The Rassi's UD Hoops Preview!!!!

First of all I sincerely apologize for not posting this when I received this A MONTH AGO! I'm a bad blogger and friend. Sit back, relax and enjoy the UD Hoops Bigfoot known as The Rassi and his basketball musings!!!!

2011-12 UD Basketball Preview.

So after the recent “Sandusky Sex Scandal”, I would like to take the time to discuss a “Clean College Program”.  The Dayton Flyers started the season last Saturday with a solid 87-58 win over Western Illinois.  This begins with Archie Miller campaign off right.  Now, mark my words this guy will be the best coach we’ve seen in years and will make Dayton into a similar program as the warlords of the south, Xavier.  Archie comes in with a great background playing basketball at NC State, coaching at Arizona, Ohio State and Arizona State.  Derrick Williams, the number 1 pick in last year’s NBA Draft, credits Archie Miller with his development.  Miller is a type of the guy who will do anything to win and rumor has it he sat down with administration asking for more lee- way with academics.  He’s going to push the standards just like he did signing Jevon Thomas who recently has attended 4 high schools in the last 4 years and also has a 1.97 GPA to brag about.  Archie has backed up his recruiting by getting Vee Sanford for Georgetown to transfer along with Matt Derenbecker from LSU.  Both of these players are the best on the team already and will great additions for next year.  Along, with recruits Devon Scott (forward), Jalen Robinson (pf), and Jevon Thomas (pg) all these guys were recruited heavily by D1 schools.  Also, mark my words Archie Miller will be a better recruiter then Brian Gregory.  Every recruit he’s signed mentions how much the development of Derrick Williams has had and the reason why he is coming to UD.  

What I would like to point out to the Flyer Faithful it’s not about this year, it’s about next year.  Things you should watch for this is movement of the ball, shooting will improve, and the pace on offense will increase.  Overall, UD will be fun to watch on offense this year.  Defensively this year will be a nightmare; UD is very weak upfront with the loss of Searcy and Chris Wright.  Josh Benson, Matt Kavanaugh, and Alex Gavrilovic will lead the Flyers weak front court.  If any of these players get in foul trouble we’re fucked, but again I repeat it’s not about this year, it’s about next year.  I will be looking for improvements and changes from the old regime.   Look for improvements from Josh Benson, and Chris Johnson both will make A10 second team and will have a big year for us.  The motion offense will be a great improvement with ball movement unlike last year which was a struggle with the dribble weave.  Also, thank god there will no longer be any line change substitutions.  Now, my predictions will be a 21-9 record is very possible and a 9-7 record in conference is possible.  I think they finish anywhere from 4^th to 6^th place. 

Dayton's Next Coach by Matthew Rossi

Dayton’s Next Coach


So Flyer Fans, Brian “BG” Gregory is finally gone. We’ve been thinking that this would come for some time, and many of us this season finally were fed up with BG and his so-called “system.” BG’s supporters often pointed to our fantastic record against the Big East and multiple 20 win seasons. During his tenure however, the team struggled to break .500 in the A-10, made only two NCAA tournament appearances (one with Oliver Purnell’s team), and failed to make the NIT a few times. What’s crazy is UD fans seem to be happy BG leaving. Doesn’t it seem a little odd that fans are happy about him leaving look at this article on CBS. I will say BG did represent the University well. He didn’t cheat, graduated all of his players, and was a hard worker. London Warren speaks very high of him and when I met him he was very nice and welcoming. Gregory stopped to talk Flyer hoops any time and even walk to class with you. I have a good story about Coach Gregory. The first time I met him was at the Fieldhouse Bar after a game. “I told him it was my first year and game it was a lot of fun and good win. He asked how I got in when I am freshman. I laughed and said I knew the bouncer, but he responded that I must have a good fake. While I don’t feel that UD’s fans expect to win National Championships, they do expect to challenge for A-10 titles, compete with Xavier and Temple, and make the NCAA’s on a regular basis. So after years of watching the weave offense stumble around the perimeter, seeing a lack of inside post presence, and point guards who have no shooting capabilities whatsoever, UD has the opportunity to hit the reset button. Who will we get?

