Game Notes in PDF Format
DAYTON SEEKS FIFTH STRAIGHT VICTORY WITH HOME GAME AGAINST HIGH POINT
The University of Dayton Flyers return home after a successful two-game road swing with a contest against the High Point Panthers on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be carried by WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with streaming audio and video from DaytonFlyers.com.
Dayton enters the game on a four-game winning streak and is 5-1 overall and 3-0 at home in 2007-08. Last week UD won back-to-back non-conference road games in the same week for the first time in 20 years with victories over Miami (OH) and Holy Cross. One of the key's to Dayton's recent success has been a smothering defense. During the winning streak opponents are averaging 60.5 points per game, shooting just 46 percent from the field and UD is forcing 15.5 turnovers per game.
High Point will be wrapping up a three-game road swing and has won three of its last four. Senior forward Arizona Reid, the Big South's Player of the Year in 2006-07 and preseason choice to repeat, is averaging 24.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this year. In fact Reid has scored double figures in 25 consecutive games. Last year Reid and Texas' Kevin Durant were the only two players to average at least 21 points and nine rebounds per game. Under head coach Bart Lundy, High Point is 62-18 (.775) when scoring 70 points or more.
SERIES STUFF
This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
NON-CONFERENCE NEWS
UD's schedule features three top 25 teams from the AP Top 25 and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. Pittsburgh is 9th & 12th, Louisville is ranked 11th & 14th, and Xavier is 20th & 21st. Two other Flyer opponents are receiving votes.
UD A NATIONAL LEADER IN LATEST GSR REPORT
The University of Dayton Division of Athletics maintained its position as one of the top academic achievers in the NCAA in the latest breakdown of the Graduation Success Rate data released earlier this month. UD has an institutional GSR of 95 percent which ranks first among the Atlantic 10 Conference and 16th overall in the nation. The men's basketball team had the second highest GSR in the Atlantic 10 Conference at 82 percent. Success in the classroom is nothing new for UD student-athletes. The Flyers combined cumulative grade point average is above a 3.0. In addition, UD has had 27 Academic All-Americans in the last six years. Also, at least one Dayton student-athlete has been named an Academic All-American for 22 straight years.
UD SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS OF BENSON, FABRIZUS, JOHNSON AND WILLIAMS
University of Dayton men's basketball coach Brian Gregory and his staff landed their fifth strong recruiting class in his five years at UD, as the Flyers received National Letters of Intent Nov. 14 from their 2008 incoming freshman class. The newest official members of the Flyer family are 6-10 forward/center Josh Benson of Dayton Dunbar High School, 6-9 forward Luke Fabrizius of John Hersey High School (Arlington Heights, IL), 6-5 guard/forward Chris Johnson of Columbus (OH) Brookhaven High School and 6-3 guard Paul Williams of Detroit Renaissance High School. The 2007-08 signing class is ranked as high as 37th in the country (HoopScoopOnline.com) and features three Street & Smith's High School All-Americans. Benson, Johnson and Williams each received High Honorable Mention notice. In addition, Rivals.com lists Benson, Williams and Fabrizius as the best members of this class in the Atlantic 10 at power forward, shooting guard and small forward respectively.
ROBERTS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL A-10 TEAM
Senior guard Brian Roberts was named to the Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 squad. Roberts was the only player listed among the Atlantic 10's top five in scoring (3rd), minutes (2nd), FT% (2nd), 3-pt. FG% (2nd) and 3-pointers per game (5th) in 2006-07. This season Roberts is fifth in the A-10 in points per game (19.8), third in 3-pt. FG's per game (3.2) and third assists per game (5.0). He is the only A-10 player among the conference leaders in scoring, 3-pointers made, assists, FG% (7th, .558, 43-77), minutes per game (9th, 34.7) and 3-pt. FG% (4th, .514, 19-37).
B-ROB B-GOOD
A two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and UD Most Valuable Player, Roberts is just the eighth Flyer to earn MVP honors as a sophomore and junior. Last season, he led UD in scoring (18.5), assists (2.7), minutes (35.6), 3-pt. FG's per game (2.7), FT% (.899, 133-148) and 3-pt. FG% (.458, 82-179). Roberts is also the only UD player in the school's top five in career 3-pt. FG% and FT%. His .438 (212-484) from behind the arc is first at UD and his .843 FT% (268-318) is third.
THE TOLEDO RIFLE
Already having scored 1,454 career points, Brian Roberts is projected to finish in the Top Five in Flyer scoring. He has a more than solid chance to be the first UD player to lead the team in scoring three times since Jim Paxson did it in 1978-79. It just so happens that Paxson was also the last Flyer to be named an All-American. Roberts moved into the Top Twenty in UD career scoring during the Toledo win, and needs 28 points to reach Jack Zimmerman in 18th place.
