DaytonDailyNews.com

University of Dayton coach Brian Gregory always preaches to his players about the need to handle adversity, and he's been dealt his share while trying to rebuild the basketball program back to an NCAA tournament level after his initial year of success.

Gregory inherited a pat hand in 2003-04 from predecessor Oliver Purnell — who left behind three 1,000-point scorers in Ramod Marshall, Sean Finn and Keith Waleskowski — but the talent pool was frighteningly shallow after that class departed.

"It was a deceiving situation," said former UD Athletic Director Ted Kissell, the man who hired Gregory. "The first year's group with three 1,000-point scorers would have left the casual observer with the impression that Brian had walked into a sensational situation, but all of us knew the following year was going to be very, very different.

"These (remaining players) were guys who were used to winning and knew what winning was, but the majority of them were role players. And we just needed a two- or three-class infusion of talent. It was that simple.

"What we no longer had was the talent that put us in the top-tier in the league. And that's where we want to be and that's where BG intended to be."

Getting there, though, meant enduring some unanticipated setbacks.

Losing Meacham hurt

After going 24-9, winning the Atlantic 10 West Division and making the 2004 NCAA tourney, the Flyers finished 18-11 with a promising freshman class that included Brian Roberts and Trent Meacham. But instead of having a backcourt tandem that would be the envy of every A-10 team for the next three years, Gregory was forced to scramble when Meacham transferred to Illinois.

The Flyers tumbled to 14-17 in 2005-06.

"Obviously, I've never said it, but the loss of Meacham hurt us. It set us back a little bit," Gregory said. "That year, it set us back, and then it set us back the next year because he would have been a junior, and now you have to bring in a new point guard. Think if he was in the program and London Warren got to play with him for two years."

Despite a few more defections along the way, the Flyers began the climb back by going 19-12 two years ago and then getting off to a 14-1 start last season, beating Louisville on the road and Pittsburgh at home by 25 points while rising to No. 14 in the rankings. But freshman star Chris Wright suffered a fractured ankle, and another starting forward, Charles Little, missed several games because of a broken foot.

UD limped along to an 8-8 record in the A-10 and settled for an NIT appearance.

"I'll be honest with you: When Chris and Charles got hurt last year, that was tough," Gregory said. "I really believed that team, when completely healthy, was a second-weekend (Sweet 16) team in the NCAA tournament. We matched up really well with the Pittsburghs and Louisvilles and guys like that because we had a 5 man (Kurt Huelsman) who could guard any one of their 5 men, and their 5 men couldn't guard our action offensively with Brian Roberts (coming off a high screen).

"That was an oh-crap-this-stinks (moment)."

'Never any doubt'

But Gregory could take comfort in knowing he had the support of the UD administration. And the Arlington Heights, Ill., native has delivered this season, getting the most out of his roster with an unconventional 12-man rotation and exceeding all expectations by going 26-7 to reach the NCAA tourney again.

"There was never any doubt in anyone's mind (back then) that this is exactly what was going to happen," Kissell said. "The trajectory of the program was strong. And the hard work's paying off. Anyone who's spent any time around Brian Gregory knows he wouldn't settle for anything less."

Gregory has become the first coach since Don Donoher in the 1980s to be able to keep local talent at home, starting with Trotwood's Wright and following up with one star in each of the next three recruiting classes: Dunbar's Josh Benson, Centerville's Matt Kavanaugh and Thurgood Marshall's Juwan Staten.

And while he isn't promising NCAA tourney trips every season, the sixth-year coach does believe he can maintain high standards at Dayton for years to come.

"I'm satisfied with the progress we've made," he said. "We have solid personnel, solid character in the people in the program and solid recruiting. And we've been able to capture the fan base here because of our style of play.

"The foundation is set. We're going to continue to be successful."

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

UD under Brian Gregory