Wishful Thinking – Not A Chance

Shaka Smart, VCU Head Coach – Many people want Smart or Larranaga to leave their posts at CAA institutions, but someone please tell me, why would they? The CAA has sent two teams to the Final Four in the last five years and has been receiving multiple bids regularly. How exactly is the A-10 a step up from the CAA? Reputation only. Some UD fans point to Smart’s experience at Dayton, but he was only the Director of Basketball Operations for three years. That doesn’t scream “I have a love in my heart for Dayton” to me. He’s not going to leave a school with five years of established success and a Final Four appearance to rebuild a program that’s had a less successful run. One thing that could lead him back to UD is he was former Assistant under Purnell.

Jim Larranaga, George Mason Head Coach – Larranaga stayed at George Mason after leading them to a Final Four in 2006. It seems he wants to stay there forever. Why would he leave for Dayton when he’s had more success at George Mason over the past five years than Dayton’s had in the last twenty?

Could Work, But Do We Want Him?

Billy Schmidt, UD Assistant Coach – Pros: Keeping Schmidt may keep UD’s top two recruits (LaDontae Henson and Percy Gibson) from leaving, great recruiter, and keeps stability in the UD program. Cons: Served under BG for the last few years, and keeps stability in the UD program! My thoughts tend to waver on the side that just because he served under BG gives no indication that he will run the program like BG. He was an employee, not the boss. Xavier and Butler have had success churning through top assistants when head coaches leave, so why can’t UD do the same? If Schmidt will just run the damn weave offense and keep the program middling for A-10 respect, I don’t want him. But if he convincingly wants to change the attitude that comes with being a Flyer, keeps recruiting hard, implants a real offense into the system, and keeps the defensive mentality that BG instilled in the program, he may be our guy. It really depends if he runs the same system as BG.

Pat Knight, Ex-Texas Tech Head Coach – I actually tend to think that this could be a great hire. Pat was under a massive amount of pressure by stepping into a BCS program by following in his father’s shadow. No one wants that kind of pressure. He has a 50-61 head coaching record, but Texas Tech is a traditional bottom dweller in the Big 12 (with the exception of his dad’s years at the helm). Maybe he needs a fresh start, and where better than in his home area of the Midwest, and has to have great recruiting ties to the area. UD needs a fresh start, and so does Pat Knight. It could be a match made in heaven.

Love The Idea, But Probably Not Happening

Paul Hewitt, Ex-Georgia Tech Coach. I know, I know, the ole’ coaches’ swap, but look at it this way. Hewitt wore out his welcome at Georgia Tech, but he had limited success there taking the team to the 2004 NCAA Championship game. Coaching the tough ACC, Hewitt never seemed to work out long-term, but I like his style of coaching for our program. He runs a high octane offense with an emphasis on guard play, and loves to press. That style of play suits our players’ skill sets, and may help to ease the transition into the future. I would like to see him get a shot, but I don’t know if UD wants to hire the guy BG is following. I really can’t see this happening just because this guy seemed disinterested at coaching.

Bruce Pearl, Ex-Tennessee Coach – Some people are skeptical of coaches with troubled pasts, but I believe in second chances. Pearl is obviously a fantastic coach, bringing a Tennessee program from obscurity in the SEC into an annual national title contender. For me, the problem hinges on whether Pearl’s transgressions could result in discipline for Dayton (ala the Kelvin Sampson situation at Indiana). If so, I don’t want him. If not, I say give the guy a chance to build back his reputation by bringing some national attention to the UD program. But something tells me that UD’s priority on bringing in upstanding players and coaches will prevent this from going anywhere.

