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Monday, November 04, 2002

By Ray Fittipaldo, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Coach Danny Nee, like the fans of his Duquesne basketball team, was anxious to get a first look at his new backcourt tandem in the Dukes' first exhibition game yesterday against Latvia Select.

	Bryant McAllister slides in for two points vs. Latvia Select in Duquesne's 109-94 exhibition win at Palumbo Center. (Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette)

Senior Kevin Forney and junior Jimmy Tricco will be two of the main point producers for the team this season, but they watched the game from the bench in street clothes.

Tricco, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Gonzaga, sat out with back spasms. Forney, a 6-4 senior, served a one-game suspension stemming from a team rules violation in the spring.

So Nee inserted freshman point guard Bryant McAllister into the starting lineup and shifted Elijah Palmer to off guard and was pleasantly surprised by the results in a 109-94 victory at the Palumbo Center.

"I felt a little vulnerable going in without Jimmy and Kevin," Nee said.

"They're our starting one and two guards. I thought we did a nice job under adverse conditions. We played well without Jimmy and Kevin, and I didn't know if we could."

McAllister, of West Mifflin, played confidently in his college debut, scoring eight points with six assists and four turnovers. Four players scored 20 points or more for the Dukes.

Senior Brad Midgley and junior forward Ron Dokes, a junior-college transfer, each scored 21 points. Sophomore forward Simplice Njoya and Palmer, also a junior-college transfer, each had 20. Dokes and Palmer added 13 and 10 rebounds, respectively.

Tricco got an injured back in a scrimmage Saturday. Nee hopes he can return to practice by Thursday.

Forney's suspension also was a surprise, because he had forgotten about it until his assistants reminded him before the game.

But it gave Nee a glimpse of the future. McAllister is the point guard of the future. Nee said he is going to bring him along slowly early in the season, a luxury he can afford since Forney has been playing so well in practice.

"He was OK," Nee said. "I didn't like the turnovers. I forget that he's a freshman. Simplice is like a freshman, too.

"Those two really need time to play. I need to have more patience with those two. [McAllister] will be a freshman this season. I don't want to put him right into the cooker. He's our point guard of the future. I just want to ease him into it."

NOTE -- Sophomore guard Tyler Bluemling turned his right ankle with less than a minute remaining and could miss some practice time this week.