NEXT GAME
AdvoCare Invitational final: Dayton vs. Xavier, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, ESPN2, 95.7, 1290
Xavier left the Atlantic 10 in 2013, exiting its rivalry with Dayton in the process. Three seasons later, the Musketeers remain stuck in the back of the Flyer Faithful's mind — an itch the fans haven't scratched in almost three years.
The long-awaited rematch happens at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the championship game of the AdvoCare Invitational at the HP Field House. Dayton (5-0) gets its first shot against a ranked team this season on ESPN2 with Dick Vitale providing color analysis. The Musketeers (6-0) rank 23rd in the Associated Press poll.
The Flyers have driven by the entrance to Disney World each day they’ve been in Florida on the way to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Next to the giant photo of Mickey Mouse, a sign reads, “Where dreams come true.”
A victory over Xavier would be a dream come true for the players and the fans but for different reasons.
Coach Archie Miller and company want a 6-0 start and a trophy. Despite 58 victories and counting the last three seasons, the Flyers haven’t won a tournament or an Atlantic 10 regular-season championship.
None of the Flyers, except for suspended senior forward Dyshawn Pierre, has played Xavier. They are getting their first taste the rivalry while the letter “X” has a whole other meeting for the fans.
Asked if he knows how much the game means to the fans, Dayton point guard Scoochie Smith said, “We’re a little bit naive to the situation. We just see it as another game. We’ll be ready to play and find a way to win.”
Dayton leads the all-time series 85-75. Xavier has won 14 of the last 20 meetings and six of the last seven games at neutral sites in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Players who have experienced the rivalry know how big this game is.
“Dayton Flyers vs. Xavier Musketeers,” former Flyer Devin Oliver wrote on Twitter. “College basketball doesn’t get any better!”
Dayton advanced to the final with two tense victories, beating Iowa 82-77 on Thursday and Monmouth 73-70 on Friday.
Xavier had an easier time, beating Alabama 64-45 and Southern California 87-77. The Muskies did not play as well Monday in a 78-66 victory over Northern Kentucky at the Cintas Center, but that followed a 86-70 victory at No. 24 Michigan.
There’s no doubt this is a strong Xavier team as usual, and Miller knows that.
“We’re nowhere near being ready to play with them right now,” Miller said Friday. “We’ve got to get a lot better and get a game plan. They’re terrific on offense. They have experienced inside guys who manhandled their opponents on the glass the last couple times I’ve watched them play.”
Miller was 3-5 against Xavier in his first two seasons. He said Xavier has evolved since they moved to the Big East, and Dayton has transformed itself in the last three seasons as well.
“We’re sort of in a position right now of trying to make our own identity as a program,” Miller said. “Playing Xavier will mean a lot to our people, so we’ll have great respect for our fans and alums in terms of our preparation.”
Dayton’s new athletic director Neil Sullivan said in his introductory press conference last summer he would be interested in playing Xavier again in the regular season.
Miller wouldn’t mind playing Xavier every season but would shrug his shoulders if that never happens.
“I think it’s a great matchup, a great rivalry,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of tradition there. But it absolutely means zero in the framework of our program, our identity and what we’re trying to accomplish. You can play Xavier every year. I think it would be a great opportunity. It’s a great game. If you don’t play Xavier every year, it’s not going to impact who we are.”
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