Rick Byrd, Belmont Head Coach – Belmont’s had some success the last few years under Rick Byrd’s helm, with four NCAA appearances in the last six years. He runs a high-octane offense that shoots a lot of threes, so Chris Johnson, Paul Williams, Josh Parker, and Kevin Dillard will love playing for him. But he’s not leaving Belmont. He’s 57 years old, and has been at Belmont since 1986. He grew up in Tennessee, and I just don’t see any reason (other than his and UD’s religious affiliations) for him to uproot after all that time.

Hate The Idea, And I’ll Be Pissed If It Happens

Bobby Knight, ESPN Analyst – Look, a lot of Flyer fans are pushing for Bobby Knight, but why? Sure, he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he would be a temporary solution. He’s too old. And what’s his incentive? UD is a great place to play and coach, but why would a guy with the resume of Bobby come to take over a rebuilding process? He won’t. So forget about it Flyer Fans, Bobby Knight will not be coaching the Red and Blue next year.

The Stop-Gap Solutions – Gone in Three Years

Jeff Capel, Ex-Oklahoma Head Coach – Fired after two consecutive losing seasons at Oklahoma, Capel may be a fantastic solution to the UD coaching quandary. He took Oklahoma to 2 NCAA appearances and an Elite Eight after a successful run at VCU (3rd coach on this list with VCU experience). He has a 61.4 winning percentage, but considering Capel’s reputation as one of the hottest names out there, any semblance of success at UD could see him leave for greener pastures. It’s obvious he can recruit, having gotten Blake Griffin to play for him, as well as McDonald’s All-American Willie Warren. While Capel may be a hot name that could bring short term success to Dayton, the question is whether we want a Mark Few/Brad Stevens long term solution.

Sydney Johnson, Princeton Head Coach – Having coached at Princeton since 2007, a step up to the Atlantic 10 seems to be a logical next move for the coach. I question his desire to leave the East Coast as he grew up in Baltimore, played at Princeton, and assisted at Georgetown. He took the Tigers from a 6-23 record to a 25-7 team that almost beat Final Four participant Kentucky in this year’s NCAA’s. He runs the always dangerous Princeton offense, and the back door cuts and slick passes could fit the athletic, jumping Flyers we have left on board. I like this hire, but if he takes the move to the Midwest he’ll probably be gone within a few years to a BCS program.

Realistic Candidates, And May Stay Awhile

Blaine Taylor, Old Dominion Head Coach – This guy has an established reputation as a solid coach at the NCAA level, taking ODU to a 215-110 record over the past 10 seasons. He only makes $212,000 at ODU, so UD could offer him a substantial increase in salary. Seeing ODU play a few times this year, I really like the hard-nosed, defensive type of basketball that they play, and would love to see UD transition to that type of play. But since he’s 52 and has been at ODU for 10 years, there has to be concerns over whether or not he would leave a very comfortable situation.

Dan Hurley, Wagner Head Coach – Bear with me here. This could be the golden ticket hire to success that UD is looking for. Hurley made the jump to D1 last year at Wagner College, and led the team to a 13-17 record. But looking a little deeper, some things stand out. Dan is the son of legendary high school coach Bob Hurley, and is the brother of NCAA legend Bobby Hurley, who coincidentally serves as Dan’s assistant coach. Having Bobby Hurley on your staff helps with notoriety and recruiting, and Dan obviously knows the X’s and O’s of college basketball with a pedigree like his. Dan is a young coach with a long career ahead of him, and if his background is any indication, loyalty is something that he holds near and dear to his heart. If UD could pry him away, Hurley may be a great hire now and well into the future.

Anthony Grant, Alabama Head Coach – If this was two years ago, Grant would be the clear front runner for the UD job. UD however, headed to the second round of the NCAA’s that year and Grant took the job at Alabama after leading VCU to three straight CAA titles. Grant starred at Dayton, taking them to the Elite Eight as a player. But after taking Alabama to a 12-4 SEC record this year and the semifinals of the NIT tournament, he has the program on the rise. You’re telling me he’s going to leave a BCS program on the rise to rebuild his Alma mater that he hasn’t had relations with since 1987? Answer, yes and probably only UD. Two things it will depend on are money and the contract. I think if we pitch him right we could get him it all depends on the money. Just remember UD is a basketball school not a football school like ‘Bama.

