DaytonDailyNews.com

Not long after the University of Dayton basketball team knocked off No. 14 Xavier last week, Flyers forward Chris Wright got a text message congratulating him on the "big win" and his "big game."

It was from Chris Alvarez.

The former Dayton Flyer — now in his final year of college basketball with Northeastern University — may have packed his bags and left UD three years ago, but part of him has remained here.

As Wright — who corresponds with him regularly — can attest, the Flyers still are in his thoughts.

They also are in the heart of him and his family. As his mom, Nancy Alvarez, put it: "Once a Flyer, always a Flyer."

And now Chris Alvarez himself is here. Not at UD, but at the Nutter Center, where he and his Huskies teammates face Wright State in a nationally televised BracketBuster game at 11 a.m. today, Feb. 21.

Watching Northeastern's two-hour practice here Friday, you noticed a few things about Alvarez. He's 23 and his dark hair is buzz cut, but he still shows some of that animated fire on the court. And he's still the self-described "garbage man" looking for the loose-ball bounty that comes with blue-collar play inside.

"It's a real treat being back," Alvarez said. "Dayton was a special place for me — the fans, the school. And basketball-wise, it's hard to beat. I've got a lot of great memories here."

Part of UD coach Brian Gregory's first recruiting class, he, Brian Roberts, Jimmie Binnie, Norman Plummer and Trent Meacham were dubbed the Flyers' Fab Five.

When Alvarez was off attending a New Jersey prep school, Gregory even stayed with Alvarez's family in Miami, Fla. Afterward the UD coach was so impressed, he said: "Now this is the kind of family we want involved in our program."

Nancy and her husband, Fernando, felt the same way. They listened to or watched all the Flyers games via Internet radio broadcasts or through a special college basketball TV package they bought.

Before games, Nancy lit religious votive candles for Chris, who, because he was the youngest of her four kids, she called "my baby" and nicknamed "Pipo." After games she listened faithfully to the Flyer Feedback radio show and even called in a couple of times.

Chris can tell of one night — while riding with Roberts and Plummer after a game to get something to eat — he called his mom only to have her put him on hold. Next thing he heard her voice on the radio talking about him.

The UD fans fell in love with him because of his good looks and his unbridled passion on the court.

As a freshman, he started 16 games, led the Flyers in blocked shots, was second in rebounds and won the Thomas Luppe Award given to first year players who show courage, desire and integrity.

"We have so many good memories from back then," Nancy said by phone. "When you first walk into a game there, you are overwhelmed. I don't think there's any place quite like Dayton when it comes to basketball spirit. When you go out in the town and everyone recognizes you and hugs you, it's awesome."

Although he started another 13 games as a sophomore, Alvarez's playing time was cut back some near the end of the season, then suddenly he decided he was leaving.

At the time, he said he thought he "wasn't fitting in," and today he doesn't expound on it much, except to say it was about "the way I was being used. It wasn't personal."

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't — but Alvarez's decision to transfer surprised many people. "I don't think we found out everything, and he just doesn't talk about it," Nancy said. "Although we supported his decision, I can say when he told us he was leaving, we were devastated."

Today, Alvarez admits to some similar feelings: "When I left, it was kind of like a divorce. Everybody hurt."

After sitting out a year to adhere to NCAA transfer rules, Alvarez started 16 of 31 games for Northeastern last season. This year he's one of the first Huskies players off the bench, averaging 18.7 minutes, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 points per game.

With all the pro teams and the other Division I colleges in Boston, Northeastern players don't get near the spotlight that Wright State and Dayton players do here, where they are the only games in town.

Alvarez hasn't forgotten that, and it's why he keeps an eye on how the Flyers are doing, especially Wright.

"Chris and I have a pretty good relationship," he said. "I showed him around campus when they were recruiting him. I talked to his mom — she's a great woman — and went to some of his high school games.

"We just really clicked. And when I left, his mom was really hurt that she found out about it first in the newspaper. But I talk to Chris kind of regularly now. He's a special person, just a great kid and a great player."

And just as he follows Wright's progress, there are still Flyers' fans who follow him.

"Some UD fans have kept in touch with him, and they've told him they're going to be at (Saturday's) game cheering for him," Nancy said. "Like I said, once a Flyer, always a Flyer."

There can be exceptions to the rule, though Alvarez decided not to put it to the test.

Soon after he announced he was leaving UD, Wright State hired Brad Brownell as its new head coach.

"He recruited me here to Wright State," Alvarez said with a smile. "But I had to say, 'Naah.' I just couldn't. ... I didn't think that would have been a good idea.

"That love affair I'd had would have ended quick ... real quick."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2156 or tarchdeacon@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Flyers' Fab Five

All the members of Brian Gregory's first recruiting class at UD — dubbed the Flyers' Fab Five — are still playing basketball. Two — Brian Roberts and Jimmie Binnie — stayed with the program and graduated. The other three — Trent Meacham, Norman Plummer and Chris Alvarez — transferred out.

Here's where they are today:

Chris Alvarez: senior forward, Northeastern University

Jimmie Binnie: playing pro in Denmark for the Horsholm 79ers

Trent Meacham: senior point guard, Illinois

Norman Plummer: playing pro in Kuwait for Al Arbabi

Brian Roberts: playing pro in Israel for Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa