Dukes' 2008-09 Atlantic 10 Opponents

PITTSBURGH - A pair of NCAA tournament participants, and three NIT teams from a year ago, highlight the list of Atlantic 10 men's basketball opponents that will visit the Palumbo Center in 2008-09.

Xavier, which advanced to last year's NCAA tournament Elite Eight, along with fellow NCAA tourney team Temple join NIT participants Charlotte, Dayton and Rhode Island on Duquesne's 2008-09 home conference schedule. George Washington, St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis round out the home league slate.

The Dukes will travel to Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's and Saint Louis in conference play.

The Atlantic 10 - the second largest basketball conference in NCAA Division I with 14 members - will once again compete as a single-division league in 2008-09.

With divisional play eliminated three year's ago when Charlotte and Saint Louis joined the conference, each team will face every other team at least once. Each school will also be paired with three other schools which they will play home-and-home during the season.

In a change from the three previous seasons, Duquesne will face Dayton, St. Bonaventure and Saint Louis twice in Atlantic 10 play. DU had played Fordham, La Salle and the Bonnies home-and-home in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

The top 12 regular-season finishers will be invited to the Atlantic 10 Championship - to be played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. on Mar. 11-14, 2009.

Dates and times for the 2008-09 Duquesne men's basketball schedule will be released at a later date.