Matt Graves, Assistant Coach at Butler- This would be a perfect fit for UD and it would be an easy transition with the current players. Butler has found a winning formula and taking someone inside their staff might be the answer. Butler, Xavier and VCU have had coaches continue from their current staff time to take someone from the equations. Graves is also the head recruiter building the foundation for Butler such as getting players like Gordon Heyward, Matt Howard, and Salvin Mack. Once you find a system that works go after and get it. Graves has interviewed for the Butler job, but learning under Stevens is good experience. Stevens is known for his calm, focused coaching style. He spends time analyzing opponents using statistical analysis, adding new wrinkles to his teams play each game. His teams put strong emphasis on defensive and team oriented basketball. This would be a perfect fit and could be a cheap possibly as a coach.

Jeff Boals, Ohio State Assistant Coach- Taking a coach from OSU would be a good fit. First, he learned from Thad Matta how to win and coach. His offensive system would be a good fit with the athletes we have currently. Unfortunately, he probably shortens the bench and we would need post players and more shooters something the Flyers lack. I’ve heard he is a hard worker and would be a good fit. Akron posted a 23-13 record (10-6 in the Mid-American Conference), won their first MAC tournament championship and made their second appearance in the NCAA tournament and first since 1986. Over the previous two seasons, Boals aided the Zips in winning a MAC East Division title (2007), making consecutive appearances in the MAC tournament championship game (2007 and 2008) and advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (2008).

Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s Head Coach- This would be a good fit coming to UD especially with the Catholic school connection. His offense always does well and is pretty average on Defense. Currently, Tim Walber (AD) went out to visit him to lure him away. Now, I do not see him coming because who would want to leave California, however this could be a pay raise for him and could be better facilities along with the WCC adding BYU and Gonzaga having a strong hold on this conference this could be a good time to jump to another program. Recently the WCC has only gotten about 2-3 bids each year. But, the A10 is averaging somewhere 3-4 bids per year. Bennett is known for turning around the St. Mary's program starting 9-20 (his only losing season) and his last 4 years he is averaging 27 wins including a sweet 16 bid in 2009.

Dark Horse Candidate

Steve Wojciechowski, Duke Assistant Coach – I hated this guy when he played for Duke, but I think he could be a hell of a coach. He’s studied under Coach K for 11 years now, and seems to be the frontrunner to take over the Duke program after Coach K retires. But in the off chance that “Wojo” wants to take a head coaching job and then wait for the Duke job to open, why not Dayton? He was intense as a player, and likely is as a head coach and recruiter. I would love to see this guy on Dayton’s sideline, even if it would be temporary until Coach K’s retirement. Tim Wabler would serve well to see if he would even interview.

Damon Goodwin, Capital University Head Coach – While Goodwin played at UD and has ties to the Dayton program, I don’t want to see UD hire a Division III head coach to helm to Flyers. His record is impressive, but if UD hires him, the program could be in for a rough few years.

Ultimate Hire: I have no clue. Many of these people are great selections, and I think the best option listed above is Anthony Grant. Next, I would go after Matthew Graves, Sydney Johnson and Jeff Boals. Either Graves or Johnson would be a perfect fit for our system. We need a coach this will run and good offense and keep the intensity on defense. If Boals is taken by then I would settle with Pat Knight because of his recruiting ties in the Midwest, but how does he relate with his players that will be seen.

