2000-01 record: 9-21; 3-13 in A-10 (10th) Final Ranking: NR Postseason: None. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Smith 15.2 ppg | Rebounds: Smith 5.7 rpg | Assists: Forney 2.0 apg | FG %: Hunter 49.1% | 3pt %: Smith 36.2% | FT %: Smith 80.3% 00-01 Stats: Duquesne | A-10

		Tuesday, Oct. 30 The single biggest key for Duquesne will be the power of the players' belief. The Dukes have not really believed in themselves and what they are doing with any consistency or longevity. Without that fundamental belief they can be competitive and win, it won't matter that Wayne Smith and Kevin Forney can play. Danny Nee's biggest challenge will be between his players' ears.

Outlook
Frankly, it's not good. The Dukes won just nine games last season, and only one starter returns for the beginning of the Danny Nee era. But that starter is a good one, 6-foot-7 senior forward Wayne Smith, who averaged 15.2 points and 5.7 rebounds last season.

How inexperienced is the rest of the roster? Smith, with 1,377 career points, has scored more points for Duquesne than the rest of the team combined. That number is skewed just a bit by former Loyola (Md.) transfer Jamal Hunter, who scored 310 points at his former school. And Hunter ought to have much to say about the Dukes' competitiveness this season.

Hunter is the guy who was averaging about four points a game when he absolutely went off down the stretch last season, reaching double figures in seven of the last eight games, eclipsing his Duquesne scoring high four times, and averaging 14 points. Hunter had erupted before, too, scoring 27 and 26 points as a Loyola freshman. If Hunter finds another hot streak this season, and Smith produces even more than 15 points per game, and 6-10, 225-pound freshman Simplice Njoya lives up to his status as a national top-100 recruit ... the Dukes still might win more than 10 games. But at least they could offer more competition to their league foes.

Other key players ought to be 6-4 junior guard Kevin Forney (9.1 ppg), 6-5 senior forward Aaron Lovelace (5.4 ppg) and 6-5 junior forward Brad Midgley (4.6 ppg).

What we like: Smith and Njoya, a native of Cameroon, could give the Dukes a solid 1-2 frontcourt punch -- if Njoya is ready to contribute immediately. Hunter is a streak scorer who might have turned the corner and become a dependable contributor late last season.

What we don't like: One starter returns? The next-best player is the very definition of streaky? The third-best player could be a freshman? Sounds like a rough year.

The bottom line: Nee inherited a tough situation from former coach Darelle Porter, and surpassing last season's nine-victory total won't be easy.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Wayne Smith	Sr.	F	6-7/220	PTS: 15.2 | REB: 5.7 | AST: 1.8
Kevin Forney	Jr.	G	6-4/180	PTS: 9.1 | REB: 2.7 | AST: 2.0
Aaron Lovelace	Sr.	G	6-5/210	PTS: 5.4 | REB: 3.2 | AST: 0.6
Jamal Hunter	Sr.	G	6-5/185	PTS: 5.9 | REB: 1.3 | AST: 0.7

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Courtney Wallace	G	6-4/210	PTS: 16.6 | REB: 4.7 | AST: 3.3
Chuck Stanfield	G	6-4/190	PTS: 7.5 | REB: 4.3 | AST: 1.1

Duquesne Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Simplice Njoya	C	6-10	Cameroon/The Masters School (N.Y.)
Aly Samabaly	G	6-3	Mali/St. Vincent-St. Mary's HS (Ohio)
Tyler Bluemling	G	6-2	Pittsburgh/Mt. Lebanon