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Home > Blogs > Flyer Connection: University of Dayton sports > Archives > 2008 > November > 12 > Entry
Flyers land local prize in Kavanaugh
Centerville senior center Matt Kavanaugh signed a national letter-of-intent with Dayton today, which not only gives the Flyers a quality big man but also keeps their streak alive of keeping top talent at home.
It started with Trotwood-Madison’s Chris Wright in 2007-08, followed by Dunbar’s Josh Benson (2008-09) and now Kavanaugh (2009-10). Thurgood Marshall’s Juwan Staten, who is just a junior this year, has already committed to the Flyers, too.
“It’s the third straight year, in my opinion, that the best player in the Dayton area has signed to play for the Flyers,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “You look at all the great Flyer teams of the past, and we’ve always had players from our own backyard playing for those teams. Matt will be another example of that.
“He’s not only an outstanding player, but a high-character kid. He comes from a great family and a program I have an unbelievable amount of respect for.”
With Josh Benson likely redshirting this year and Kavanaugh coming on board next season, the Flyers could have a potent inside one-two punch with that duo in a couple of years.
The Flyers are still hoping to land one more local prize in the 2010-11 class in Jefferson’s Adreian Payne, a mobile 6-foot-10 center with oodles of potential.
Centerville coach Jim Staley said Kavanaugh, who was 6-foot-2 as a freshman, was measured at 6-9 in stocking feet this season. He played in the backcourt while coming up through the youth ranks and still has those perimeter skills.
Kavanaugh, who averaged 20.3 points and 10 rebounds as a junior, appears to still be growing. He was measured at 6-foot-8 1/4 last year.
“I think he can play inside and out (in college),” Staley said. “I think his biggest strengths are he’s strong, he runs very well and he’s got good hands.
“He can handle the ball. We use him to beat presses all the time. If (opponents) are big enough, they’re not going to be quick enough to stay with him.”
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Comments
By tomacho
November 12, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Say what you will about BG X & O wise armchair coaches, this guy is doing a great job of recruiting. The current crop of Flyers is as athletic as any I’ve seen at Dayton (I’ve been a fan for 30 years). It’s been hard to watch guys like Mark Baker, Kirk Taylor, Romain Sato and Andre Hutson (amongst others) leave town. Any coach will tell you great players make coaches look great. Another feather in the cap BG. UD is a great school with much to offer. Our graduation rates and success for student athletes in the real world after sports is something for which we can be justly proud. Now we’re getting good kids with great talent to boot. Welcome aboard, Matt! Go Flyers!!!By joe
November 12, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
If Brad Brownell wonders why only a handful of fans show up for Raiders games this is why. The best local talent goes to UD. If you had a choice, who would you watch, the Flyers or the D-II Raiders? UD would dominate the high school league WSU plays in.By D-bag
November 12, 2008 8:18 PM | Link to this
UD ….. right state, right school. Notice there is no “W” there ….. just like the Raiders schedule. I hear they had to close down the WSU website because they couldn’t get three W’s in a row.By Kirk
November 12, 2008 8:41 PM | Link to this
Joe, D-bag: Then why don’t you play them? BAWK-bawk-bawk … BAWK-bawk-bawk …By Tyoe
November 12, 2008 9:28 PM | Link to this
I want to apologize to WSU fans for the lunatic fringe Flyer fans posting here. Trust me, most of our fans are reasonable folks. Please don’t pigion hole our fans.By mike
November 12, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this
tyoe is right, most flyer fans are good people. That said it is time for BG to win 22 games and get us into the tourney for 3 years straight. If we have some decent talent, he has got to “coach us” into 22 wins by playing to our strengths. I played on the same team with Mark and Kirk and those Dayton teams could have used them.By The General
November 13, 2008 12:56 AM | Link to this
I think WSU ranks in the top 1/3 in attendence for div 1 NCAA mens basketball. Yea, it’s only half what UD draws but there are another 200 schools that would love to have thier attendence. Look at the rankings on the NCAA website…Ohio and the entire region draw great numbers, except for Miami.By Bob
November 13, 2008 7:48 AM | Link to this
Great to have the home town guys filling the roster. Keep em coming BG!By 12penguins
November 13, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this
I have watched this kid for years and if he becomes a top flight college basketball player I will be stunned. He is a decent player with decent size, but certainly not big time. What is the big deal with recruiting local players? I thought the idea was to recruit the best players you could get. Who cares where they went to high school. Another okay kid for what appears to be a program intent upon mediocrity.By OVER - RATED
November 13, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
Thats all they will be chanting in the stands for this kid. Just like every other tall, uncoordinated kid that tries to play division one ball, he will FAIL…. Simply Fail along with Gregg Oden and the rest of those freaks of nature.By 12penguins
November 13, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
This is a nice young man and a decent basketball player. He is nowhere near the man/child that Oden was. He reminds me of a couple of other former UD players. Troy McCracken maybe.. or more recently Kurt Huelsman. He is a good kid and an okay player. Just not something you build great teams around. Likewise C Wright and Benson. I simply say, get the best kids you can no matter what area they are from. If this is the best UD can recruit then so be it, but it simply should not be. This get the best kid from our area thing is leading them to medicrioty. who started this stupid concept anyway?By I still disagree
November 13, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
He isnt Division I material anyways. Chris Wright is a man beast. This kid will never even size up to the players from the past you have mentioned. His game needs a lot of work and it isnt going to be fixed in four years. Its that simple. If this kid does make it through the first three weeks of college he will soon realize he needs to be playing for a team like Ohio Northern or another Division III school. He simply cant cut the mustard with any players in the Division I ranks. Maybe he should try NAIA.By Jeff
November 13, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Good luck Matt. Had the priviledge to see you play on my nephews baseball team and your attitude will get you far not only in sports but in life.By Ben
November 13, 2008 4:16 PM | Link to this
For those saying he can’t play, I guess that’s why he was also being recruited by Pitt, West Virginia, Purdue, Wake Forest, and Xavier. Those teams always take charity cases and never compete, don’t they? Also, UD doesn’t schedule Wright State because it’s bad for the rpi, and the bad teams on UD’s schedule don’t require a home/home like WSU wants, so UD gets more revenue from these bad games. If Wright State came to the table with a 1 year deal at UD then maybe you could talk about renewing the Gem CIty Jam. If not, it would only benefit WSU for that game to happen. Even when UD wins, it would lower their rpi, and would cost them a home game every other year.By Glen
November 13, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
James Cripe IIBy Glen
November 13, 2008 6:49 PM | Link to this
As much as I hate to say it, Wright State has been ranked better in the RPI than our Flyers for 2 of the past three years.By Ted
November 13, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this
Matt, these comments probably remind you of why you hate Xavier and it’s fans.