MR. ROBERTS = MR. EFFICIENCY
Over his career, Roberts has demonstrated a knack for two things: scoring his points in short amounts of time, and playing well on the road. He scored at least 10 points in a half 25 times in 2006-07, and has done it 56 times in his career. Over his college career, Roberts' road scoring average of 15.7 points is actually better than his home average of 14.2. Against SMU, Roberts enjoyed one of his most efficient games shooting 10-of-12 from the floor and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points. In the final 64 seconds against Miami, Roberts netted 12 of his team high 20 points, and a game-winning 3-pointer in UD's 63-62 victory.
LIFE OF BRIAN
Not just a strong performer on the court, Roberts is also one of just four Dayton players to be named winner of the White-Allen MVP Award and the John L. Macbeth Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award (top grade point average). He is also the only Flyer men's basketball player to be named all-conference and academic all-conference in the same season (2006-07).
ESPN THE MAGAZINE RECOGNIZES ROBERTS
In the 2007-08 college basketball preview, ESPN the Magazine's Dick Vitale selected Dayton's Brian Roberts as the best player that few have heard about. Roberts has scored in double figures in 32 of his last 35 games.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After just six games, freshman Chris Wright has two double-doubles. He earned the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award on Nov. 11 after getting the first double-double in a Flyer freshman debut (22 points and 13 rebounds against East Tennessee State) and was named again on Nov. 25. In the Toledo win, he had 26 points and 12 rebounds. The 26 points tied the second-most scored by a Flyer freshman in a game. He is second on the team in scoring (13.5) and leads in rebounding (6.5), blocked shots (1.0), FG% (.667, 34-51) and 2nd in FT% (.800, 12-15). For the young season, Wright is first in the conference in FG%, tied for 12th in offensive rebounds (2.3), 13th in rebounding and tied for 14th in blocked shots (1.0). He is the top freshman in the A-10 in all four categories and also the leading freshman scorer in the conference.
WRIGHT PLACE, WRIGHT TIME
Chris Wright's 26 points tied the second-most points by a Flyer freshman. Only Shawn Haughn scored more in his freshman year when he scored 30 against Saint Louis in 1993-94. Jim Rhoden (1977-78) and Tony Stanley (1997-98) previously also scored 26 as freshmen for UD. It was Wright's 26-point, 12-rebound effort was his second double-double in three career games. His first, 22 and 13 in the season opening win over East Tennessee State, marked the first time a Flyer freshman had a double-double in his college debut.
WRIGHT'S REPUTATION PRECEDES HIM
Chris Wright also earned a spot on the Preseason A-10 All Rookie Team. Three respected ranking services - HoopScoop, Rivals.com and Scout.com - rate UD's group of three incoming freshmen the best in the Atlantic 10. Considered by many experts to be the top incoming freshman in the A-10, Wright was ranked as high as the 18th-best prospect in the country. He averaged 19.2 points and 12.8 rebounds for Trotwood-Madison High School while earning First Team All-Ohio Division I honors.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
UD forward Chris Wright was one of the top 20 high school basketball players in the country selected to play in the 2007 Jordan Brand All-American Classic at Madison Square Garden. Wright performed very well with a 10-point, 10-rebound performance. Recent participants include NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.
LITTLE BIG MAN
At 6-foot-6, 237 pounds, sophomore Charles Little might be the most inaccurately named player in the country. This season Little is third on the team in scoring (7.8) and second in rebounding (5.0). In his first game of the 2007-08 season, Little came off the bench to haul in 13 rebounds to go with seven points in the Flyers win over ETSU. His 20 points in the Toledo win almost doubled what he had in the season's first two games (11 points combined). Last year in his last six games, he was almost averaging a double-double (17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds). Little hauled in a career-high 16 rebounds at Temple last year. He had a career-best-tying 21 points and career-high 10 rebounds against UMass, raised his career high in points to 23 at Saint Louis, and then raised it again with 28 points (with 10 rebounds) against Xavier. Little finished last season second on the team in scoring (10.5), led the team in rebounding (5.2) and was named the 2007 A-10 Sixth Man of the Year.
CHARLES IN CHARGE
As UD's top rebounder, Charles Little took home the "Shorty" Sharpenter Memorial Rebounding Trophy. Little averaged 5.1 rebounds a game in 2006-07. He closed the regular season with three double-digit rebounding performances in the last five games, including a career-high 16 at Temple. Little's 34 dunks (32 over in the last 23 games of the 2006-07 season) were more than twice as many as anyone else on the team, and more than half of UD's 55 dunks last year.
