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March 2009
Flyers to see BCS powers in Puerto Rico
Dayton bolstered its NCAA tournament credentials this season with a pair of wins over schools from BCS conferences, and the 2009-10 team will get a shot at pulling off that same feat in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Classic.
The tournament’s Web site is reporting seven of the eight participants in the November tournament: Dayton, Villanova, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas State, UAB and George Mason. The eighth team is expected to come from the SEC.
The Flyers will play three games in the event. Xavier won the 2008 crown, beating Missouri, Virginia Tech and Memphis.
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TweetAtlantic City keeps A-10 tourney
And the winner is … Atlantic City.
The Atlantic 10 will keep its men’s basketball tournament in the New Jersey resort town for the next three years, the conference announced today.
The tourney has been held there for the past three years. Dayton, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Springfield, Mass., also made bids to host it.
“The decision to return to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City provides a great opportunity to grow our marquee event and truly brand the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship,” Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said in a statement. “The facility is well-suited for this Championship, Atlantic City is a historic seashore resort, and the city has welcomed the Atlantic 10 and committed to host three more great years.”
Beginning in 2010, a new format will be in place. The top four teams will again receive byes into the quarterfinals, but the opening round games will be hosted on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams.
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TweetAldrich has his way with Flyer centers
Dayton center Kurt Huelsman fouled out while trying to do battle with Kansas’ Cole Aldrich. Back-up Devin Searcy didn’t fare much better against the 6-foot-11, 245-pound behemoth.
“We gave it our best shot,” Huelsman said. “He had a lot of blocks and stopped a lot of penetration because he just stood there and is so big and long. He also gave them a lot of offense right off the bat.”
Aldrich tallied inside buckets on his team’s first three possessions and finished with 13 points.
“He’s a load,” Searcy said.
Aldrich also had 20 rebounds and 10 blocks in one of the most dominant showings in NCAA history. It’s the first “official” triple-double in Kansas history and sixth in NCAA tournament play.
Dwayne Wade had the last one, getting 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 2003 against Kentucky. The official triple-double list only goes back to 1984 when the NCAA began keeping track of assists.
Aldrich’s triple-double actually was the third at Kansas — Wilt Chamberlin had a pair — and 14th overall in the tourney. But that doesn’t take any of the sheen off his feat. He turned the Flyers into a perimeter-shooting team, and as we all know, that usually isn’t easy on the eyes.
“Their defensive game plan was good,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “And obviously, when a talented team like Kansas sticks to a game plan, they’re going to be hard to beat. And that’s what happened.
“We maybe physically wore down at the end.”
Still, few expected Dayton to be better than last year after losing star guard Brian Roberts. Hardly anybody saw an NCAA berth coming. And probably nobody — nary a soul — saw UD advancing in the NCAA tournament.
The Flyers deserve kudos for a sensational season in finishing with a 27-8 record, and they have the potential to be even better next year since they lose just one player in Charles Little, although he’s been a rock for this program.
Gregory would be quick to point out that no one should assume they’ll be good again next year just because nearly everyone is back — it’s going to take work — but the returning players don’t seem like they’ll be shy about making the necessary commitment to reach even greater heights.
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TweetFlyers cheered on way to Metrodome
Dayton was serenaded by the UD pep band and cheered by lines of fans on the walk through the team hotel to the bus for the trip to its second-round NCAA tournament game today.
One fan held a sign that said, “We ‘Flyered’ up.”
The team had another police escort — sirens blaring — for the slow drive to the Metrodome, which is about one mile away.
The Flyers are huge underdogs against defending national champion Kansas, but Channel 2’s Hutch Konerman is doing his part to help the team succeed. He’s wearing his red and blue tie (UD colors), and he said the team is 6-0 when he’s worn it in the past.
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TweetGregory sits for Q&A
Dayton coach Brian Gregory graciously took time out of his game preparations for a one-on-one interview Saturday night.
Here are some of his remarks:
• On Kansas: “They’re really talented. You’re playing a team with two lottery picks (in Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich) — maybe not this year, but potentially.
• On the West Virginia win: “What we were able to do against West Virginia was be able to defend the way we defend.
“Since Rob (Lowery) has been out, that’s the best we’ve played.
“I maybe looked at the scoreboard six times all game. I didn’t even know what the score was half the time. The way we were playing, that’s all I cared about. I didn’t even know we were up nine. (The scoreboard) was up so high, you couldn’t even see it. I looked once and we were up seven. I said, ‘Hell, I’m not even going to look anymore.’
“You know how hard it is to make it (to the NCAA tournament). And as hard as it is to make it, it’s even harder to win a game. I think that’s underestimated.”
• On London Warren’s progression: “Maybe you have to be around a kid every day to understand what his make-up is, but with his competitive spirit, you just knew he was going to improve.
“Once he got to a point as a player where he was making a continuous impact during games, then his leadership was able to explode. The old theory is it’s hard to lead when you’re struggling yourself, and those first two years … his inconsistencies put a ceiling on how good of a leader he could be. But now that he’s so important and is playing so well, his leadership is able to come out even more.”
• On playing an elite team like Kansas: “I really think, as our program continues, these are going to be the games we’ll be playing. Someone said, ‘Well you can forget getting any one of these teams to play at UD now.’ But that’s not the case.”
• On his thoughts in the final minute of the West Virginia win: “I was just happy for our guys. Sometimes our flaws are glaring, but that win made people step back and say, ‘Whew, that team was pretty good.’ “
“One of my early thoughts was to go back to last year’s senior class. The (Jimmy) Binnie family was at the game. Jimmy’s still overseas (playing pro basketball), but his dad and mom and sister and brother came down. Those guys came here, him and Brian (Roberts) and later Andres (Sandoval), and believed in what we were doing without any evidence or proof. I’m like anyone else. You look at the regrets. I just wish they could have enjoyed something like this. And they would have (if Chris Wright hadn’t been injured).”
• On what the NCAA win will do for the program: “It remains to be seen, but obviously, it’s much easier to talk (to recruits) about where your program is going when you have some proof.
“We’ve had some big wins here. But those same wins in March are a lot bigger than in November, December and January.”
• On playing starters longer in the NCAA: “The timeouts last forever, and those guys get a little more rest. I don’t even go (in the huddle) right away. I give (the players) 30 or 40 seconds to do what they’ve got to do. I can’t talk that long.”
• On whether he feels secure in his job after getting a contract extension and winning an NCAA game: “I don’t think you ever can (feel that way) in this profession. And I don’t think I ever want to. … If you do feel that, maybe it’s time to get out. I think that’s a competitiveness that you do need in this profession.”
• On whether he’s allowed himself to think about a possible Sweet 16 match-up with Michigan State, where he served as an assistant under Tom Izzo: “No, but that would be a really hard game for me. Really hard.”
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TweetUD win could pit Gregory against Spartans
Dayton, an 11 seed in the NCAA tournament, will play third-seeded Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Sunday for the right to go to the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis. And if the Flyers pull the upset, coach Brian Gregory could meet a familiar school in Indianapolis.
Second-seeded Michigan State plays 10th-seeded Southern Cal in the other game Sunday, and the winners will collide in the regional semifinals. Gregory spent 10 years at Michigan State as an assistant.
• West Virginia coach Bob Huggins worked the officials relentlessly in the Flyers’ 68-60 upset.
“Keep their hands off of us,” he barked once.
During a TV timeout, he pointed to one end and growled, “That’s a foul.” Pointing the other way, he said, “That’s a foul here, too.”
Huggins kept a running dialogue with the supervisor of officials seated courtside near the Mountaineer bench, ripping the refs. And he was harsh on his players. As sub Cam Thoroughman walked by Huggins after being pulled, the coach screamed sarcastically, “WAY TO PLAY, CAM!”
UD coach Brian Gregory was animated on the sidelines, too. He made his points with the refs, but he conversed more than griped.
And he chattered constantly while walking up and down the bench. When West Virginia missed a wide-open man on an out-of-bounds play, Gregory turned to the scorer’s table and said, “Holy smokes.”
• The Flyers’ perimeter pressure rattled the Mountaineers. Da’Sean Butler, a second-team All-Big East pick, and Alex Ruoff, the school’s all-time 3-point king, were a combined 8-for-24 from the field.
