The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 111 is Duquesne basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Duquesne basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 1
- Elite Eights: 2
- Sweet 16s: 2
- NCAA wins: 5
- Bids: 6
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 13.8
- Bids per season: 0.05
- AP Polls: 91
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 5
- NBA players drafted & played: 14
- Conference Players of the Year: 1
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 2
- Conference tournament titles: 2
- NIT titles: 1
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Duquesne basketball
Duquesne basketball can thank its deep historical roots for coming in at No. 111 in our rankings of every D1 program.
We start in 1924, when Chick Davies took over as head coach. He held that post until 1948, winning 314 games and leading the Dukes to the 1940 Final Four – just the second year the tournament was ever played.
Even after the Davies era, Duquesne basketball continued to be a top team in the nation. Dudey Moore coached them back to the Elite 8 in 1952 and an NIT Championship in 1955 when it was still a major tournament. He also produced a few Consensus All-Americans in Chuck Cooper (1950), Dick Ricketts (1954 & 1955), and Sihugo Green (1955 & 1956). Duquesne had turned into a powerhouse in college hoops in the 1940s and 50s.
While that was the peak of the program, they still had some solid years to follow. Red Manning went 247-138 from 1958-74, taking them to the big dance in 1969 and 1971. They were often ranked in the AP Poll, even ranked as high as third in 1961-62.
But since the Manning era, Duquesne hasn’t been able to build anything lasting. They went to the NCAA Tournament in 1977 and had to wait until 2024 for their next trip. Head coach Keith Dambrot led them to an upset win over 6-seed BYU. It was the type of win that gave a little bit of a sigh of relief for the program.
While Duquesne wasn’t known for producing any outstanding NBA talent, Cooper made the Hall of Fame and held the distinction of being the first Black basketball player to be named an All-American and the first to be drafted by an NBA team (Boston). Point guard Norm Nixon played for the Dukes in the 1970s and ranks 35th all-time in assists in the Association.
So yes, before Duke came about, it was the Dukes of Duquesne who were an old-time blue blood. But it has been a long time since they’ve had anything substantial, and the program is dying to get back to the old days.