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Preview: Dayton vs. Fordham

UD's Miller using technical fouls for team's motivation

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 10:15 PM Friday, February 10, 2012

Dayton (14-9, 4-5 A-10) at Fordham (9-13, 2-7)

Time, TV: 1 p.m., WHIO (Ch. 7)

Radio: WHIO-FM (95.7), WHIO-AM (1290)

Series record: UD leads 21-5

Starting lineups:

DAYTON	Yr.	Ht.	Pos.	PPG
Kevin Dillard	Jr.	6-0	G	12.9
Paul Williams	Sr.	6-4	G	8.5
Chris Johnson	Sr.	6-6	F	10.9
Luke Fabrizius	Sr.	6-9	F	7.1
Matt Kavanaugh	Jr.	6-9	C	9.3
FORDHAM	Yr	Ht	P	PPG
Branden Frazier	So.	6-3	G	12.2
Devon McMillan	Fr.	5-10	G	7.4
Bryan Smith	Fr.	6-2	G	10.2
Chris Gaston	Jr.	6-7	F	16.1
Kevin Bristol	Sr.	6-10	C	4.8

About Dayton

The Flyers have lost four straight games, their longest skid since dropping seven in a row in 2005-06. They’re trying to avoid matching the only five-game A-10 losing streak in school history, which occurred in 1996-97. They’re 1-5 in true road games. An inability to stop opponents has been the team’s Achilles heel. UD is 13th in the league in field-goal percentage defense at 45.8 percent. The last time the Flyers allowed foes to shoot over 45 percent for an entire season was 1994-95. ... Dillard is first in the league in assists at 6.0 per game. He’s also fifth in foul shooting at 82.2 percent. ... UD is shooting 75.7 percent from the foul line, the 16th-best mark in the nation.

About Fordham

The Rams, who have lost 11 of the last 12 games in the series, have been struggling offensively. They’re last in the A-10 in points per game (62.1), foul shooting (63.0) and field-goal percentage (38.0). But Chris Gastson, who is averaging a league-high 10.2 rebounds, has been a “double-double machine,” as UD coach Archie Miller calls him. He has 14 games with double figures in both points and rebounds, the fifth-most in the nation. He’s also had 50 for his career. ... Brenden Frazier leads the team in assists at 3.8, and Bryan Smith is the current A-10 rookie of the week.

FYI

UD’s strength of schedule, which once hovered in the low-teens, has fallen to 39th nationally.The chief reason for the dip is that teams such as Alabama, Minnesota and Seton Hall have faded a bit since playing the Flyers.

Quote, unquote

Fordham coach Tom Pecora on his team’s offensive woes: “We have guys shooting in the mid-80s, almost 90 percent (in practice drills). But when the lights come on, especially these young guys, they have trouble shooting the basketball.”

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