That allowed the Flyers to keep Devin Ebanks under control. The 6-foot-9 freshman star — who worried the UD coaches because of his length and athleticism — finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“When you pressure the ball, you can make some mistakes behind, and they can’t see it,” Gregory said. “We made some mistakes, but our ball pressure was good enough to help us out. It’s like getting a great rush in football. If you’re getting pressure on the quarterback, the safeties can make some mistakes. And that’s how we play defense, and it worked (Friday).”
• The Mountaineers notched victories by lopsided results against quality opponents this year, winning by 36 against Miami of Ohio, by 28 at Ohio State and by 21 against Villanova. They also knocked off No. 1 seed Pitt on the way to the Big East tourney semifinals.
“We put in three or four different things to try to attack their pressure,” Gregory said. “I was very concerned. I’ll be honest. I watched the Villanova game and Ohio State game.
“We needed to execute better and finish (around the basket) better, and there was a game a couple weeks ago against Xavier where we did not do that well. I think we did a great job of that (Saturday). And that was a big key for us.”
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TweetWright earns teammates’ admiration
Big game. Big stage. Big-time player.
Dayton sophomore forward Chris Wright put together a virtuoso performance in a 68-60 win over West Virginia in the first-round of the NCAA tournament today.
With the help of some timely assists from London Warren, Wright had a career-high 27 points, many of them coming in transition. He also yanked down 10 rebounds and had two blocks.
“C-Dub was out there playing big,” Charles Little said. “He kept attacking the basket. He was boarding up. He was doing every thing for us.”
Marcus Johnson called Wright’s dunks “a big energy boost. I think our team gets excited, and it gets the crowd into it. But it’s nothing new. Chris has been doing that stuff all year.”
Wright said he was just heeding the advice of coach Brian Gregory.
“Coach has been getting on me all the time about rushing and being poised,” Wright said. “Today, coming into the game, I had a tremendous amount of confidence that I was going to execute well on offense.”
The Flyers, though, got contributions from a host of players — exactly what they needed to survive and advance.
“You talk about a total team effort. You go down the list,” Gregory said. “We don’t win that game without Mickey Perry. Stephen Thomas gave us a couple good minutes, just to settle us down.
“Chris played very, very well today. He was aggressive. I think he had three turnovers in the first 10 minutes and didn’t have a turnover the rest of the way. He really calmed down and played with the poise we need him to play with. It was good to see, taking what the defense gave him, being aggressive when he needed to be aggressive.”
Wright had four dunks, three of them in the second half that demoralized the Mountaineers.
“They kept getting closer and closer, we kept fighting them off, and those kind of plays are just heartbreaking to them,” Little said. “They think they’re getting close, they’re climbing back up. And then Chris drops the hammer. That’s deflating.”
The Flyers will face defending national champion Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The Jayhawks didn’t look all that imposing while struggling with North Dakota State in an 84-74 win.
After notching their first NCAA tourney win since 1990, the Flyers will try to make their first Sweet 16 appearance since an Elite Eight run in 1984.
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TweetFlyers win, advance to face Kansas
MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Wright had 27 points and 10 rebounds and Charles Little added 18 points to lead 11th-seeded Dayton to a 68-60 upset over sixth-seeded West Virginia on Friday.
The Flyers led by nine in the second half, had the lead cut to one, but then made clutch plays down the stretch for their first NCAA victory since 1990.
Little scored baskets on three straight UD possessions in the final 3:38 to lead the team to the win.
The Flyers (27-6) will meet defending national champion Kansas in the second round here Sunday.
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TweetFlyers holding on down the stretch
MINNEAPOLIS — Dayton has withstood West Virginia’s best shot and appears on its way to its first NCAA victory since 1990.
The Flyers led by as many as nine, had their lead sliced to one and then pushed it to seven again with 46 seconds left.
If they make enough free throws down the stretch, they win.
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TweetFlyers take five-point lead at halftime
Dayton is in good shape at halftime against the favored Mountaineers, taking a 33-28 lead into the locker room. The Flyers had a 30-22 edge with 2:50 to go in the first half but couldn’t quite sustain it.
Still, the Flyers are getting great play from Chris Wright, who has 11 points and knocked down a 3-pointer in the first half. Marcus Johnson has eight and Charles Little six.
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TweetFlyers competitive in early going
Dayton is hanging tough with West Virginia, taking a 16-12 lead into a media timeout with 11:15 to go in the first half.
WVU coach Bob Huggins is getting frustrated, screaming at the refs, “Keep their hands off of us.”
The Flyers will need to keep up their smooth offense and clinging defense to hang with the Big East power.
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TweetWright’s mother doesn’t want attention
I learned something before the game: Chris Wright’s mother, Ernestine Grigsby, isn’t interested in having the focus on her.
CBS-TV wanted to know where she was sitting so they could show her on in-game shots. She first said she didn’t want to be on camera, but after a little prodding, she finally relented.
Be prepared for lots of reactions from mom if Wright plays well.
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TweetFlyers get first police escort of season
MINNEAPOLIS — If the Dayton Flyers were wondering whether they playing in a big-time event, that ended when they were given a police escort to travel from the team hotel to the Metrodome for today’s game. The trip on the charter bus was less than a mile, but stop lights were ignored.
The theme on the bus was “40 minutes,” as is in 40 minutes of relentless effort and 40 minutes will decide if your season is extended or if it’s time to turn in your uniforms.
You’ve probably seen by now that President Obama picked West Virginia to beat Dayton on his March Madness bracket. And in an ESPN poll, 83.1 percent of the nation chose the Mountaineers to win.
The Flyers will have 40 minutes to prove those naysayers wrong.
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TweetFlyers’ team-first approach pays off
The Dayton Flyers have taken a Three Musketeers approach to the season — you know, all for one and one for all — and it’s certainly paid dividends.
The players managed to put their egos aside while using a 12-man rotation for much of the season and they still earned individual accolades — Chris Wright was second-team all-league, while London Warren made the all-defensive team and Chris Johnson the all-rookie team — and reached their team goal of an NCAA tourney bid.
“It’s the best practice team I’ve ever been around because they’re so competitive,” UD coach Brian Gregory said.
“To play those (12) guys, you have to have an unbelievably unseflish group,” Gregory added. “They sacrificed a point or two on their averages for what’s best for the team, and that’s why I was so happy when our name was called (for the NCAA tourney). In this day and age, what our guys did, you don’t see very often.
“Two things happened that made it a little easier at the end of the year. We had the most postseason awards in the Atlantic 10 than any team at Dayton … and then to get the tournament bid as well. We were one of only four at-large non-BCS schools. And when the stuff you’ve been preaching pays off, there’s some tangible evidence that what you have been saying does work.”
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TweetFlyers don’t need extra incentive in NCAA
The Dayton Flyers get stoked playing against BCS teams, given that they get so few opportunities, but Chris Wright doesn’t think UD needed an opponent from a power conference like West Virginia to get jacked up for its NCAA tourney game.
“Any game is really motivation. It doesn’t matter the conference. The Big East is arguably the best conference. They’ve got three No. 1 seeds this year. But it’s motivation just playing in the NCAA tournament, and playing against a team like West Virginia is a good test of our defense and a good test for them because you have to play your best game in March.”
The Flyers likely will need a huge game from Wright to prevail. UD is 39-9 overall, 28-0 at home and 5-1 against ranked teams with Wright in the lineup.
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TweetPlease welcome … Dayton University?
MINNEAPOLIS — As the Dayton Flyers were taking the floor for their 45-minute practice at the Metrodome today, the P.A. announcer asked fans to give a warm welcome to “Dayton University.”
And when senior forward Charles Little, one of three UD players representing the team at formal interviews, was getting ready to field questions, he was introduced as “Chris Little.”
The Flyers may have made a name for themselves by reaching the NCAA tournament, but they apparently still have some work to do before folks in these parts actually get that name right.
The Flyers practiced for a couple of hours at a nearby college this morning, and they did just shooting drills during their short time on the Metrodome floor.
The UD players were awed by the size of the venue. Half of the 60,000-plus-seat stadium isn’t being used, but that still made for an enormous basketball arena.
“It’s awesome,” guard Mickey Perry said. “It’s everything I dreamed of. Just looking around, it’s breathtaking.”
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TweetExtending Gregory’s contract makes sense
Dayton did a smart thing by extending coach Brian Gregory’s contract, giving him essentially a nine-year deal.
He’s earned it for putting the basketball program back on the map, and it takes away a potential negative recruiting tactic by opponents, who could have suggested that Gregory would be looking to parlay his success into a big-time job.
The contract can be broken, of course. Coaches take off for better pay and brighter lights all the time. But Gregory has said he’s happy here, he likes the progress he sees and he’s committed enough to Dayton to want to sign on for five more years.