Long Awaited And Never Duplicated....UD Flyer Hoop Squad 2010-2011 PREVIEW

I was going to offer up a season preview for my beloved Dayton Flyers, but I somehow felt that I wouldn't be able to offer the best insight possible. As if he was reading my mind, long time Whitey Guccione contributor Rossi offered to write the preview for me, and my immediate thought was "Who Better to preview them than Rossi?", which of course the answer is none. So without further ado, here is Rossi's take on the season for UD Hoops 2010-11:

The Flyer Faithful: The UD Flyers will make the big boy tournament this season. The two main reasons why are Chris Wright and Chris Johnson. What I've seen in the first two games is UD has improved point guard play. Josh Parker and Juwan Staten play the position under control and both can shoot effectively. One thing I noticed is Josh Parker likes taking heat checks, similar to Rob Lowery. Parker will have on and off shooting nights that will both kill us, yet win some games for UD as well. I consider Parker to be a better shooter and smarter player than Staten.


Staten has however been given the keys to car at this point, and Brian Gregory is in the front seat. Staten will play really well at times, but UD will have to live with the freshman mistakes he is certain to make. One thing that does impress me about Staten is that he displays the capability of scoring on every possession, yet it seems like he loves passing to his teammates more, and making sure everyone is involved. Staten reminds me a lot of Mateen Cleaves in this offense. Even though Staten has a better shot, his quickness and ability to get to the basket is very similar to Cleaves. Without a doubt Staten will lead the Flyers in assists and I am confident that Staten will be named A10 rookie of the year.


My next prediction will be Chris Johnson will make the A10's second team. His recent play makes that prediction a little shaky at this point however. Against Akron he shot a grand total of 1 time! He had 3 points on 1 for 1 shooting. It is my contention however that Johnson will turn around his season and be the second leading scorer on the team this year.


Thirdly, many experts predict the lost of last years’ starting center Kurt Hueslman will hurt the most. I'm calling bullshit on that right now however because Devin Searcy will have a breakout season. He will average around 8 to 9 points and about 7 to 8 rebounds per game. Well the big dog is pleasantly proving me wrong as he has posted 2 double doubles in his first two career starts!! From where I sit, I say let the big dog eat and sext all he wants. FYI the rumor around UD is Searcy loves sexting his junk to girls around campus. I inquired about the issue to London Warren. Warren said it was true and later said "Man, Searcy is weird as fuck", so it looks like UD has another member of the “Athlete Dong Shot Phenomenon” aka “Brett Favre Syndrome”.


Fourthly, Brandon Spearman will push Paul Williams for minutes. Spearman is local kid out of Chicago. He reminds me a lot of Marcus Johnson when he first arrived at Dayton. Spearman has a better handle and shot though. Keep an eye out for Spearman next season.


Finally (you knew this was coming) Chris Wright will make the NBA period. He might even be a late first round pick. His performances against Miami and Akron made it clear he has improved his jump shot and the way he handles the ball. Chris also appears to more muscular than I can remember, and that can only help his game. The additions of Parker and Staten will benefit Wright’s game the most however, as playing with a true point guard will attract defenders and leaving Wright open for easy buckets. Currently, Wright is averaging 13 and 10 boards. If Wright keeps that type of production up, watch for his NBA stock to rise.


As for the team results, UD will go 13-2 in their Non Conference schedule. They will go 3-1 against the BCS teams. The main focus is the Conference Schedule though, and you can mark it down right here and now: UD will beat Xavier in Cincy this year for the first time since 1982 and finish with an 11-5 conference record. UD has a chance to go 13-3 with a favorable home schedule playing Xavier, Temple, and Richmond at home. All are predicted ahead of UD in the standings. UD will place in 2nd. All four of those aforementioned teams will make the NCAA's.


Once UD gets selected for the NCAA Tournament, who knows what they can do? We've all seen in the past years once you’re in, you can do some damage. Just ask Butler last season. Around mid-season we will get an idea if UD will be defending its NIT crown or playing with the big boys. Either way though, it’s time to get Flyer’d UP! WE ARE UD!