THE JACKSONVILLE JET
London Warren (a.k.a. the "Jacksonville Jet," as dubbed by the WHIO Radio team of Larry Hansgen and Bucky Bockhorn) gave an energetic performance in the Flyers road swing against Miami and Holy Cross. He recorded a season high six points and five rebounds at Miami and added five points and two steals versus Holy Cross. Warren came on in the last 14 games of the 2006-07 season, a time when most freshmen have hit the proverbial wall. A jet-quick guard known for his explosiveness and defensive tenacity, Warren averaged 18.1 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.4 assists and just 1.8 turnovers in the last 14 games of the 2006-07 season. This year Warren averages 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and has six steals in his last three games.
SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM
Jimmy Binnie, along with classmate Brian Roberts, are the first Brian Gregory players to live the college basketball experience from start to finish - recruiting, verballing, signing, playing and, come spring, graduating. Binnie started 15 games and played in all 31 games for the Flyers, and averaged 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18.8 minutes played. He saw action at every position except point guard in 2006-07, and overcame a poor shooting start to turn in another solid season. After shooting .241 (7-29) from three-point in non-conference action (including missing his first 10 shots), Binnie reversed field to hit .377 (23-61) after the first of the year. This season Binnie is averaging 22.2 minutes and 5.5 points per game. Binnie tied a career high with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor in a win at Holy Cross.
ENTER SANDMAN
Andres Sandoval has doubled his scoring average over the previous three games and come up big off the bench for UD. At Holy Cross he scored five points after hitting a 3-pointer and converting two free throws in UD's win. After tallying just six points in his first three games, Sandoval has 12 in his next three. He began last season on a downer, breaking a bone in his foot that required a titanium screw to be placed in it. He was expected to be out 4-6 weeks, but apparently didn't get the memo. He was back on the court exactly 19 days after the surgery to place the screw in the foot. Sandoval bounced back in league action later in the year with performances like a career-high 21 points (previous UD high was nine, and Richmond high was 15) and adding six assists and six rebounds in the win over George Washington.
BEING "KURT" TO THE OPPOSITION
Sophomore Kurt Huelsman posted a career-best 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in the Miami win. After being held scoreless in his first four games, Huelsman has 20 points in his last three contests. The 6-10 big man was the only player to start every game last year for the Flyers. Huelsman averaged 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds, and was second on the team in blocked shots (0.6). He earned UD's Best Defender Award for 2006-07 and tied the UD freshman record for blocked shots in a game (and the most in a first game as a Flyer) when he swatted four in the Austin Peay win. Huelsman was the primary defender in holding Pittsburgh's seven-footer, Aaron Gray, the preseason Big East Player of the Year and a member of the Chicago Bulls, to a season-low five points.
ON THE GO WITH THIAGO
After leading all junior college players in blocked shots per game last season, junior Thiago Cordeiro looks to bring a strong presence to the middle of the Flyers lineup. Cordeiro is tied for seventh on the team in scoring with 3.2 points per game. His best game this year so far came at George Mason when he scored nine points and grabbed nine boards off the bench.
MARVELOUS MARCUS
Marcus Johnson has quietly put together a solid sophomore campaign averaging 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He is second on the team in minutes played (29.2), assists (8), offensive rebounds (10) and steals (5). Johnson played in the season's first 30 games in 2006-07, and only an ankle injury suffered in the Flyers' A-10 tournament win over Charlotte kept him from making all 31 contests. Dayton's top freshman honor, the Thomas Luppe Memorial Award, went to Johnson. Johnson averaged 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds a game and set a UD record with the most points scored by a Flyer freshman in their first-career game with 23.
DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Freshman Devin Searcy got going on both ends of the floor in UD's win over SMU. Searcy came off the bench and hauled in five rebounds (three on the offensive glass) and picked up his first two points as a Flyer in just eight minutes of play. At Holy Cross, Searcy added a field goal and a steal in six minutes.
EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
The Flyers are 22-3 under head coach Brian Gregory when they score at least 75 points.
GO BIG OR GO HOME
Dayton is 6-0 all time against Big South opponents.
BALANCING ACT
The Flyers have nine players who are averaging three points or more this season. Against Holy Cross, all 11 Flyers who played scored at least two points in UD's 55-53 victory.
OUT OF THE BLOCKS, TO THE FINISH LINE
Dayton has started 5-1 for the second consecutive year. UD's 10-1 start last season matched its best start to a season since the Flyers won their first 14 games in 1955-56. UD's 10-3 non-conference record marked just the third time in school history the Flyers have reached 10 wins before January 1. Dayton's 18 wins in the regular season marked the seventh time in the last eight years UD has won at least 18 games.