“This is a great fit for me, a great fit for my family, and I think we’re building the type of program I want to be a part of,” he said. “If that’s the case, there’s no need to look anywhere else.”
Gregory has averaged about 21 wins per season in his six years, and I don’t see him falling below that standard for the foreseeable future.
“We asked Brian when he came in to put in a program that hit on all cylinders, bringing in the right young men to be in the program, focusing on academic success, fitting within the university and within the community and, of course, being successful on the court. He’s done exactly what we asked him to do,” UD Athletic Director Tim Wabler said.
“It’s all about actions, not necessarily words, and the actions here are we’re making a long-term committment to Brian, and Brian’s making a commitment to us.”
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TweetFlyers get red-carpet treatment upon arrival in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — The Dayton Flyers basketball team arrived here at about 3 p.m. local time on a charter fight that included the pep band, cheerleaders, boosters, school officials and media.
There has been much discussion about how the Flyers will be able to enjoy the full NCAA tournament experience this time, as opposed to 2004 when their first-round game was in Buffalo. Nothing against that fine city, but the team hotel was about a 50-minute drive from the arena. The Flyers played the last game of the night, lost in double overtime to DePaul and headed for home.
This year, they’re staying at the Renaissance Hotel, which is less than a mile from the Metrodome, where the games will be held. They were given the red-carpet treatment when they arrived. Hosts and hostesses offered the 120-person travel party complimentary beverages and assistance to their rooms. Don’t know what it’s like in the rest of the city yet, but the hotel staff certainly is in March Madness mode.
The Flyers practiced at UD Arena this morning, and both reserve point guard Stephen Thomas (rib) and back-up center Devin Searcy (knee) looked fully recovered from their injuries. The Flyers went through drills and a half-court scrimmage at a high level of intensity, as usual.
They’ll practice at nearby Augsburg College on Thursday morning, go straight from there to the Metrodome for press conferences and then take their allotted 40 minutes on the actual arena court after that.
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TweetLowery big loss going into NCAA tourney
Dayton has been snake-bitten the last two years, losing freshman star Chris Wright for 11 weeks last season, which probably cost the team an NCAA bid, and suffering another setback with the loss of point guard Rob Lowery this season.
The 6-foot-3 junior brought a swagger to the team and is also someone who could create his own shot. He was the Flyers’ third-leading scorer, and for a team that’s often challenged on the offensive end, that’s a huge blow.
UD was 22-3 with Lowery and has gone 4-4 without him.
“He gave us different looks,” senior forward Charles Little said. “It sucks that he can’t be there. He was in my room (Sunday) night a little bit, and he was down about not not being able to play.”
UD coach Brian Gregory said where Lowery is missed most is in his “ability to wear down the other team’s point guard. But this team, maybe better than last year, has accepted injuries and has been able to adjust.”
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TweetUD’s odds to win it all: 750-to-1
I was cruising through USA Today’s NCAA tournament preview section yesterday and stumbled upon Danny Sheridan’s odds to win it all.
Sheridan has UD at 750:1. That’s the 46th-best odds on the list of 65 teams. So does that mean that Vegas would’ve made the Flyers a 12 seed?
West Virginia, the Flyers’ first-round opponent, is a 60:1 pick. The Mountaineers have the 19th-best odds, which means they’d be a 5 seed if you went with the odds.
That is not bad news if you’re a Flyer fan, of course, because 12 seeds historically give 5 seeds a tough time.
In case you were wondering, Sheridan’s favorite is North Carolina, at 4:1.
Odds of other regional teams of interest:
Ohio State is 90:1. Xavier is 100:1. Butler is 125:1 and right in the middle of the pack.
Temple, like UD, is 750:1.
The longest long shot is Chattanooga, at 5 trillion-to-1. To be honest, I didn’t even know Chattanooga was in the tourney, so that makes sense.
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TweetJohnson, mother survive Selection Sunday
Dayton guard Marcus Johnson had to calm his nerves during those tense moments before the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, and he also had to keep his mother, Felicia Jefferies, under control while the Flyers waited to learn their fate.
“I told my mom they were doing a Selection Show party for us (at the Frericks Center). I told her about 20 minutes before we went on stage, ‘I’m gonna have to call you back. I’m going into the gym to do this.’ I’m on stage, and she’s blowing me up (making his phone vibrate non-stop). I’m like, mom, I can’t pick up the phone now.
“She was just excited. She was just as excited as me. That whole morning, she said her stomach was in a knot. She was so nervous. She wanted to see me play (in the NCAA tournament). I had a lot of support on that.”
Like many, Johnson is vexed the NCAA selection committee seems to favor the BCS schools when it comes to handing out at-large bids. The 10-person panel awarded just four of the 34 berths to non-BCS schools, making the Flyers one of the lucky few.
“The BCS schools, it seems like they (almost) have an automatic bid,” Johnson said. “It seems like the other schools, we have to work harder.”
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TweetYour Minneapolis travel guide (go for it)
I’ve been to Minneapolis many times. Great city. And if you’re worried about the weather, the forecast for the weekend is favorable: highs in the mid-50s.
UD plays West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament at 3 p.m. Friday at the Metrodome. That’s good news if you’re thinking about buying tickets today. I checked out gophersports.com and found two really good seats (Section 134) for a total of $386. That’s for all sessions Friday and Sunday.
If you want to deal with scalpers, I highly recommend hanging out at Hubert’s, a famous sports bar right across from the dome. I picked up two sweet Vikings tickets last fall just outside the front door. Paid just over face value. Then again, the scalper was really hungover and wanted to go home.
Basketball tickets aren’t a problem, but plane tickets could be an issue. I checked this morning, and a round-trip ticket out of Dayton (leaving Friday morning, returning Sunday) starts at $648. They’re not much better out of Cincinnati ($502) or Columbus ($485).
If you do fly, THE BEST bit of advice I can offer about Minneapolis is this: DO NOT rent a car or flag down a taxi. Take the light rail from the airport to downtown. It is fantastic, and last fall when I was in the Twin Cities the fare was less than $2. The light rail is clean, efficient and stops right at the Metrodome. Other downtown stops get you within a few blocks of dozens of hotels and restaurants. It’s about a 20-minute train ride from the airport to the dome.
Finding a hotel shouldn’t be an issue. I usually stay at the Embassy Suites, a nice place that is a 10-minute walk from the dome. There are plenty of other options, including the upscale Graves 601 across from Target Center. I stayed there once and felt like I was dropped in the middle of a chic music video shot in Amsterdam. Never again.
Downtown Minneapolis is pretty vibrant on the weekends. Plenty of options for food and drink. If you’re looking for something you wouldn’t see in Dayton, I suggest Brit’s Pub, which features lawn bowling. It’s at 1110 Nicollet Ave., across from Target’s world headquarters.
Frankly, the procrastinating UD fan couldn’t have picked a better venue than Minneapolis. It’s easy to get to and it’s easy to get around. Prices are reasonable, too.
So if you’re thinking about heading north, go for it.
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TweetNon-BCS schools get no respect
The BCS schools have a racket going on when it comes to the NCAA tournament. Maybe it shows my bias for the hometown team, but you can’t tell me that schools from the six power conferences deserved to get 30 of the 34 at-large bids. No way.
They have almost all of the TV exposure, they have the big bucks from cash-cow football programs, and now they appear to have the ability to work the NCAA Selection Committee like puppets.
No Creighton or St. Mary’s in the field? Just one at-large team from the Mountain West Conference?
Only Dayton, Xavier, Butler and BYU made the tourney among teams outside the BCS. Despicable.
The Big Ten and other BCS teams load up on home games during non-conference play, maybe test themselves once or twice, and go 12-2. Then, if you split your conference games, you’ve got a 20-win season and an NCAA bid. It ain’t right.
I watched the Illinois-Penn State game in Champaign during the regular-season, and I thought both teams were awful. Penn State didn’t make the field, thankfully, but the Illini were a No. 5 seed. And they certainly didn’t look like an upper-tier Atlantic 10 team to me.
In 2003-04, 12 non-BCS schools were invited to the Dance as at-large teams. That number dropped to nine the next year, eight after that, six the last two seasons and just four this year. Pitiful.
At least the Flyers, deservedly so, made the field — but only as an 11 seed. That tells me the margin for getting in was so slim that another defeat, say losing at George Washington or La Salle instead of winning by two, and they were NIT-bound.