We Are...UD

Dear Flyer Faithful,

Tonight, we can call ourselves 2009-2010 NIT Champions. Tonight, we have added a third NIT Title to the history of UD Basketball. Tonight, was the culmination of a winning streak that began three weeks ago, which saw UD beat teams from the Missouri Valley, the Big East, the Big Ten, the SEC, and now the ACC and last seasons National Champion North Carolina.

Yes, winning the NIT was not our goal to start the season. Yes, this UD team underachieved and was about 6 or 7 possessions away from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Yes, this was the second out of the past three seasons Dayton was in the Top 20 and didn't make the Tournament. Yes, Brian Gregory is once again the subject of rumors regarding his departure for greener pastures. Yes, Chris Wright did not elevate his game to the next level many people expected him to, and was wildly inconsistent.

None of it matters, at least not tonight. At least for one night, let's put away the disappointment of unrealized expectations, the sarcasm of winning a tournament that won't be around next season, the anxiety caused by rumors, and pessimism about the future. While in many respects Dayton may be at the crossroads, there is realistic hope for optimism for next season. Tomorrow will begin another offseason of intrigue, but for now let's just enjoy this, and have visions of what the new banner hanging at UD Arena will look like.

"This game is kind of a capsule of our season. Started out great, had some tough times, then just kind of through and ended up being very successful" - Brian Gregory 4/1/2010.

Still Going...

The beloved Dayton Flyers kept on rolling through the NIT as they held on for the victory tonight against Ole Miss 68-63 at The Garden. Dayton (and their growing on me black uniforms) certainly didn't make it easy on themselves in the end as usual, but clutch free throw shooting from Chris Johnson and a key miss from Murphy Holloway at the line with 35 seconds left, paved the way for the victory. Next up for Dayton is last year's National Champion North Carolina and the getting-crazier-by-the-season Roy WILL-UM for the right to call themselves the Not In Tournament Champion/Tallest Midget. Thursday's game will be the 8th time Dayton has played in the NIT Final. The last time was 1968, and their last NIT Finals win was 1962.


Not only have the Flyers provided The Beard a nice reprieve from the panic of the seeming collapse of the Blackhawks, the worst "playoff run" ever witnessed by any Bulls team in history, and the dragging on of spring training, but there are more cumulative effects for Dayton beyond just wins and losses. This NIT run has denied Gregory at least one open coaching job at the University of Iowa according to this report, and has also possibly left himself as the default candidate for the DePaul vacancy - even though Gregory isn't nearly worth $3 million per season incidentally.
Sure I won't forget that no matter what happens, this season is a disappointment for The Flyers. Dayton was supposed to win the A-10 this year, and nothing will change that. Still, if this is in fact to be the last season of Brian Gregory manning the Dayton sidelines, a victory over North Carolina in the NIT Final, would be a better than average send off for him and a nice way to make lemonade out of this lemon of a season.

Why The Hell Not!?

What do you do when you underachieve despite your talent level, and preseason projections? You go to the NIT Final Four of course! You also manage to do so by beating a team you have always wondered what would happen if you ever played them in their own gym.

The Dayton Flyers marched into Assembly Hall and promptly dismantled the Fighting Illini 77-71, despite their odd black uniforms. Using their usual blend of athleticism, uptempo play, better than average three point shooting, and tough defense, the Flyers built two different 16 point leads, and despite it getting a little hairy at the end, largely outplayed the Illini for much of the contest. There were a couple of milestones achieved with the win for the Flyers. This marks the first time Dayton has beaten a Big Ten team since the 2001-2002 season. It's also the first time Dayton has gone to the NIT Final Four since 1968.

As a Dayton alum, it's not that hard to remember that this season was a disappointment overall. UD will still approach a crossroads coming up when this season does eventually end. Will they fight to keep coach Brian Gregory as he will no doubt be courted by teams with vacancies? Both arguments for and against keeping him are more than valid. That will have to wait for the moment though as the Flyers are Madison Square Garden bound. Even though winning the NIT is always the equivalent of being the tallest Midget, it will still make me chuckle when I see the "NIT Final Four" Banner hanging in UD Arena. Get the Velcro ready!

