FanHouse Duquesne Dukes

Get ready for more bad puns regarding the Atlantic-10 and Temple this week. All because Temple takes care of Duquesne in the Atlantic-10 Tournament Championship game. It gives Temple a second straight A-10 Tournament title and their outstanding guard, Dionte Christmas the MVP for the tournament for the second straight year.

While Temple was not even discussed in the NCAA bubble scenarios at the beginning of the week, the Owls have a decent argument that they belong, simply beyond the fact that they won the A-10 Tourney. They have an RPI of 35 and went 2-3 against RPI top-50 teams including wins over Tennessee and Xavier. They also knocked off Big Ten bubble team, Penn State in Happy Valley. Not that the bubble teams care. They just wince at the fact that the Temple "stole" one more at-large bid

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Another spot on the bubble just popped. Duquesne knocking off Dayton in the second semifinal guarantees that the automatic bid for the A-10 will not come from the two presumed locks. It will be Temple versus Duquesne in the A-10 Championship and the automatic bid.

Xavier and Dayton still finish with solid computer numbers. Xavier has an RPI of 16 and ranked in the top-25. Dayton has a RPI of 22. Neither team should be at serious risk of being left out of the NCAA Tournament. That would give the A-10 three bids and one less spot for a bubble team. It has gotten a lot tighter.

Duquesne gets to the A-10 Championship game for the first time since 1981. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Dukes under third year coach Ron Everhart.

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Teams sitting on that bubble have a new concern. Xavier just went down in the Atlantic-10 semifinal to Temple. Teams like Arizona, Penn State, Creighton and San Diego State have just become the biggest Dayton fans. The Flyers face Duquesne tonight. The winner to face Temple in the A-10 final and the automatic bid.

The Musketeers are still a lock for the NCAA Tournament and Dayton is likely in. Just as the bubble had gotten a little loose with Rhode Island losing early in the A-10 Tourney, and now the A-10 may take it right back.

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Last year at this time, Duquesne University was dealing with major upheaval and tragedy following a shooting at a school-sponsored event. Five Duquesne basketball players were shot. Sympathy for the program was rampant. While, thankfully, none were killed, the injuries effectively ended one career, and another player filed a lawsuit against the school -- while still on scholarship.

A year later, Stuard Baldonado, the player who filed a lawsuit was suspended from the team indefinitely for violating the "code of student rights." What exactly? Turns out he decided that drug dealing was a good idea to fill the time in between his rehabbing, classes and practices.

Mr. Baldonado, 22, who did not play last weekend in Toronto because of academics and a long rehabilitation for bullet wounds in the left elbow and lower back, was charged with criminal conspiracy involving the manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance.
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Police said Mr. Baldonado acted as a lookout while another man crossed the street and handled a drug transaction. Police said the unidentified man then crossed back over to where Mr. Baldonado was standing and the two got into a taxi.

No drugs were found on Baldonado, but he was charged with conspiracy as his friend had two baggies with marijuana in them.

Last fall, five Duquesne basketball players were shot following a confrontation at an on-campus dance. One of the players has now filed a lawsuit against the school.

The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, says university officials did not take action once they knew of potential criminal activity. A doorman let two armed men into the dance even after their friend asked if the men would be frisked, according to the lawsuit.

"Rather than alerting the campus police who were present inside the ballroom about (the frisking inquiry), or taking other similar reasonable steps, the doorman simply responded that they would not be frisked," and allowed the men to enter, the lawsuit states.

From a civil liberty/personal freedom standpoint, it's uncomfortable to think that inquiring about what security scrutiny one faces should subject a person to heightened suspicion. On the other hand, it simply could be a reflection of the world today.

Stuard Baldonado, a JUCO from Miami, was shot in the arm, and is the one who filed. He remains on scholarship and on the team, though with a medical redshirt. Bet those practices might be a little awkward after this.

Previously on Fanhouse:
Whatever They Did, They're Sorry

This week in college basketball is an emotional one. You'l hear a lot about certain guys showing courage and guts, and a lot of players will pound their chests to show their heart. Compared to Sam Ashaolu, they're all little girls.

Ashaolu, who was shot in the back of the head on September 17th, has been cleared to return to on-court activity. No matter what happens, no matter how great anyone is, no matter what anyone accomplishes ... no team will have more reason to be emotional than the Duquesne Dukes. They're not celebrating a college basketball game triumph, they're celebrating life.

Just to stress this again... Sam Ashaolu had a bullet enter the back of his head. And he's coming back! I can't comprehend the size of the balls it takes to even think that's possible. I can't imagine the struggle he's gone through over the past few months. It had to have taken massive amounts of unwavering faith, courage, hope, and determination.

Now, Duquesne's going nowhere. This is not a very good team. They're 10-18 overall, and 6-10 in the Atlantic 10. Barring a miraculous run through the conference tourney, (which starts on Wednesday night against the favored St. Louis Billikens) they won't see a postseason tournament other than the A-10's.

But the fact that Sam Ashaulo (and that's not him pictured, by the way, but Duquesne pictures are rather scarce) can play basketball, the fact that he can go to classes, the very fact that he's alive ... it's the biggest victory anyone's had in college basketball all year long.