John Heller, Post-Gazette Aaron Jackson accepted Duquesne coach Ron Everhart's challenge and stayed with the program. Click photo for larger image. Scouting Report Matchup: Northern Illinois (1-0) at Duquesne (2-0), 7 p.m. today, Palumbo Center. Radio, Internet: KQV-AM (1410)/redzonemedia.com. GoDuquesne.com Northern Illinois: Coming off an 84-69 victory against St. Mary's (Minn.) in which 6-11 James Hughes had 17 points. ... Returns two starters from a 17-11 team that was the Mid-American Conference West champion. Duquesne: Coming off a 77-76 victory against North Carolina-Asheville in which Scott Grote made two free throws with 1.3 seconds remaining. ... The most recent Duquesne team to go 3-0 was 1998-99 in Darelle Porter's first season as head coach. Hidden stat: Northern Illinois has made a 3-pointer in 222 consecutive games.

When Ron Everhart got the job of pumping new life into Duquesne's tired men's basketball program in the spring, he challenged the players on the team to show him how badly they wanted to be part of his rebuilding project.

Everhart had them running at 6 a.m. He worked them hard in the gym.

"He challenged us," said Aaron Jackson, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who bought into Everhart's thinking after exchanging a few loud words during a heated discussion with the coach.

"He told me it would take an army to get him to leave," Everhart said.

Five of Jackson's teammates left. He stayed.

"I'm playing with a lot more enthusiasm this year," said Jackson, the only healthy returnee from Danny Nee's 3-24 team. "I like being here. I like playing for coach Everhart. I'm going hard all the time."

Jackson had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a pulsating 77-76 victory against North Carolina-Asheville for his second consecutive double-double as the Dukes became 2-0 for the first time since Nee's first season in 2001-02.

The Dukes needed Scott Grote's two free throws with 1.3 seconds remaining to pull out a victory that seemed secure two minutes earlier when they had a seemingly safe 75-66 lead.

"We would have put our heads down and accepted another loss, but our coach wouldn't let us do that this year," Jackson said of Everhart, who rebuilt programs at Northeastern and McNeese State before coming to Duquesne. "And we didn't."

Duquesne plays Northern Illinois (1-0) at 7 p.m. today at the Palumbo Center.

Jackson is enjoying playing basketball for Everhart, who has given him more freedom to be creative.

"He's given me the keys to go to the glass," Jackson said. "Coach Nee didn't let me rebound. I was a rebounder in high school."

As a freshman at Duquesne, Jackson started 21 games and averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.

"I didn't know what to expect when coach [Everhart] came in," he said. "But I knew I wanted to play for him after I saw what he was doing. He told me I'd get a chance to play this year."

Jackson has emerged as the team leader and his versatility has earned him minutes at the point, shooting guard and either forward position.

Although Duquesne gave up inches and pounds at every position against Asheville, it held its own on the boards.

"Rebounds go to the guy who wants the ball the most," Jackson said. "It's not always the tallest guys who get them."

Duquesne will face one of the better big men on its schedule in Northern Illinois' 6-11 James Hughes. A couple NBA scouts are expected to be at courtside to watch Hughes, the Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-American Conference.

"It will be a big challenge," Jackson said. He smiled. "Just another challenge."

NOTES -- For the first time in the 31-year history of the Atlantic 10 Conference, a team rather than an individual was named player of the week. Duquesne, whose roster has been depleted by a shooting on campus, earned the first award of the season with wins against Youngstown State and North Carolina-Asheville. ... Stuard Baldonado, a 6-7 junior-college transfer who is still recovering from bullet wounds to his elbow and lower back, is waiting for certification form Duquesne so he can begin practicing with the team when he receives medical clearance. ... Freshman guard Stephen Wood missed practice yesterday with flu symptoms but is expected to be available tonight. ... Duquesne hasn't received a completed national letter-of-intent from 6-8 Jovon Moses.