Archdeacon: Anthony Grant on UD’s disappointing loss to VCU — ‘We’ve got to fix this now’

In the mid-1970s, the Bucs lost all 14 games in their initial season as an expansion franchise and then the first 12 of their second season to make for an 0-26 introduction to the NFL.

After a bad loss, McKay was asked what he thought of his team’s execution.

“I’m in favor of it,” he deadpanned.

Grant was in no mood to joke around after the self-inflicted loss to a depleted, long-shelved VCU team dropped the Flyers to 8-6, but it was clear that he was not happy.

“I think it’s an understatement to say I’m disappointed with the result,” he began. “Right now, I’m probably more disappointed with our performance as a team.” He was critical of his team’s lack of “competitive character” and “lack of discipline.”

“I didn’t feel as a team we had the right mindset today,” he said. “This isn’t a pick-up game. This isn’t an AAU game. It’s not whether things are going well for you individually.”

He added: “We didn’t play hard enough. Guys are more interested in ‘I want to play,’ rather than ‘I want to compete. I want to win.’ It’s a mentality that now permeates sports in general of late.”

He admitted he last played 30 years ago and I didn’t want to get on a soapbox, but he said “it’s really, really frustrating.”

It was obvious he was disturbed by what he’s sees as a selfish shift among some unnamed players of late. He mentioned some worrying about whether they were starting, the number of minutes they played or how much they were scoring.

“You can’t take steps back,” he said. “We can’t go back to November. We need a team that plays on the same page, in terms of what matters and what’s really important.

“You’re not going to be able to do it with three or four guys.”

Obi & Red Panda

The night started off as a lovefest with the most beloved Flyers player ever and UD Arena’s most beloved halftime performer both in house and getting heartfelt standing ovations from the crowd.

Obi Toppin, the National College Player of the Year for the Flyers two years ago and now a second-season New York Knick on a free night between two home games at Madison Square Garden – came back on a surprise visit to Dayton, which he told reporters at halftime, he considers “my second home.”

Wearing a red New York Yankees cap and a stylish, hooded, white top, he was handed a microphone during the game’s first time out and strode to center court as the jumbo video board above proclaimed: “Welcome Home Obi Toppin.” “It feels good to be back here,” he told the standing, oft-cheering crowd. “I miss you guys. I love you guys.”

He had surprised Grant and the team with his appearance – though assistant coach Ricardo Greer did know of the visit and helped set it up – and spoke to the Flyers briefly in the pregame dressing room.

During the game, he cheered on the Flyers from behind their bench, stood once and urged the crowd to cheer the team and ,throughout the game, he also made time for fans as he moved around the Arena to pose for photos and sign autographs.

When he passed the students’ section, he cupped his hands into a heart and held it up to them.

At halftime Rong Niu – the daughter of Chinese acrobats who began riding a unicycle at age seven and now, decades later, is known as Red Panda – came onto the court in white heels and a short white frock.

She waved to the applauding crowd, crawled up a ladder to get onto her very-high unicycle. and then put on the performance that’s made her the most respected act at NBA and college games across the nation.

Soon she was pedaling the unicycle with one foot and balancing white bowls on the other – first one then stacking two on top of each other, then three, four and finally five – all of which she kicked upward into a perfect arc so that they landed in each other and balanced atop her head.

On this night she was far more on the mark than the Flyers.

UD made one field goal in the final 11 minutes, 15 seconds of the game and made just 20 percent (3 of 15) from three-point range all night.

Three players from whom you expect more – starter Kobe Elvis, who previously played at DePaul; Elijah Weaver, who in two seasons at USC and now in his second here, was playing in his 90th college game; and Mustapha Amzil, in his second Flyers season and best known for his game-winning shot at the buzzer against Kansas – combined for zero points in 49 ½ minutes of play.

Several other players had miscue moments as well and by game’s end, UD had been out shot, outrebounded and out-hustled and out-muscled by the Rams, who hadn’t played a game since Dec. 15 and were missing two key starters – 6-8 Levi Stockard III a Kansas State transfer who’s played 136 college games and aggressive point guard Jaden Nunn, who’s averaging 10 points per game – both sidelined by COVID rules.

In their place, other players stepped up, and none more so than sophomore guard Adrian Baldwin Jr, who hit the game-winning three over Malachi Smith with 6.6 seconds left.

Inexplicably, the Flyers – who had just four team fouls and two to give – didn’t foul to disrupt the final Rams’ possession, which began after a timeout with 14.2 seconds left.

UD did get a frantic final shot, but when R.J. Blakney gathered in deflected pass and drove to the basket, he was met by two defenders. His off-balance shot was errant and some debated if he was fouled.

Nothing was called, though VCU got very few breaks on foul calls Wednesday. The Flyers shot 27 free throw and the Rams attempted just two.

The two players UD made available afterward -- Toumani Camara (a game-high 16 points) and DaRon Holmes II (12 points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and 6 of 8 free throw attempts) -- and Grant all agreed it should not have come down to a final shot for the Flyers.

VCU outscored UD 17-7 on fast-break points and the Rams’ bench outscored Dayton’s 15-3.

Flyers losing their identity

Grant talked about his team losing its identity.

He said right now the players who do have substantial experience have not stepped up to lead.

He hinted about a me-first attitude hampering some players and how this seemed to revert to those early, rudderless days this season when the young Flyers lost three straight home games to low-ranked teams they should have beaten.

That’s not a good sign and you hope it doesn’t portend to some kind of fracture in the ranks.

“We’ve got to fix this now,” Grant said.

“I’m just trying to be honest with you guys and tell what l’m upset about right now. I can go back and look the film and say, ‘OK, that’s not what happened.”

That could happen, but it’s doubtful the pictures will tell a different story.

To point, after Toppin offered his heartfelt words during that first time out, the Flyers came back on the court and quickly threw the ball away on three straight possessions.

Grant said he appreciated Toppin’s return: “For him to take time out of his schedule and want to come back and support his team and the community shows you what this place meant to him and the pride he takes in being a Dayton Flyer.”

With that in mind, Grant was asked: “So do your kids appreciate him? Can they feed off him?”

He hesitated and searched for an answer, saying “I …I…aaah….”

Then, with a bit of a laugh, he said “Is that a trick question?”

He never did answer and soon he was walking out the press-room door.

And that brought to mind anther McKay quote:

“There were times I felt like leaving the stadium and hitchhiking home.”