By Chico Harlan

Staff Writer

Not everyone can profess to have a buddy who plays Division I basketball. Then again, not everyone would agree that Duquesne qualifies as a Division I program.

All kidding aside, the Dukes lost four starters from last year’s team that went 9-24. They did, however, recruit one sharpshooter named Tyler Bluemling. Earlier this week, the Duquesne freshman sat down to answer a couple questions about basketball, video games and a free-throw streak of Ruthian proportions.

I know you’re a pretty big college basketball fan.

Oh, yeah.

What about the average player on your team? Duke-Maryland on Thursday night, how many guys were watching?

Everyone was watching that one.

What about watching other teams in the Atlantic-10?

Most of us like to watch those games when we can. We have a satellite for our locker room, so it’s not tough to keep up with what’s going on.

Is the A-10 as depressing as it looks on television?

Haha. Yeah, pretty much. We played a game up at St. Bonaventure and that place was like a high school gym. Nothing in the A-10 compares to a place like Cincinnati (where Duquesne lost earlier this season, 74-41). That place was crazy.

Have you played March Madness 2002 yet?

Yes. And I’ve been tearing it up in that game.

Are you in that game?

Yeah. I love being myself. Of course, I’m a little disappointed with my rating in that game. We’ll have to work on that for next year.

How does that feel, though — to be in a video game? Now you’re on the same scale as Tony Hawk!

It’s pretty cool, actually. I just won the tournament with Duquesne, a big upset over Wake Forest. But I’ve been playing the computer mostly. None of the other guys on the team are ready for me yet. They can’t hang. We always take a PS2 on road trips with us, but we play NCAA Football or Madden.

You’re pretty damn good at free throws, huh?

Oh yeah.

Most free throws you’ve ever made in a row?

62.

What’s the dumbest question a member of the media has ever asked you?

Oh, some guy asked me, and I can’t remember the exact working of it: ‘You’re not shooting the ball very well. Are you going to keep shooting?’

What did you say?

‘Well of course I’m going to keep shooting. That’s what I’m here for.’

Honestly, what do you guys think about the media?

Well, we haven’t been playing too well lately. So sometimes the questions get pretty annoying. A lot of the times guys will just laugh about it because they’ve heard the same questions again and again.

Duquesne is hosting the first round of the NCAA Tournament this year, right?

Yeah.

Any chance you guys will be in it?

Maybe if we can get our act together. Most likely we’re going to have to win the A-10 Tournament but who knows, maybe we can surprise some people. (Translation: No).

Do you get free tickets if you don’t make it?

No, and I’m pretty disappointed about that.

What about a new arena? It seems like every other team in town is getting one.

The Palumbo Center (where Duquesne plays) actually is pretty nice. But it would be even nicer if we could get some people in it.

What about homework and stuff for school? Honestly, how much time do you have for it?

It sucks. I’ll wake up at 7:30 to make it for our meeting at 8:15. Then it’s off to classes, and maybe I’ll have 15 minutes in there for lunch. Then I’ll be at practice from 1:30 to 4:30. Most nights, we’ll have about one or one-and-a-half hours to study — if you choose to do it. Some guys sure don’t.

How many classes would you guess you missed last semester?

I didn’t miss too many last semester. But this semester I’ve already missed four or five, and it’s only two weeks in.

Now that’s a downside. What is the best part of playing college basketball?

The shoes. We get so many pairs of free shoes. This year, they’re basically just plain Adidases, but I already have like seven pairs. They may not be too good, but I’m sure if we improve, so will the shoes.

No. 1 Duke (-12) at Boston College

ESPN, Thursday, 9 p.m.

Trying to stop a losing spell against Duke is like trying to cure cutaneous Anthrax with a bubble bath. The Eagles, losers in three of their past five games, now hope to defeat the top-ranked team in the nation to avoid falling any farther in the polls.

The task may be a bit easier with a healthy Ryan Sidney, who dropped 16 points and 12 rebounds on Big East-bottom feeder Virginia Tech. Of course, the Hokies are the inverse of the defending champ Dukies. Duke has started four of the past five seasons with 16-1 records. Expect that to be 17-1 by midnight.

Bluemling’s Pick: Duke, 92-76

No. 17 Stanford (+4) at No. 13 UCLA

FSNY, Thursday, 10:30 p.m.

Those conceited folks from Los Angeles sure make no attempt to hide their athletic dominance. In the upper-right corner of the Bruin Web site is a chart detailing the national ranking of various varsity teams.

While the UCLA men’s basketball team sits at No. 13, it ranks eighth at its own school (behind No. 1 men’s volleyball, No. 2 men’s water polo, No. 3 women’s gymnastics, No. 3 men’s tennis, No. 5 women’s soccer, No. 9 women’s volleyball and No. 11 women’s diving).

A Stanford victory would drop the Bruins even farther.

Bluemling’s Pick: Stanford, 73-68

Virginia Tech (+14) at No. 12 Syracuse

ESPN Plus, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Virginia Tech is the perfect remedy for a sickly and struggling Syracuse team. The Orangemen returned from a two-game road trip with a pair of embarrassing losses in which they were outrebounded by a combined 47 boards.

Just don’t ask for sympathy from the Hokies. Virginia Tech carries an 0-6 conference record into the Carrier Dome, while ranking in the league’s bottom three in scoring offense, scoring defense, turnovers and free throws.

If one VT player could cause fits, it’s 6-foot-11 senior Carlton Carter, who averages 8.2 rebounds and matches up well against the trinity of SU centers.

Bluemling’s Pick: Syracuse, 72-55

No. 9 Illinois (-1) at Indiana

No TV, Saturday, 1 p.m.

A team in the top 10 against an unranked opponent? No contest, right?

Au contraire. In fact, with a 4-1 conference record, Indiana sits atop the Fighting Illini by one game in the Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers began their season rather sluggishly, dropping disappointing decisions to Marquette and Southern Illinois. They rebounded, however, during a recent four-game winning streak that included dispatchings of Michigan State and Iowa.

But as the ninth-ranked team in the country, Illinois certainly boasts an impressive rsum of its own. Guards Cory Bradford and Frank Williams should provide the needed talent edge to win at a raucous Assembly Hall.

Bluemling’s Pick: Illinois, 81-69

No. 25 Connecticut (+6) at No. 10 Arizona

CBS, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Rarely does one see an out-of-conference matchup between two traditional heavyweights this late in the season. Nonetheless, this game could provide an opportunity for the Big East to change its reputation as a mediocre conference this season.

Five Pac-10 teams — the Wildcats, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and USC — are ranked before the Huskies. Yet still UConn remains the only undefeated Big East team in conference play.

West coast bias? A ‘Zona victory would put that to rest.

Bluemling’s Pick: Arizona, 74-67

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Published on January 23, 2002 at 12:00 pm