Where is the Buzz?

The Dukes are off to their best start since 1980 and they feature Shawn James, one of the best shot blockers in the country, yet few in Pittsburgh, besides die hard Duquesne fans, seem to be talking about the Duquesne Dukes. Granted there is some buzz about the Dukes, but tonight's game against UMass (the biggest home game left on Duquesne's schedule) has received a lot less buzz than last year's game against Rhode Island. Tonight's game is more meaningful than the URI game last year, why aren't more people talking about the Dukes or about tonight's game?

My theories:

1. The on campus shooting last year brought a ton of attention to Duquesne basketball. The fact that the Dukes were winning any games after the shooting, let alone stringing together multiple game win streaks garnered national attention.

2. Two years ago the Dukes were possibly the worst Division 1 team in the country winning only 3 games in Danny Nee's last year as head coach. The fact that the Dukes were so bad prior to last year made their 10 win season that much more noteworthy.

In my mind those are the two biggest reasons this year's Duquesne team is getting less buzz than last year's squad. Part of me wants to blame the Duquesne athletic department, but what else should I expect them to be doing? The athletic department can't force people or the media to talk about the Dukes, all they can do is provide the information to the media and make it as easy as possible for them to access that information.

I'll be attending the game tonight and I am hoping for a sizable crowd, but as I told Erik Gallant from MassLive.com I am not expecting a rowdy atmosphere. I hope Duquesne fans prove me wrong tonight.