It was neat, though, to see the unbridled joy of the Flyers as they celebrated their NCAA bid Sunday. London Warren was so moved that he wept unashamedly — and he wasn’t the only Flyer crying.
Kurt Huelsman, Stephen Thomas and others let the tears flow.
“All the stuff has paid off, all the work you put into it,” Huelsman said. “This is why you play college basketball.
“For a lot of these guys, basketball is all they’ve got. It means everything to us. That’s why it’s a dream come true — and we’re going to take advantage of it.”
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TweetUD will meet West Virginia in first round of NCAA tournament
Dayton is in the Big Dance. UD will take on West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday in Minneapolis.
The game, which will be played at the spacious Metrodome, tips off at approximately 3 p.m.
UD is a No. 11 seed and takes a 26-7 record into the tourney. West Virginia, out of the Big East, is a No. 6 seed. The winner takes on either Kansas or North Dakota State in the second round. The Jayhawks and Bison play at 12:30 p.m.
The Flyers, as it turned out, were “on the bubble.” UD was one of the last three at-large teams to be selected for the tourney. The last two: No. 12 seeds Arizona and Wisconsin.
UD was one of only four at-large teams from the non-power conferences. The other three: Xavier (A-10), Butler (Horizon) and BYU (Mountain West).
This marks UD’s 14th NCAA tourney appearance. The Flyers have lost their last four tourney games, their last win coming in the first round of the 1990 tourney, 88-86 over Illinois in Austin, Texas.
UD is 13-15 all-time in the tournament.
The Flyers were a No. 10 seed in their last tourney appearance, losing to DePaul 76-69 in double overtime in 2004 in Buffalo, N.Y.
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TweetMock NCAA brackets have Flyers in
Jerry Palm has Dayton as one of his last four teams in the NCAA tournament as an 11 seed today, which has to be at least a little disconcerting for Flyer fans. After all, the creator of collegerpi.com batted 1.000 last year in picking at-large teams, and that’s cutting it a little bit close.
But the news is good elsewhere. Joe Lunardi, who is probably the foremost expert in predicting NCAA brackets, has the Flyers as a 10 seed along with Texas A&M, Boston College and Michigan. There are four at-large 11 seeds on Lunardi’s bracket (Minnesota, Maryland, Creighton and St. Mary’s) and one 12 seed (Wisconsin), which means the Flyers have a little cushion there.
Foxsports.com has an even more favorable outlook for the Flyers, making them a nine seed.
Still, UD fans should be rooting for Tennessee to beat Mississippi State in the SEC championship today to preserve a bid for the bubble teams.
For what it’s worth, Palm has the Flyers playing sixth-seeded Butler in Philadelphia, Lunardi has them going against seventh-seeded Utah in Greensboro, and Fox has them facing eighth-seeded Maryland in Miami.
• UD president Daniel Curran relayed a compliment the Flyers received from a staff person at the Seaview Resort, where 10 teams stayed for the Atlantic 10 tournament:
“I was just at the desk, and the woman said, ‘The University of Dayton team was the nicest team here. They’re real gentlemen.’ As a president, you not only see the performance on the court, but you see what representatives they are for the entire university.
“I’m proud of their athletic performance. But stepping up and showing what UD is all about, they do it every day. And Brian (Gregory) and the whole coaching staff do the same thing.”
• The Flyers (26-7) have the third-most wins in school history, but the players are eager to make amends after ending the A-10 tourney on a sour note.
“I think we’ve grown a lot from last year, progressing one game at a time,” junior guard Mickey Perry said. “We have to learn from this (loss) and learn that it takes more than playing hard. What Dayton basketball is all about is fighting, scrapping and clawing, but it also takes poise out there. I think we’re making steps in the right direction.”
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TweetGregory knows Flyers let opportunity slip away
For Dayton coach Brian Gregory, this one stung.
He knows how tough it is to earn a bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament and then win a game to reach the semifinals.
You’re one victory away from playing for the league crown on national TV, and instead of seizing the moment, you end up turning in one of your worst performances of the year.
The Flyers suffered a 77-66 loss to Duquesne in the semifinals Friday night, dropping their record to 26-7. Is that good enough to make the NCAA tournament? The experts say it is. We’ll find out Sunday whether their prognosticating powers are working.
That was little consolation to Gregory immediately after the game, though.
“At the end of the regular season, you have a great opportunity, and we just didn’t take advantage of it,” he said. “That’s hard because I know how hard those opportunities are to get. … But hopefully we can move on and learn from it. When you get into these situations, you have to respond better.”
The Dukes — who changed their strategy after losing to the Flyers twice in the regular-season, going to a deliberate pace — scored on seven of eight possessions in one first-half stretch to take a 28-19 lead, the last coming on an emphatic dunk from first-team all-league guard Aaron Jackson. They made 13 of their first 23 shots, including five 3’s.
The Flyers cut the deficit to four, but Jackson gave Damian Saunders a nifty assist on the last play of the first half as the Dukes took a 35-29 lead at the break.
“To be honest, I felt pretty good at halftime. … we were only down six,” Gregory said. “Again, we weren’t playing the way we should be playing. We weren’t pressuring the ball offensively. We took some ill-advised shots. And so now you need to do some things defensively better.
“We got off to a good start. But we had some fastbreak opportunities where we took some quick, bad shots, and now you’re down 10 or 11 again.
“You look at the pace of play, they still scored 77 points. Our defense just wasn’t good enough.”
The Flyers cut the lead to three early in the second half before the avalanche hit.
“We got the lead back down, but we took some quick shots,” forward Charles Little said. “When you take quick shots against a team as good as they are, they’re going to make you pay in transition.
“(Melquan) Bolding got out there and hit some 3’s, and Aaron (Jackson) got to the rim and took advantage of our quick shots and turnovers.”
When UD and Duquense met last Saturday, the Flyers shot 23 free throws, making 11. In the A-10 tourney game, UD shot just 11, hitting seven.
What that told Gregory was his team didn’t play with its usual aggressiveness in taking the ball to the rim.
“Give Duquesne credit,” he said. “They played extremely well today and have for the last half of the season. We played pretty well last week to beat them. And I knew tonight was going to be a tough battle. We didn’t respond very well.”
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TweetDuquesne bounces UD from tourney
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Aaron Jackson and Melquan Bolding scored 24 points apiece to lead seventh-seeded Duquesne to a 77-66 upset of third-seeded Dayton in the Atlantic 10 semifinals Friday.
UD fell behind by six at the half and trailed by as many as 16 in the second half.
Mickey Perry had 15 points, Charles Little 13 and Chris Wright 12 for the Flyers (26-7), who expect to receive an NCAA at-large bid Sunday.
Duquesne (21-11) will face Temple (21-11) for the A-10 tourney crown and the league’s automatic NCAA bid at 6 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.
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TweetWarren cramp no issue for tonight’s game
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — No need to worry about London Warren.
Although Dayton’s point guard was in agony after the quarterfinal win over Richmond late Thursday night because of a leg cramp, he was fine during warm-ups and said he was ready to go against Duquesne.
“I’m good,” he said.
The Flyers will likely need him at his best to beat the Dukes and advance to the A-10 finals against Temple.
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TweetXavier goes down in A-10 tourney
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — No rematch with Xavier.
If the Dayton Flyers get past their semifinal game with Duquesne tonight, they won’t get to stage a rubber match with the rival Musketeers. Temple took care of that.
Getting two huge 3-pointers in the final two minutes from Dionte Christmas, the Owls pulled out a 55-53 victory before a pro-Temple crowd at Boardwalk Hall here.
It was an intense affair between two good teams.The Owls give their NCAA tourney hopes a boost, while the Musketeers failed to get out of the A-10 semifinals for the third straight year while being the No. 1 seed.
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TweetThree keys to victory for Flyers
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Richmond coach Chris Mooney was impressed with the Flyers, who pulled out a 69-64 victory in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals before 4,333 fans Thursday.
“They’re a team full of great athletes. They really look to offensive rebound and it becomes a big part of their game,” Mooney said.
“What they do with teams is they wear you down.”
Rebounding certainly saved the Flyers against the Spiders. They finished with a 47-29 edge on the boards with 15 offensive rebounds. And that certainly could be a factor against Duquesne in the semifinals tonight. The Dukes go 6-foot-7, 6-5 and 6-4 across the front line.
