 in games watched by 5,000 people or more.
7. Shoegate. While it only resulted in a secondary infraction, the negative publicity as well as the distraction certainly hurt the Dukes.
8. Close game woes continue to bite the Dukes basketball team. The Dukes went 1-9 in games decided by 2 possessions or less, 0-6 in games with 7 lead changes or more.
9. The Dukes could not sell out the game vs. #19 Temple at Palumbo despite coming in with a 5 game win streak.
10. Halftime at the WVU game. It's the first home game hosted solely by Duquesne at the Consol Center, and it's your chance to make a first impression. Unfortunately, the halftime guest, Red Panda, does not perform with no explanation given. Following that, coming out of the half there was a delay and WVU was able to continue to warm up while the Dukes stood still before eventually being given one minute to shoot. Finally and most egregiously, the ball was incorrectly awarded to the visiting team - WVU - to start the second half. Ugh!
11. Duquesne elects a chiropractor, Vincent Morreale, into its Sports Hall of Fame.
12. The watch party for Dayton ends up being a non-watch party after the game is not televised as reported.
13. After Colin Dunlap leaves the Post-Gazette beat for Duquesne, the move downward in the press is noticeable. There is little to no coverage of the Dukes right now, with the only recent articles at all being of the Ron Everhart to Penn State rumors and interview.
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Thoughts? Omissions? Change of order?
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Written by Rogabee.
