UD sports has come a long way since snub

Graphic by Ted Pitts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Bracket

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 8:44 AM Thursday, November 19, 2009

The University of Dayton basketball program was part of the Great Midwest Conference in the mid-1990s, hobnobbing with the likes of Cincinnati, DePaul and Marquette.

But when the league disbanded and linked arms with Conference USA, the only school that wasn’t invited to make the move was Dayton.

You could hardly fault the college basketball elite for ditching UD. The basketball program was coming off consecutive seasons of 4-26, 6-21 and 7-20, and the athletic department had invested little in other men’s and women’s programs — and it showed.

But the Flyers could paraphrase a song from country singer Toby Keith in response to that long ago snub: “How do you like us now?”

The Flyers have experienced unprecedented success this year. On the men’s side, the soccer team won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title, cross country runner Chris Lemon won the league’s individual crown, and the baseball team won the A-10 regular-season championship last spring.

On the women’s side, the soccer team won the A-10 regular-season and tourney titles, the volleyball team captured the league regular-season crown, the cross country team won the A-10 meet, and the basketball team is receiving votes in the national polls.

And men’s basketball? The Flyers are ranked 18th nationally and have been proving for three years they can compete with the big boys.

Former Athletic Director Ted Kissell deserves much of the credit for the turnaround at UD, and his best attribute may have been his skill in picking coaches.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article