But rebounding alone won’t be enough to put the Flyers into the finals with a possible rematch against Xavier. Here are three keys to victory:
Slow Aaron Jackson. The first-team all-league pick is a tough-minded competitor who averages more than 18 points per game. The Flyers contained him in two earlier meetings and will need to pull that off again.
Make free throws. OK, I know it’s probably too much to expect the Flyers to knock down 80 percent or so, but that was an abominable effort in going 18-of-37 against Richmond, including 5-for-16 in the final five minutes.
Mickey Perry and Marcus Johnson were a combined 1-for-10 — and they’re good shooters. Making 70 percent probably will get the job done tonight. Is that too much to ask?
- Low-post scoring. Kurt Huelsman had six rebounds and a lot of hustle plays, but he was just 1-for-6 from the field. That 10-foot jump hook he took from the baseline missed so badly that it was still rising as it crossed over the basket. He’s capable of giving the Flyers a low-post presence and should have plenty of chances against the smaller Dukes.
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TweetPublic invited to watch Selection Show with Flyers
Dayton is confident enough in making the NCAA tournament that the school has set up an open-to-the-public event at the Frericks Center for Selection Sunday.
CBS-TV has been invited to bring its cameras — UD hasn’t heard yet whether that will happen — and the 65-team field will be announced on the network at 6 p.m this Sunday. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.
The Flyers improved to 26-6 with a 69-64 win over Richmond in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals Thursday. Despite a rough outing from the foul line (18-for-37), they had a monstrous 47-29 edge on the boards and shot 54.5 percent from the field in the second half to hang on.
“We defended well. We rebounded great today. We really moved the ball,” UD coach Brian Gregory said after the game.
They advanced to the A-10 semifinals for the first time since hosting the tourney in 2004 and will face Duquesne, which knocked off Rhode Island, 78-74.
“We have to do a good job guarding dribble penetration,” Gregory said. “This league has so many quality guards. Thank God we’ve got some, too, or we’d be in trouble.
“I thought our transition defense tonight, during the first 10 minutes, would not be good enough if we play that way tomorrow. Other than that, I thought it was really good.”
Point guard London Warren was more concerned about the turnovers. He had three in the first four minutes but just one more after that. He also had eight points, five assists and two steals.
“I think we have to take care of the ball better against Duquesne and we’ll be OK,” Warren said.
Sitting next to Warren in the post-game press conference, Marcus Johnson chimed in: “And also shoot free throws better … 18 of 37, we’re a better free-throw shooting team than that. We just have to concentrate better.”
The Flyers coughed it up 13 times, but only six of those turnovers came in the final 31 minutes. Fourth-year junior Mickey Perry proved to be a capable point guard while pulling relief duty with normal back-ups Stephen Thomas (ribs) and Rob Lowery (knee) out with injuries.
The Flyers expect to get some minutes against the Dukes from Thomas and reserve center Devin Searcy, who has missed three games with a sprained knee.
“It’s good we did not have to play Devin and Steve today,” Gregory said. “They could have played, If I called on them, they would have helped us. … At one point, I was just about to put in Stephen, but I said, ‘Let’s see how Mickey (Perry) does.’ And he did great.”
Expect to see the Flyers go with their usual 11-man rotation against the Dukes — and for them to play a lot more loose now that the NCAA tourney pressure is off their backs.
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TweetFlyers shake off rough start for victory
Dayton got off to one of its worst starts of the season against Richmond, and Brian Gregory’s gang looked like it wanted to be anywhere but Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, playing in the league tournament.
The Flyers were down to one true point guard because of injuries to Stephen Thomas (rib) and Rob Lowery (knee), and starter London Warren had three turnovers before the first media timeout.
The Flyers had more turnovers (seven) than points (four) in the first nine minutes. They hit just two of their first nine shots while falling behind, 10-4.
“It took some time to get going,” Gregory said. “The time off we had and just sitting around (for two days in Atlantic City) … and these guys knew it was a big game. That was important for us to play well and advance. Maybe that had something to do with it.”
The Flyers had just six turnovers, though, in the final 31 minutes — thanks in part to a come-to-the-rescue performance by junior shooting guard Mickey Perry — and pulled out a 69-64 win to improve to 26-6 and probably take the suspense out of Selection Sunday.
Perry went just 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-4 from the foul line, but he had three assists and no turnovers in relief duty at point guard.
“In our system, that’s a very difficult spot to play,” Gregory said. “We did simplify some things, but I thought Mickey did a very good job.
“The one thing he’s done is become a very good defender for us, and I don’t mind putting him on anyone. … Although he didn’t shoot well tonight, although he didn’t shoot well from the free throw line, he played 10 minutes at the point without a turnover. That’s a pretty good job when for the first time in four years of college, it’s ‘OK, Mickey, you’re the point guard.’ “
The Flyers could be close full strength for their semifinal game with Duquesne with the return of Stephen Thomas and Devin Searcy.
“Stephen and Devin could have played,” Gregory said. “They got the OK, but the doctors said every day you don’t need them is better for them.
“I expect them both to play tomorrow.”
Gregory was just relieved to come away with win after an 18-for-37 showing at the foul line.
“At the (pre-game) walk-through, I was a little concerned about our concentration, and somethimes that shows in free throws,” Gregory said. “Maybe playing here once now will help — because you’re not going to be able to get away with that.
“Thank God we can defend.”
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TweetThomas improving after visit to chiropractor
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. —Point guard Stephen Thomas winced as he took his first free throw while Dayton began a light workout this afternoon at Holy Spirit High School, about three miles from the team’s hotel. But his visit to the chiropractor Wednesday night went well, according to UD trainer Nate Seymour.
Thomas was able to lift his hands over his head after getting a dislodged rib popped back into place, and there’s a chance the Flyers could call on him for some action when they face Richmond at 9 p.m. today since they’re down to one point guard in London Warren.
The Flyers ran through a scouting report on Richmond about three-quarters-speed. Thomas and center Devin Searcy, who is recovering from a sprained knee, both took turns with their teammates on the floor.
Seymour said both players could give the Flyers minutes in tonight’s game if they’re needed. UD coach Brian Gregory normally prefers players to go through at least a full practice before playing, which means he’ll probably be hesitant to put Thomas and Searcy on the floor. We’ll see.
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TweetFlyers watch (for a half) as Richmond advances
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Dayton players had the option of taking in the first half of the Richmond-St. Bonaventure game, which started at 9 p.m. Wednesday, or staying back at their hotel, and almost all of them went.
One who stayed behind was Chris Wright, who was in a lounging-around mood. He also passed up a chance to go to the Boardwalk in Atlantic City while the players had the afternoon off.
His teammates have been chiding him about it.
“They call me C. ‘Chill’ Wright,” he said.
London Warren, Marcus Johnson, Kurt Huelsman and others watched the Spiders, who prevailed 65-49, and took mental notes. The two teams collide at 9 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.
I tagged along with the team because I wanted to check out how well the game drew at Boardwalk Hall, which holds about 10,000. I’d say there were less than 1,000 in the stands.
The Atlantic 10 hasn’t committed to Atlantic City beyond this year, and I understand the league’s options for future years include Dayton; Cincinnati; Springfield, Mass.; and Pittsburgh. I’ll give my input on the matter to new commissioner Bernadette McGlade free of charge: Pick Dayton.
The Flyers will give the league a championship environment even for quarterfinal games. Do you want 750 in the seats like you had for the Richmond-St. Bonaventure game or 7,500, minimum, for that same game at UD Arena?
Plus, next year the A-10 finals will be shown on CBS-TV on Selection Sunday, an unbelievable platform for the league. There had better be a buzz in the building or that’s going to bomb, and you’re almost guaranteed of getting that at UD Arena.
Plus, with Xavier in close proximity, it’s a can’t miss.
I know opposing coaches don’t like the home-court advantage, but they’ll get over it. The Flyers won it in 2003 and made it to the finals in ‘04 when they hosted it before, but those two teams were good enough to get that far anyway.
Forget the neutral site. Take the tourney where it will be embraced.
You can thank me later.
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TweetPoint guard Thomas injured, could miss game
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Dayton sophomore point guard Stephen Thomas missed practice here Wednesday because of a rib injury, and he’s questionable for Dayton’s quarterfinal game in the Atlantic 10 tournament against the Richmond-St. Bonaventure winner on Thursday.
If Thomas can’t play, the Flyers will be down to just one healthy point guard, London Warren. Junior shooting guard Mickey Perry took some reps at the point during the Flyers’ practice at Stockton College today would likely be Warren’s back-up in the game.