DOING IT WITH DEFENSE
Last year the UD defense recorded an impressive feat. The Flyers held six straight opponents to 55 points or less, the first time that had happened at UD in 56 years and the only time in the shot clock era. This season the Flyers are fourth in the A-10 in scoring defense allowing 63.8 points per game.
DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Head Coach Brian Gregory has never had a losing month of December going 22-11 (.667) in five seasons. Last year UD went 5-2 in seven December games.
NEWEST ADDITIONS ON THE BENCH
Over the summer UD head coach Brian Gregory announced the completion of the Flyer basketball coaching staff for the 2007-08 season. Former St. Bonaventure head coach Anthony Solomon and former UD Director of Basketball Operations Jon Borovich were selected as the team's new assistant coaches, joining assistant coach Billy Schmidt on Gregory's staff. Also joining the staff is new Director of Basketball Operations Matt Farrell.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST
In 2007-08 the Flyers are taking on the challenge of one of the toughest home schedules in school history. UD will play nine non-conference home games against teams that averaged more than 20 wins last season, and eight games against their top ten Atlantic 10 opponents in last year's RPI rankings. The Flyers will play four teams that played in the 2007 NCAA tournament (Holy Cross, Louisville, Miami and Pittsburgh), two that were conference regular-season champions (East Tennessee State and Toledo) and three more that reached the finals of their respective conference tournaments (Akron, American and George Mason).
GAME #6 - DAYTON EDGES HOLY CROSS 55-53
For the first time in nearly 20 years the Dayton Flyers won back-to-back non-conference games on the road with a 55-53 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders. Junior Jimmy Binnie tied a career high with 13 points and hauled in six rebounds. All 11 Flyer scholarship players in uniform scored, and the Dayton bench out-scored the Holy Cross subs 23-14.
FLYERS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN A-10 POLL
After a 19-12 season in 2006-07, the Dayton Flyers were picked to finish sixth in the league according to a poll of the Atlantic 10's head coaches and media. Xavier was named the preseason favorite, with 42 of the 59 first-place votes. Rhode Island garnered five first-place votes and placed second in the preseason poll. Saint Joseph's was tabbed third, while Fordham earned a pair of first-place votes and was chosen fourth. Saint Louis was selected fifth in the poll, while Dayton garnered a pair of first-place votes and was tabbed for sixth. Defending A-10 champion George Washington was picked seventh, while 2007 regular season co-champion Massachusetts received a first-place vote and was selected eighth, followed by Temple, Charlotte, Duquesne, Richmond, La Salle and St. Bonaventure.
TOURNEY TOWN
The NCAA Division I Tournament will make its start at UD Arena this season for the seventh year in a row. The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee has announced that the University of Dayton Arena will host the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2008. UD has hosted the game since its inception in its current form in 2002. When the 2008 NCAA Tournament is over, UD Arena will have been an NCAA site in 22 of the last 39 years and will have hosted 77 NCAA Tournament games. That will make UD Arena the third-most prolific NCAA Tournament venue behind Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City (83) and the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City (81). The Arena will be a First and Second Round site for the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, and a Regional site for the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Flyers' 15-2 record at home last season matched the fourth-best efforts in UD Arena history in home court wins in a season and home court winning percentage in a season (.882). Dayton won its first 14 home games during the 2006-07 season, the second-best streak in UD Arena history (behind only the 15 from December 17, 1984 to March 3, 1985). Dayton is 3-0 at home this season.
FLYER FAITHFUL
For years, UD has claimed it has had the best fans in the nation. In 2001, The Sporting News conducted an unscientific poll of college basketball coaches, media and SIDs. In the January 8, 2001 issue of the magazine, UD's fans were tabbed as college basketball's best. And they prove it to everyone the Flyers play.
UD Arena has 78 sellouts in its 38-year history. UD's last 122 regular season home games have had attendance of at least 11,000 fans. In the last 14 years, 99% of UD's home games have drawn at least 10,000 (361 of 363), including the last 158 regular season games. Also the University of Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men's basketball attendance for the tenth straight season in 2006-07, according to a report by the NCAA released earlier this week. The Flyers finished 28th in the NCAA in attendance with an average of 12,266 fans a game. Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the NCAA`s top 35 in attendance every season. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 11th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,300 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.
DID YOU KNOW?
UD won more games than any other school in both the 1950s and `60s. UD won 435 games between 1950 and 1969 and ranks among the top teams of the 1950s and 1960s in Division I history. The Flyers' .763 (228-71) winning percentage in the 1950s ranks fifth in the decade. Their .729 (207-77) winning percentage ranks eighth in the 1960s.