Another Beatdown? Why NOT!

The Dayton Flyers beat the Charlotte 49ers 75-47 tonight at UD Arena. For the second straight game, Dayton not only beat the first place team in the Atlantic 10, but humiliated their opponent with an embarrassing point differential. Dayton once again displayed the stifling defense that has been so dependable all season long, as they out-rebounded the 49ers 44-33, and limited Charlotte to shooting 25% from the field. Dayton improves to 17-6 (6-3 in the conference), and has re-established themselves in the A-10 race, and NCAA Tournament Picture.

The (delightful) story of this game though was the play of Chris Wright. He scored a career high 30 points by going 11-15 from the field, at the same time snaring down 9 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots just for good measure. This is a crucial stretch of games for the Flyers. The kind of stretch where star players are expected to rise to the challenge, elevate their games, and put the team on their backs. Wright has done that for 2 consecutive huge games now, and he has never been more impressive than he was tonight. We may be witnessing a very good player deciding to become great right before our eyes. It's also clear that his play has elevated others around him as Chris Johnson chipped in 14 points (3 three point field goals), 7 rebounds, and has emerged as more than just a complimentary player, but possibly a rising star in his own right.

Next up is another tough challenge for Dayton in Rick Majerus and his St. Louis Billikens. Like Dayton, the Billikens are 6-3 in the A-10 conference and have lost only twice at home. A tough task, but a task that Dayton should be able to accomplish.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..."

Payback

Now that's how you handle your business Dayton Flyers! Dayton beat Xavier 90-65 earlier this afternoon and with the win, knocked Xavier out of first place in the Atlantic 10. The Flyers showed that when both Chris Johnson and Chris Wright are on their game they are a dangerous basketball team, particularly lethal at UD Arena. Dayton opened things up with a 17-3 run to start the game and never looked back.

This game in many respects was the polar opposite of the previous Dayton-Xavier matchup three weeks earlier. Dayton played with tenacity, rather than timidness. The Flyers continued to showcase their blueprint of excellent defense and rebounding with 6 blocked shots, and outrebounded Xavier 42-21. Two big differences were Dayton's Free Throw percentage, and 3 Point Field Goal Percentage. Dayton shot 72% from the line, versus 64% against Xavier in January, and the Flyers were 7-13 from beyond the arc versus 6-20 in January.

In the words of a fellow Dayton Alumn and good friend, "This was a Michigan State type of Victory" today. The kind of blowout home victory against a good opponent that the Flyer Faithful are expecting from the Brian Gregory era. Up next is an even bigger test at home in the first place in the A-10 Charlotte 49ers. Dayton has a major opportunity to reassert themselves in the A-10 standings with a victory, plus the table is set with upcoming games against Temple and Richmond prior to the start of the A-10 Tournament. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more..."

The Streak Continues...

Dayton dropped another loss to Xavier in Cincinnati this afternoon, but this one particularly stung worse than the others. As a friend of The Beard's pointed out to him, this is one of the least talented teams Xavier has featured, and it's one of the most talented teams Dayton has featured, yet the movie ends the same way it has since 1981.

The most galling aspect of this loss was that Dayton beat themselves again. Dayton out-rebounded Xavier 51-34, and had plenty of second chances at layups the entire game. Yet once again, free throws were the difference. Dayton went 16-25 at the line while Xavier clocked in with 24-30 clip at the line.

This isn't necessarily a "bad" loss tourney wise, but it doesn't help either. Dayton now drops to fourth in the A-10 and now has a conference loss on their record. The good news is that there's plenty of season left to try and secure a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Weekend Outlook

Well, I'll be starting early on Saturday morning as the beloved Dayton Flyers travel to Xavier to take on the Mouseketeers on ESPN 2. The Flyers are looking to make history and end one of the most baffling losing streaks in the history of college basketball by beating Xavier in Cincinnati for the first time since 1981. Uncle Rico was still playing high school football the last time this happened. Will history take place? I don't know but I'll be Flyer'd Up for sure.