Reserve center Devin Searcy, who has missed the last two games with a sprained knee, has progressed enough to participate in drills, but he could only watch from the sidelines during the live portion of practice.
Thomas was injured when he collided with Chris Wright in practice Tuesday, and is having much pain in his lower back. UD trainer Nate Seymour said one of Thomas’ ribs has popped out of place where it meets with the vertebrae, and the two planned to see a chiropractor today in hopes of manipulating it back in position.
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TweetFlyers land in Atlantic City for tourney
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Dayton basketball team arrived here about 8 p.m. today on a charter flight. After a bus ride from the airport, they checked in at the Seaview Resort & Spa, which sounds a lot swankier than it is.
One of the advantages of being one of the top two seeds in the Atlantic 10 tournament is that you get to stay in a downtown hotel, a couple of blocks from Boardwalk Hall, where the tourney will be played. The other 10 teams stay at this golfing resort, which is neat and nice and looks like it had its heyday when Bobby Jones was ruling the sport. It’s about 10 miles from the arena.
Interestingly, as the Flyers were wheeling their luggage to their rooms, they passed several members of the Richmond basketball team, their possible opponent in the A-10 quarterfinals Thursday. Some players exchanged nods, but everyone pretty much ignored each other.
The Flyers will practice Wednesday morning at Stockton College, which is named after the former Utah Jazz guard (actually, I have no idea where the school gets its name). The team is scheduled to bus to the Richmond-St. Bonaventure game Wednesday, but player attendance is optional.
Last thing. Here’s a quote from Duquesne coach Ron Everhart from the A-10 teleconference this week that I couldn’t fit anywhere else. He was describing the impact the atmosphere at UD Arena had on his players Saturday:
“After the Dayton game — it was a sellout there and a great environment — I heard one of the kids say, ‘Man, this is why I came to school here,’ ” Everhart said.
That’s a high compliment for what the Flyers have established over the years and a prime reason they went 18-0 at home.
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TweetFlyers navigated through tough stretch
Dayton has a bye into the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., but that doesn’t provide coach Brian Gregory with much comfort.
“I just wish, to be honest with you, we had three byes. That would be the only way I’d feel good about going down there with how well everyone is playing,” he said.
The Flyers (25-6) ended up in a tie for second in the league at 11-5 by surviving a brutal closing stretch, playing seven games against teams that finished a combined 141-70.
“Our league is a monster. It’s just unbelievable,” Gregory said. “Those last seven games we played, to be honest, I looked at them and wondered if we could win any of them. We went 4-3 and lost a couple tough games.
“This league, it’s great to a part of it, but it’s not always great to coach in it. This tournament is going to be an exciting time because of the quality of play.”
The Flyers play the winner of Wednesday’s game between Richmond (17-14) and St. Bonaventure (15-14).
“We’re playing one of two extremely difficult opponents,” Gregory said. “Both their individual players are playing well, and they both have systems that are different but have been successful. We just have to take care of what we do and that’s defend and rebound, and hopefully that will be good enough.”
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TweetFlyers navigated through tough stretch
Dayton has a bye into the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., but that doesn’t provide coach Brian Gregory with much comfort.
“I just wish, to be honest with you, we had three byes. That would be the only way I’d feel good about going down there with how well everyone is playing,” he said.
The Flyers (25-6) ended up in a tie for second in the league at 11-5 by surviving a brutal closing stretch, playing seven games against teams that finished a combined 141-70.
“Our league is a monster. It’s just unbelievable,” Gregory said. “Those last seven games we played, to be honest, I looked at them and wondered if we could win any of them. We went 4-3 and lost a couple tough games.
“This league, it’s great to a part of it, but it’s not always great to coach in it. This tournament is going to be an exciting time because of the quality of play.”
The Flyers play the winner of Wednesday’s game between Richmond (17-14) and St. Bonaventure (15-14).
“We’re playing one of two extremely difficult opponents,” Gregory said. “Both their individual players are playing well, and they both have systems that are different but have been successful. We just have to take care of what we do and that’s defend and rebound, and hopefully that will be good enough.”
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TweetFlyers’ Wright earns second team all-league
Dayton sophomore forward Chris Wright was named to the All-Atlantic 10 second team, while junior guard Marcus Johnson was an honorable-mention pick.
Freshman forward Chris Johnson made the all-rookie team, while junior point guard London Warren made the all-defensive team.
Wright leads the Flyers in scoring with a 13.1 average and in rebounding with a 6.5 mark. Johnson is averaging 12.1 points and is the team’s top 3-point shooter.
Chris Johnson is fifth in scoring (6.5) and second in rebounding (5.4), while Warren leads the Flyers in steals and spearheads their full-court, man-to-man defense.
“It speaks to the quality of play in this league. As I went through it, it’s hard to pick someone. It was hard to differentiate between this player and that player because so many players had good years,” said UD coach Brian Gregory, whose team has a 25-6 record and finished in a tie for second in the A-10.
“For us, I couldn’t be more proud of those guys. We always talk about that our team has had success, and those individual players who are now receiving accolades have put the team first and never worried about anything on their own. And it’s amazing how, when you put the team first, how much individual honors come your way.”
Ahmad Nivins of Saint Joseph’s was named A-10 player of the year. He was joined on the first team by Temple’s Dionte Christmas, Duquesne’s Aaron Jackson, Rhode Island’s Jimmy Baron and Xavier’s B.J. Raymond.
Xavier’s Derrick Brown, a Chaminade Julienne grad, was named to the A-10 second team.
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TweetEither Bonnies or Spiders could cause problems
UD basketball: The Week Ahead
Games: The Flyers play in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals against the winner of the first-round game between Richmond (17-14) and St. Bonaventure (15-14) at 9 p.m. Thursday (Channel 7).
Scouting Richmond: The Spiders dropped a 69-63 decision in Dayton in the only meeting between the teams. They have two of the top-10 scorers in the league in the guard tandem of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez. And the Spiders play that Princeton-style offense that makes them a tough match-up.
Scouting St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies lost at UD, 80-68, in January. Freshman standout Andrew Nicholson is one of three players averaging around 12 points, and he has been the national leader among freshmen in blocked shots and field-goal percentage.
About Dayton: UD coach Brian Gregory became animated during a timeout with about 12 minutes to go in a 74-61 win over Duquesne on Saturday, making some emphatic points to four players — Charles Little, Chris Wright, Paul Williams and Stephen Thomas — waiting at the scorer’s table to check in.
“I knew at that point, (the Dukes) were going to make one more run with their pressure and attacking the glass,” Gregory said. “I just told the guys they needed to get their butts on the glass, although I may not have said ‘butt.’ “
The Flyers may deserve the distinction of having the best freshmen class in the A-10. I know Xavier’s crew is pretty special — who wouldn’t want a shooter like Brad Redford and a beast like Kenny Frease? — but the Flyers have gotten big-time contributions from Chris Johnson, Paul Williams and Luke Fabrizius.
Before the season began, I figured the team would take at least a slight step backward after losing star Brian Roberts, but UD has gone from 23-11 to 25-6 (so far) because the newcomers (junior-college transfer Rob Lowery included) have been so productive.
Fabrizius had been the quietest of them all until that 17-point outburst against the Dukes.
“Because of the environment he’s placed in, he’s grown up and become a much more mentally tough player, and that’s good to see,” Gregory said.
The Flyers set a program record with 25 regular-season wins — is the overall victory mark of 28 wins within reach? — and became the first team to go undefeated at UD Arena.
“I’m proud of those guys because of those accomplishments, but I’m more proud because of how they compete every day and how they represent this university,” Gregory said. “It’s been great to be around.”
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TweetFlyers, fans bond after victory
Dayton had four sellouts at UD Arena this year and set a single-season attendance record, and the players wanted to thank the fans for doing their part in helping the team notch a program-high 25 regular-season wins and go 18-0 at home this year.
After a 74-61 win over Duquesne, the Flyers climbed into the stands to slap high-fives and exchange hugs with many of the 13,435 partisans.
“We’ve got the best fans in the nation, and we wanted to show our appreciation,” London Warren said.
The players first jogged to the student section to mingle with the Red Scare, and then went to the other end to greet the townies.
“We’d been planning it all week,” said Charles Little, who took his final bows as the team’s lone senior. “We just wanted to thank them for coming out and supporting us.”
No one enjoyed it more than Chris Wright, a people-person type who may have a future as a mayor after his basketball career ends.
