Naturally, things are better. Whenever Duquesne decides to start over - something that happens about twice a decade - things always get better.
Before they get worse.
The downward spiral that has defined Duquesne basketball the past 25 years or so, has reached such ferocity that people have stopped expecting any one to come in and reverse the trend. Just stopping the slide would be sufficient.
The man responsible for starting over this time - Danny Nee - is not one who enjoys running in place. He tends to like to prefer moving forward. But at Duquesne, if you move forward, you must do so in small steps.
And so, if you go to the A.J. Palumbo Center, you go looking for little things; small signs that things are changing.
And the good news Wednesday night was there are a few, even including the sense that there is more enthusiasm, both among the players and the fans. And, for the first time in a while, that includes students.
In fact, behind each basket there now is something that somewhat resembles a student section. Ideally, these sections should be directly behind the backboard, so an opposing foul shooter would be staring directly at them when attempting a crucial shot. At Palumbo, however, the student sections are off slightly to the side, which dilutes the effect, but at Duquesne, it's the thought that counts.
And guess what⢠Last night, late in the first half, with Duquesne protecting a slight lead against Bowling Green, the students behind the basket started counting down the seconds on the shot clock, but in a deceptive manner. While they were shouting, "Three! Two! One!," there were really about eight seconds left on the clock. The Bowling Green shooter was fooled, however, and fired up an airball with at least six seconds to shoot. Honest, it happened just that way at Palumbo last night.
There also was the Dukes' starting lineup, which included two freshmen, Simplice Njoya and Aly Samabaly. Freshmen playing at Duquesne is no novelty, but these two are not just in because of a dearth of talent in the upper classes. These two you can envision growing into players of consequence.
Samabaly, for instance, had taken only seven shots all season, but last night he was ignored by Bowling Green's defense and so, he responded by hitting five of eight shots.
It was no surprise that Duquesne would lose, 64-62. Bowling Green (like a lot of teams on the Dukes' schedule) does not have a great reputation, but is a good team that plays in a tough conference. Duquesne, with senior leader Wayne Smith not at full strength, did not figure to win.
But what mattered more than the loss was the fact that Duquesne, despite falling behind by as much as 11 points in the second half, was able to battle back in the final minute to get within two. Moreover, the Dukes failed to hit on two shots in the final 10 seconds, either of which would have tied the game.
"What a difference Duquesne is from a year ago," said an impressed Dan Dakich, the Bowling Green coach. "They're more disciplined, tougher.
"Danny Nee has done a whale of a job in a short time."
"He knows what he's doing," said Brian Colleary, Duquesne's athletic director. "He's got a plan. He's got his way."
It is not a winning way - yet. The schedule is too tough and the talent too thin for that. But it will be a team worth seeing. A team that plays hard, and gets better as the season progresses.
Even Nee admitted he had to respect his team's effort. What they lack is the ability and poise to finish off a quality opponent down the stretch.
To get to that point, Duquesne will need to take a lot of small steps. It's a long, tough journey. The good news is, for once, you can imagine them getting there.