Also, the NFL Playoffs continue starting on Saturday as well. Here's my predictions for what they're worth:

New Orleans over Arizona
Baltimore over Indianapolis
Dallas over Minnesota
New York Jets over San Diego.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Weekend Nuggets

I apologize for the lateness of my posts. NYE is a time consuming holiday, so here are a few random observations, most of them bowl intensive, I had over the weekend:

Holiday Bowl : Yeah Ndamukong Suh only had 3 tackles (1 for loss), but for those who watched the game saw that he was subjected to numerous double, sometimes triple teams throughout the game. He was also a big part of a Nebraska defense that was responsible for a measly 6 first downs, 109 yards of offense, and recorded the first Holiday Bowl shutout in 32 years. Suh is one of the most intriguing defensive lineman to enter the draft, and his dominance is so obvious that even Mel Kiper has him ranked #1 overall on his big board.

Capital One Bowl : In a surprising display of Big Ten Pride, the Penn State Nittany Lambs rose to the occasion and defeated LSU in a rain soaked, mud-laden field. While LSU definitely had a hand with their unbelievably poor clock management in the end, Penn State won another bowl game for the corpse of Joe Paterno. The only thing that was really terrible about this game was class act Daryll Clark, doing his best Curt Schilling 1993 World Series imitation, and turning his back to Collin Wagner's winning kick to put PSU ahead for good, because he couldn't handle the stress of the situation. That is bush league garbage. Clark should know that it's important for ALL his teammates to watch the kick, and be supportive no matter what the outcome of the kick is. Not only did Clark show that he doesn't have the nuts to play big time football, but he also showed that he's not above displays of "Hey look at me" in clutch situations. Shame on him.

Gator Bowl : Speaking of corpses, Bobby Bowden and his Free Shoes University Criminoles went out with a victory over West Virginia. The only thing that is memorable of this game is that it showed the short memory of the media. Once again they attempted to deify Bowden, while overlooking glaring academic fraud, shoplifting and shoe deals, along with countless other infractions that have occurred under Bowden's watch. This game only further exemplifies that prostitutes and buildings get classier as they get older. "Eat your heart out Florida State" indeed.

Rose Bowl : In yet another display of Big Ten Pride this weekend the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon NikeDucks in this years Rose Bowl. The most notable aspect of this game was the effort shown by the much ballyhooed Terelle Pryor. Coming into the game with a partially torn knee, Pryor went 23 of 37 for 266 yards and 2 TD's. He also orchestrated a key fourth quarter 13 play, 81 yard, 6 minute drive that ensured the victory. It was good to see the Big Ten continue to answer the bell in the bowl games this year, as well as see Pryor start to live up to the sometimes unrealistic expectations that have been thrust upon him. Plus Ohio State needed this win to end a rather humiliating bowl record the past three seasons.

Sugar Bowl : Tim Tebow once again tried to desperately prove to the world that god exists by playing college football at an exceptional level. While he once again failed to prove there is a god, he certainly proved that he will go down as one of the best qb's to ever played college football. Much like Andre Ware, Ty Detmer, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Gino Torretta, Charlie Ward, Jason White, and Troy Smith, Tebow will get to watch NFL games from his couch like the rest of us in no time. No matter what is actually happening in the bizarre situation that is Urban Meyer, Florida continued to show that they are among the elite of college football.

Dayton Flyers : The Flyers ventured into The Pit against New Mexico, and once again decided to get in their own way, and prevent a victory by playing nervous. It was a shame too, because in this blogs view Dayton definitely had the better team, but were so anxious the first ten minutes that they had to play catch-up the rest of the game. They did manage to get the lead in the second half, but it was quickly squandered by inopportune turnovers and poor shot selection. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't a bad loss since they lost to a team in the top 25. Still though, Dayton must play better than that, and history shows that Brian Gregory is the kind of coach that knows this.