“It took Chris like 45 minutes to get back,” Little cracked. “Chris is a talker. He wanted to mingle with everybody. …Chris is probably still in the Flight Deck shaking hands.”
With their NCAA hopes and a first-round bye in the Atlantic 10 tournament on the line, the Flyers faced a must-win situation against the Dukes, and they appeared a bit tight at the start. But Luke Fabrizius nailed five 3-pointers in the final 8:10 to take the pressure off.
Fabrizius, who played at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. — UD coach Brian Gregory’s alma mater — was averaging just 3.4 points but finished with a career-high 17.
After trailing most of the first half, the Flyers took a 49-36 into intermission.
“He gave us the separation we needed at that particular time,” Gregory said. “Our guys did a good job of finding him, and he did a good job of being shot-ready. As a freshman, I think he’d admit he didn’t play that well the other night (at Xavier). Sometimes, those guys drop their heads and mope around. (But) he was dialed in.
“I think he knew this game was important, and he wanted to help. I’m not sure he envisioned five 3-pointers in the first half. But I’ll say this, ‘That’s what us Hersey guys do.’ “
Fabrizius was locked and loaded, once pulling the trigger on a turnaround 3 while barely glancing at the basket.
“We fed off the crowd. The crowd was unbelievable,” Fabrizius said. “We wanted to get it done for Charles. He’s done so much for me, especially, taking me under his wing. We play the same position. He’s helped me, showed me what to do, given me tips. We were so excited to get it done for him.”
The Flyers (25-6) ended up in a three-way tie for second in the league with Rhode Island and Temple at 11-5. Because of tiebreakers, Rhode Island is the No. 2 seed in the tourney at Atlantic City, while UD is No. 3 and Temple No. 4.
Actually, the Flyers probably have the best draw of the four teams with byes. They play the winner of the first-round game between Richmond and St. Bonaventure. Rhody has either Duquesne or UMass, while Temple gets the winner of the Saint Joseph’s-Charlotte game.
League champ Xavier faces the La Salle-Saint Louis winner.
UD plays at 9 p.m. Thursday (brutal for reporters on deadline), and the game will be broadcast on Channel 7.
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TweetFlyers knock off Dukes for record 25th win
Luke Fabrizius scored a career-high 17 points, Chris Wright had 11 points and Charles Little tallied 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds to lead Dayton to a 74-61 win over Duquesne on Saturday.
The Flyers, who led by as many as 23 points, set a program record with their 25th regular-season victory. They’re 25-6 overall and finished in a tie for second at 11-5 in the Atlantic 10.
They earned the second seed for the league tourney and will have a first-round bye into the quarterfinals.
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TweetFlyers didn’t capitalize on offensive rebounds
Dayton coach Brian Gregory thought one stat may have stood out among the others in his team’s 76-59 loss at Xavier: second-chance points.
The Flyers had almost as many offensive rebounds as the Musketeers (17-15), but Xavier had 26 put-back points and UD just seven.
“You’ve got to finish plays around the basket,” Gregory said.
But the sixth-year coach couldn’t fault his team’s effort. The game featured two teams going full speed pretty much non-stop.
“It was very similar to our game here at Dayton. Their defensive pressure was really good, as was ours here. It was almost a mirror image,” Gregory said.
Back-up center Devin Searcy is out for the Duquesne game Saturday, but his sprained left knee is getting better.
“He’s got a special brace fitted just for him and he was biking yesterday,” Gregory said. “It’s moving forward, but with the amount of games we’re going to have coming up, we have to make sure he’s ready to go next week.”
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TweetHurried shots doom Flyers
Dayton didn’t help itself in its quest to make the NCAA tournament by getting thrashed by Xavier, but the Flyers didn’t necessarily hurt themselves, either.
According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who correctly picked the entire NCAA field last season — and has missed just 10 at-large selections in the last 10 years — UD needs to beat Duquesne on Saturday and go at least 1-1 in the Atlantic 10 tournament to reach The Dance.
One thing the Flyers will need to do better, though, is play more like a seasoned team on offense. Xavier’s 12 blocks in the 76-59 win is probably indicative of an opponent trying to force shots inside.
“We don’t back down no matter what,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “We haven’t all year. But sometimes your greatest strength can become your greatest weakness. Sometimes you almost want it too much and try to make plays too fast. And we did that with some shots.
“At one time, I was amazed. I counted six or seven bad shots when guys are right on top of you. Or you make a great hustle play and get the rebound and you’re swarmed — you’ve got to kick that out. You can’t try to shoot it over those guys. “What’s their strength? Their strength is their bigs. They’ve got great size and length, and they’ve got some really good athletes. You either got to make it right at the rim or kick it out.
Charles Little, who is listed at 6-foot-6 but is more like 6-4, was forced to match up with 6-9 Jason Love and 7-0 Kenny Frease because of the absence of the injured Devin Searcy, and the senior forward had trouble getting off shots inside at times.
“They’re big up front and they’re decent on defense, but I still felt like I got pretty good looks. I just didn’t get them to go down,” Little said.
As poorly as the Flyers played, they still were in the game with just over seven minutes to go, down by six after a 3-pointer and fastbreak dunk by Marcus Johnson.
“I’m thinking, ‘We’re down six points, and if we were playing a little smarter, it might be different,’ ” Gregory said. “The last three minutes just highlighted that. We took quick shots and they got easy baskets.
“Obviously, the game was a little closer than a (17-point) game, but give them credit. They played well. And it’d be great for both programs to get a chance to play again (in the Atlantic 10 tournament).”
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TweetFlyers can’t recover from bad start
Dayton expected a few daggers from Xavier seniors B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson in their final home game, and the visitors were braced for some blows from junior stalwart Derrick Brown.
But it was the Musketeers’ point guards — an unheralded and oft-maligned group — who paced the team to a 76-59 win that clinched at least a share of a third straight Atlantic 10 crown.
Starter Dante Jackson dropped in three 3-pointers in the opening 2:45, giving the Musketeers an early nine-point lead on his way to 14 points and the MVP award.
Even Terrell Holloway, who lost his starting job after going without a point and an assist in the first UD game, asserted himself against London Warren. The freshman stripped Warren of the ball in the first half and waltzed in for an easy lay-up, two of his four points.
Another combo guard Brad Redford buried three 3-pointers and finished with nine points.
“We just did a bad job defensively,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “(Jackson) is kind of a role player here, but he’s still a pretty good player. And again, a kid like that has been through some critical games in his two-year career. Give him credit for knocking them down. (But) two of those three were just really bad coverages. They were coverage mistakes. (We were) a little bit too jacked up.
“To be honest with you, the way we are, we’re going to have to live with some of that stuff. That’s why we’ve won 24 games, because we’re a hard-charging, hard-playing type of team.”
UD started the game with a 2-0 lead but then committed four straight turnovers against Xavier’s pressure.
The Flyers held Brown, Anderson and Raymond to a combined 2-for-12 from the field in the first half, but the Musketeers built a 40-27 lead by rebuffing UD’s repeated attempts to take the ball to the rim.
“We just didn’t play smart,” said UD’s Charles Little, who had 11 points. “The Saint Louis game, we didn’t play smart, but — no offense to Saint Louis — we can hang in their with our defense against them. Xavier makes you pay for bad decisions.”
The Flyers cut the margin to six with 7:15 to go on a monster fastbreak dunk by Marcus Johnson, but the Musketeers answered with two foul shots from Anderson and a pair of 3-pointers from Raymond.
“We had a hard time staying composed during the game with their fans,” Johnson said. “They hit big shots. It was a tough environment to play in.”
The Flyers were playing short-handed without back-up center Devin Searcy, who is out with a sprained knee. And starter Kurt Huelsman was ineffective, going scoreless in 17 foul-plagued minutes.
“We had to move some of our wings and guard the post,” Johnson said. “That hurt us. That’s a match-up problem for us.”
With the head coaches in the locker room about an hour before the game, UD and Xavier players exchanged words near midcourt before game. Warren and Holloway were nose-to-nose, and Searcy and Anderson were jawing, too. Before it was over, both teams had to separated by the assistant coaches.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Little said. “We weren’t ready to come to blows, but they got to talkin’ and we’re not just going to take it. No one is going to disrespect us. We had to stand up for ourselves.”
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TweetThree keys to victory for Flyers
Dayton coach Brian Gregory won’t be working on any fiery speeches before the Xavier game tonight.
If his players follow their usual pattern, they’ll be fired up enough.
