McAllister Achieves Qualifying Score

Over the past two seasons, the Duquesne University men's basketball team has made do with a point-guard-by-committee approach. Those who watched Devon Montgomery at Pepperdine, the last true point guard (1999-2000) on the Dukes roster, clearly saw what was missing from the quintets coaches Danny Nee and Darelle Porter had placed on the court.

Coach Nee seemingly solved that problem when Western PA's top senior, Bryant McAllister, committed to the Pittsburgh school last August. As McAllister concluded his senior competition, a season that surprised many as he led the Titans to the Pennsylvania State Finals, he was still waiting for a qualifing score on the SAT exam. Nee and company must surely be breathing easier. On Saturday, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Dave Mackall wrote that McAllister achieved more than the minimun score required, he got an 860, and therefore will be eligible for his freshman season.

McAllister averaged 20.7 points, 5.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game as a senior. Both Pittsburgh newspapers, the Tribune-Review and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him the Player of the Year.

McAllister had eight points, five steals, three assists and three rebounds for the Western Pennsylvania all-stars in the Friday, April 5th Rising Sun Classic as his squad topped the Eastern Ohio All-Stars 128-115 at New Castle (PA) High School. He also competed in the Fourth Annual Pittsburgh Hoops Classic the following day.

Also, Duquesne announced on Friday the signing of juco big forward Ronald Dokes who verbally committed to the Dukes in January.

An unknown remaining for the Red and Blue is the academic status of Lijer Kamdem, a Cameroon native who spent this past season at Elizabeth Forward High School in the Pittsburgh suburbs. This was Kamdem's first year in an American school.

But back to the good news. The Dukes now have a crucial ingredient that has been missing, a true point guard. And Coach Nee's recruitment of Dokes, Kamdem and juco center Derek Ahern will answer another critical need - players who can handle the tough inside play in the Atlantic 10 Conference. (Note: Ahern, who has been troubled by injuries since he left DeMatha Catholic High School, is scheduled for surgery next month to address injuries that limited his play at Palm Beach (FL) Community College this past year.)