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Home > Blogs > Flyer Connection: University of Dayton sports > Archives > 2009 > March > 21 > Entry
Gregory 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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Comments
By Scott
March 21, 2009 10:02 PM | Link to this
B.G. is a class act. Oliver got the program on the mends but B.G. was needed to take it to the next level. Before too long they will be getting home-and-homes with the top teams in the country. It’s funny WSU’s AD and coach were at UD watching. They saw what a top notch program is like and what a full arena is like. Now maybe the comparisons will stop. Go Flyers. Where’s all the trash talkers who said WVU would crush UD?By Bob
March 21, 2009 11:06 PM | Link to this
Definitely a huge fan of BG and what he’s done for the program. Giving him a contract extension was a wise move that will pay dividends for the Flyers for years to come! Now, go Flyers and feast on some Jayhawk for Sunday lunch!!!By the rosser
March 22, 2009 1:04 AM | Link to this
am happy our flyers did not over-celebrate their mountaineers’ win… i believe they are staying deep within themselves to pony up to the jayhawks about twenty-five hours from now. chris wright, WOW!!! pour some of that energy all over kansas and we’ll be signing “sweet sixteen”! go, chris, and our red and blue!!! go, coach, on to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!By markh
March 22, 2009 10:27 AM | Link to this
Enjoy it, BG, you and your guys have earned it. We have a shot today if the decent shooting continues and Warren and Huelsman can neutralize Collins and Aldrich.By bricejones
March 22, 2009 1:35 PM | Link to this
Hey Scott, whats funny is how UD is scared to play WSU for fear they would lose local recruits. And a reality check, 2 years ago when WSU was in the tourney I believe UD’s AD was in attendance. This was the same time you Flyer frontrunners were having a hard time selling out your place.By cj
March 23, 2009 8:01 AM | Link to this
Let’s face it WSU blow hards…your program is decent but not great. You can’t even sell out that s**t hole of a facility called the “s**t house”. Your BB program will never get to the level of Dayton…let me repeat myself….NEVER!!! Quit trying to come up with reasons why UD should play Wrong State.By UD Sucks
March 23, 2009 5:22 PM | Link to this
WSU’s program is already on the level of UD’s. The team has not had success 75 years ago like UD but the programs overall are on the same level. And don’t start on the Nutter Center. It is a amazing facility and great place to watch a game, that dungeon of an arena UD plays is is a horrible place to watch a game and only sells out 2 or 3 times a year. Grow up Peter Pan.By HEY MORON littlegas@woh.rr.com
March 27, 2009 5:30 PM | Link to this
You must be on some good drugs sissy raiderette!!! The same level as UD? You must have been stuck in a cave with your boyfriend for years. When was the last time the “NUTT” crap center hosted an NCAA game? They can’t even get the women to play a tourney game there. And get your facts straight moron. UD is in the top 25 in the country in attendance year after year after year. What is the capacity of your dump? Oh…that’s right. Around 8,000…and you can’t sell that out once a year??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Pipe down a*****e and cheer for a real team.By Hot Carl
March 30, 2009 9:11 AM | Link to this
That’s right…..UD does suck. I don’t see them doing anything again next year post season as long as they play a nobody OOC schedule. Yeah you are in the Puerto Rico Tip Off but you are going to get smoked as soon as you play a decent team. Go live in the past and in that barn you call an arena. I’m tired of all you human wind bags spouting off as is you have some kind of basketball tradition. You have nothing! You are being laughed at behind your collective backs.By nullxmengivehead@live.com is an Idiot
March 31, 2009 1:42 PM | Link to this
When was the last time the Nutter Center hosted a NCAA game? A better question is when was the last time the Nutter Center bid a ton of money to host a game? The answer is never. The only reason UD gets games is because they give the NCAA the most money retard! And the capacity of the Nutter Center is around 10,000. You are right though, UD’s 3 sellouts a year is way more impressive than WSU’s 1.By littlegas@woh.rr.com
April 4, 2009 10:40 PM | Link to this
Hey little gas…what is the average attendance at the “NUTT-S**T” house the past few years? “Operating on a tight $9.3 million athletics budget this year, Grant is engaging the 45,000 local university alumni to build awareness, brand consistency and fill seats in the Nutter Center, where attendance has remained fairly steady for the past five years between 4,800 and 5,300 fans per game”. How many per game? Can’t even hit the 6000 fan mark? What a joke of a program. And how many of those fans are in town working at the base? You cannot even start to compare Wrong State to Dayton. LET ME REPEAT A*****E… YOU CAN’T AND WILL NOT COMPARE UD TO WRONG STATE MORON!!! My advice…turn to the red and blue and we will make room for you at UD’s big house. All are welcome!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!By HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
April 4, 2009 10:49 PM | Link to this
More great quotes from the internet!!! “But the changes will not be easy as Wright State’s young basketball program does not have the following of the University of Dayton, which averages 12,470 fans per game”. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Wright State WRONG SCHOOL fans!!!!By BJ
April 4, 2009 10:54 PM | Link to this
More stats for the Wrong State fans!!! Chew on this fat a******s!!! INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Once again, the Flyer Faithful has put the University of Dayton high atop the list of men’s basketball attendance. Over 200,000 fans visited UD Arena this past season, an average of 12,569 per 16 home dates, which ranks 18th in the NCAA’s attendance report, which was released today. The Flyers have placed in the top 25 in attendance for six consecutive years while averaging over 12,000 fans each season. Dayton has been in the top 35 in NCAA attendance every single year since UD Arena opened for the 1969-70 season. Over seven million fans have witnessed Dayton basketball in person in the Arena. In moving up to 18th, the Flyers passed Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Fresno State, Iowa, Marquette, Memphis and Tennessee. The Flyer Faithful filled UD Arena to its’ sellout capacity of 13,409 four times this past season and 74 times in the building’s history. The last 87 regular season games have drawn at least 11,000 fans. In the last 16 years, 99 percent (325 of 329) of UD’s home games have had at least 10,000 fans, including the last 126 regular season games. A full Arena gives the Flyers an immense home-court advantage, as UD has gone 82-20 at home in the past six seasons.