“I think one of the best things about this team is I haven’t had to do that for any game,” he said. “We talk about taking it one day, one practice at a time. And these guys have done a great job in their preparation for games, and they go out there and leave it all on the court. Because of that, we’ve had a pretty good season.”
The Flyers suffered a blow in losing back-up center Devin Searcy, who will join point guard Rob Lowery in street clothes on the bench. But despite being short-handed, the Flyers still can end their 28-year misery against Xavier in Cincinnati if they can manage to do these three things:
• Make free throws. The Flyers found out how crucial foul-shooting is in narrow road losses at Saint Louis (13-for-24) and Rhode Island (21-for-35). They connected on 16-of-22 attempts against Temple to get back on track, and they’ll need a similar effort against the Musketeers.
• Protect the ball. They had just 10 turnovers in a 71-58 win over Xavier on Feb. 11, and they had just nine in beating Temple, 70-65. The Flyers have been skittish on past visits to the Cintas Center, and they can’t afford another meltdown this time.
• Run like their hair is on fire. Seriously, the Flyers can’t match up with Xavier’s brutes inside, but they’re more athletic and have more team speed. They’re at their best when they can get their transition game going, and they might be able to coax Xavier into playing an up-tempo style.
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TweetInjured Searcy not expected to play
Dayton back-up center Devin Searcy suffered a sprained left knee in practice Tuesday and isn’t expected to play at Xavier on Thursday. He’s also doubtful for the Duquesne game Saturday.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore is averaging just 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds, but he scored a career-high 10 points in a 93-91 loss at Rhode Island last week.
His absence means the Flyers will likely go into a key Atlantic 10 game with 6-10 junior Kurt Hueslman as their only post player. When Huelsman is out, the Flyers will likely utilize a three-guard lineup.
One of the Musketeers’ strengths is their size inside. They lead the A-10 in rebound margin at plus-8.4 per game, while the Flyers are third at plus-5.1.
Xavier (23-5, 11-3 A-10) has won 23 straight home games against UD, dating back to 1980-81, and can clinch at least a share of the league crown with a victory. The Flyers (24-4, 10-4) could climb into a tie for first with a win with one more game to go.
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TweetGregory promotes players for league honors
Dayton coach Brian Gregory was asked on the Atlantic 10 teleconference this week to name a few of his players who should be considered for postseason league honors.
“Chris Wright is obviously a guy you have to mention with some all-league teams, and a guy that’s maybe under the radar with that is Marcus Johnson,” Gregory said.
“Chris Johnson has had as big an impact for us as a freshman throughout the whole year — obviously, Chris (Wright) didn’t get to finish it up last year (because of an injury) — since maybe Brian Roberts five years ago as a freshman. Obviously, he helps us because of the things he brings to the table: his ability to score, he’s a tremendous rebounder, and he’s only going to get better. We really missed him those two games on the road.”
Before beating Temple on Saturday, the Flyers suffered narrow defeats at Saint Louis and Rhode Island with Johnson playing just one minute because of a bruised right calf.
Gregory also thought London Warren deserved consideration for the league’s defensive player of the year award, and the junior point guard certainly has impressed his teammates with his knack for dogging opposing players.
“London is just like a little gnat, a little bug on the court who’s not going to go away,” Wright said. “Against St. Joe’s, Tasheed Carr kind of ‘bowed him when he was dribbling, and the ref didn’t call it. A lot of players wouldn’t get close on defense after that because they’ve been ‘bowed, but London got close, and Tasheed struggled the rest of the game.
“People say, London can’t do this, and he can’t do that.’ But he knows who he is. A lot of people get on him for his shooting … but what he brings to the table is championship effort.”
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TweetGregory sees improvement in Flyers
Dayton is in the midst of a killer seven-game stretch to finish the regular-season, playing games against the top-tier of the Atlantic 10.
The Flyers are just 3-2 so far, but they’ve beaten Xavier and have shown signs of improvement offensively. They’ve shot at least 45.8 percent from the floor in all but the Saint Louis game, and field-goal accuracy has been an Achilles Heel for this squad.
They’re going into the rematch with Xavier with confidence and are growing as a team, which is what you want at his time of year.
“I’ve been very pleased how we played. Unfortunately, in this league, you can play extremely well and that doesn’t mean you always win,” coach Brian Gregory said.
“We’re a much better team than we were previous to those five games. We’ve played very well in all five of those games. We played with great energy and great intensity. That doesn’t mean we were mistake free. But that formula has gotten us a pretty good amount of wins this year.”
The Flyers had a good showing even in their most recent defeat, a 93-91 overtime decision at Rhode Island last week.
“I thought it was just a tremendous college basketball game, and I think anyone around the country who saw that, you couldn’t have a better promotion for just how tough our league is and how talented the players are and the toughness and grit teams in this league play with,” Gregory said.
“And for our guys to take that bitter defeat and not get down about it and bounce back with two really good days of preparation and play a really high-quality team in Temple and play well in that game and come out with a win, I was really proud of our guys. At this time of the year, you can get a tough loss and get in a funk because of it, and that wasn’t even close to happening to us.”
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TweetGregory explains decision to protect lead
When Dayton took a 13-point lead with about eight minutes to go against Temple on Saturday, UD coach Brian Gregory had his team run off some clock each possession after that, which I thought was sound strategy at the time. But the move almost backfired because Dionte Christmas put on a show down the stretch.
The Flyers led by 16 after a jumper by Chris Wright with 5:55 to go, but the Owls scored 21 points in the final 5:31, getting five 3-pointers in that span, four of them by Christmas.
“It wasn’t necessarily our offense (that allowed Temple to come back),” Gregory said. “In our last 16 possessions, we scored on 10 out of the 16 and had 19 points, which would make you about as efficient an offense as anybody in the country. If you’re scoring more than one point per possession, you’re doing a heckuva job. It was them making shots and us having defensive breakdowns more than anything.”
Coming off two adrenalin-zapping losses at Saint Louis and Rhode Island also persuaded Gregory to take a cautious approach.
“For the first time, too, I thought we were a little drained… I think we lost a little bit of concentration in some coverages, and give them credit, they’ve got to make those shots. And even those where we didn’t have perfect coverages, those weren’t easy shots,” he said.
Even with the split of two games last week, the Flyers were a nine seed today in Joe Lunardi’s mock tournament bracket on ESPN.com. They also continue to get recognition in both national polls. They have the 30th-most votes in the Associated Press Top 25 and the 32nd-most in the ESPN-USA Today coaches ratings.
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TweetFlyers await rematches with Xavier, Duquesne
UD Basketball: The Week Ahead
Games: at Xavier (23-5, 11-3 Atlantic 10), 9 p.m. Thursday (ESPN2); vs. Duquesne (17-10, 8-6), 8 p.m. Saturday.
Scouting Xavier: The Flyers ended a six-game losing streak in the rivalry with a 71-58 win Feb. 11. Chaminade-Julienne product Derrick Brown averages a team-high 13.8 points. Xavier is shooting for its third straight A-10 title and has an impressive list of conquests this season, beating Missouri, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Auburn, Cincinnati and Virginia.
Scouting Duquesne: The Flyers grabbed a 78-69 win at Duquesne Jan. 17, shooting a season-high 58 percent from the field. Star guard Aaron Jackson played 37 minutes and scored 18 points despite playing on a bruised tailbone suffered in the Dukes’ previous game. The Dukes dropped a 73-71 decision to Rhode Island at home Sunday.
About Dayton: The Flyers made 16-of-22 free throws (72.7 percent) in a 70-65 win over Temple on Saturday. In their previous six games, they shot a combined 55.4 percent.
In his post-game comments, UD coach Brian Gregory said the Flyers are a good foul-shooting team, just streaky. That’s a difficult argument to make, given they’re 13th in the Atlantic 10 at 66.2 percent. The reality is UD has an abundance of athleticism and toughness and a shortage of pure shooters. But that’s not a slam on the program. Players who can combine all three of those facets usually end up at North Carolina, Michigan State and Duke. And athleticism and toughness are why the Flyers have 24 wins, matching the totals of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 teams for the most at the school since the 1966-67 squad went 25-6.
Here’s what Gregory had to say about his team’s past foul-shooting woes:
“We are an aggressive group of guys. We’re always charging, trying to attack the basket on offensive, trying to push the ball on offense, trying to get in you a little bit on defense, trying to crash the glass, and now I’ve got to tell these guys, ‘OK, calm down and focus at the free throw line.’ Sometimes it’s hard. But we did it (Saturday).”
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