Most college basketball programs would love to have the history and prestige of the Duquesne Dukes. In fairness, cheap Duquesne basketball tickets have been easy to find in recent years, with the program struggling to make much noise on the court. But the Dukes were once one of the top programs in the country. That history continues to make the program relevant, keeping last-minute Duquesne basketball tickets in high demand for fans who want to get a glimpse of history.

Lead Chick

The glory days of Duquesne basketball were in the 1950s, but they were made possible with the help of longtime coach Chick Davies. He coached the program from 1924 to 1948, coaching the Dukes to a winning record in all but one of those seasons. During the 1939-40 season, Duquesne was 20-3, reaching the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and being runner-up of the NIT. Over his 24 seasons with the Dukes, Davies posted a record of 314-106.

The Real Dude

In 1948, Davies passed the torch to head coach Dudey Moore, who oversaw the golden era of Duquesne basketball. In his 10 seasons, the Dukes finished fourth or better in the NIT on five occasions, including the program’s first NIT championship in 1955. Moore’s tenure also saw Duquesne reach the no. 1 ranking in the polls and become the only program to produce the top overall pick in the NBA Draft in consecutive years, Dick Ricketts in 1955 and Sihugo Green in 1956.

Out of the Dark

After the Dukes excelled under Moore in the 1950s, Duquesne had moderate success under Red Manning in the 1960s and early 70s before entering a dark period late in the 20th century and the early 21st century. The program’s most-recent NCAA Tournament appearance came in 1977. However, all hope is not lost, especially after Keith Dambrot took over as head coach in 2017. During the 2019-20 season, Dambrot led the Dukes to their first 20-win season in over a decade, creating optimism for the future of Duquesne basketball.