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Thursday, July 15, 2010
Kavanaugh ready to battle for starting spot
Matt Kavanaugh has been working on his figure. OK, the Dayton sophomore center is looking to become more lean and mean this season, and all the effort and sweat have helped him lose about eight pounds off his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame.
The UD coaches have him on a 3,500-calorie diet. If normal people ate that much, they’d blow up like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day float. But that’s about the right amount for an active athlete with a high metabolism.
“It’s helped with my stamina and endurance,” said Kavanaugh, who is currently sidelined with a strained left hamstring.
“(Strength coach Mike) Bewley gave me a calorie limit, what I should be eating and when I should be eating. I have a fat limit. (The diet is) 55 percent carbs, 25 percent protein and 20 percent fat. … It’s done me right so far.”
Asked what he’s had to grudgingly give up, Kavanaugh said, “Pretty much no more Five Guys (hamburger shop).”
Kavanaugh will battle senior Devin Searcy for the starting center spot, although sophomore Josh Benson also could play at the 5 if needed.
“Me and Devin are both capable of filling that spot,” Kavanaugh said. “Right now, nothing is set in stone. All of us have to keep working. Whoever gets that spot will give us the best chance of winning.”
Asked what he’ll bring to the Flyers this season, the Centerville grad said: “Just a tough mentality, go hard on every play, crash on every rebound. That’s what I’m really trying to focus on, my rebounding. Rebounding can go a long way. If I can do that on the offensive and defensive ends, that will help me and the team.”
Kavanaugh had a pretty good role model in the graduated Kurt Huelsman, who was a defensive warrior.
“He definitely helped me out, watching his approach to practice and games every day,” Kavanaugh said. “He’s one of the most focused and professional players I’ve been around. He definitely rubbed off on me and my growing process.”
Despite playing only sparingly last season, Kavanaugh remained upbeat. He could see his time would come and said he never thought about transferring.
And the UD coaches were more high on him than his minutes might have indicated.
“I’ve always been a Dayton Flyer, and I’m always going to be a Dayton Flyer,” Kavanaugh said. “(Transferring) never crossed my mind. I was happy. I knew it was going to be tough with Kurt having started every game. That just makes next year all the more exciting and makes me want to work that much harder to prepare for next year.”
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