Game Notes in PDF Format
FLYERS EMBARK ON A TWO-GAME ROAD SWING BEGINNING AT LA SALLE
The University of Dayton Flyers put their six-game winning streak on the line when they travel to Philadelphia to play the La Salle Explorers on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with live stats and streaming video and audio from DaytonFlyers.com.
Dayton, 20-2 overall and 6-1 in the Atlantic 10, and every opponent during the winning streak has been held to 71 points or less. During the streak, three Flyers are scoring in double figures: Chris Wright (14.3), Marcus Johnson (12.3) and Rob Lowery (10.0). Thanks in part to a tenacious defense and a commitment to rebounding, Dayton's 20-2 record matches UD's best start ever. UD is second in the A-10 in scoring defense allowing 57.9 points per game and lead the conference in offensive rebounding with 13.9 per game.
La Salle has won three of its last four and are 8-3 at Gola Arena this season. The Explorers rank second in the A-10 in rebounding margin (plus-6.5), helped greatly by the fact that all of their starters are at least 6-foot-5. Offensively, junior Rodney Green is one of the conference's averaging 16.8 points and ranking among the league's top 10 in field-goal percentage, assists and steals.
SERIES STUFF
Dayton leads the all-time series at 20-13 and has won 12 of the last 14 meetings. However, the Flyers fell 81-78 in overtime last season despite London Warren recording 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go with seven assists.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dayton ranks second the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense, allowing a paltry 57.9 points per game and has held all but four teams under its scoring average. In the win over No. 15 Marquette, UD forced the Golden Eagles to shoot 39 percent from the field. Marshall was held 28 points below its scoring average. The Flyers held Saint Louis to 23 percent shooting in the second half. Ahmad Nivins was limited to a season-low 12 points against the UD defense, which was eight below his season average. In their last 17 games, the Flyers also have 56 blocks and 105 steals. UD is on pace to average the most steals in 17 years and is 17-0 when out-rebounding the opponent. That ties the Flyers with Pittsburgh nationally when out-rebounding the opponent.
LOCK IT UP
Only one team has shot better than 50 percent from the field this year against UD. That's the first time in coach Brian Gregory's tenure UD has accomplished that feat in his first six seasons through the first 22 games.
BIG ROTATION
Through Feb. 1, the Dayton Flyers are one of four teams in college basketball with 20 or more victories. One of the keys to UD's success is the team's depth. Dayton and Utah State each have 12 players who see 7.2 minutes or more of action.
CLOSE SHAVE
The Flyers have the best record in the country (8-0) in games decided by five points.
ARENA ROCK
The Flyers' 16 consecutive home victories stretching back to last season is the longest streak since moving to UD Arena in 1969. UD's homecourt streak is tied for sixth-best in the nation through games of February 1 and is the best in the Atlantic 10.
LITTLE BIG MAN
At 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, Charles Little might be one of the most inaccurately named players in the country. He is leading the team in field goal shooting at .496 (62-125) and has converted 13 of his last 14 free throws (.928). Little scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, in a win over UNC Greensboro including dunks on three straight possessions. He had 10 points and three rebounds over Bethune-Cookman. In the Mercer win Little tallied 11 points and five rebounds. He added a season-high nine rebounds against Auburn and was named to the Chicago Invitational Challenge All-Tournament Team. In his 100th career game, Little tallied his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 boards against Troy. Little scored 11 points and hauled in six boards versus Fordham. Little scored 14 points and shot 6-of-6 at the free throw line versus Saint Louis. He added 13 points and shot 7-of-8 at the free throw line against Saint Joseph's. In 13 home games this season, Little averages 8.7 points and is shooting .531 from the field.
CHARLES IN CHARGE
Nobody on the Flyers could be happier for conference play than Charles Little. In his last 40 games against Atlantic 10 competition, Little has averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 166-of-321, (.517) from the floor. Last season against the A-10, Little averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting .527 from the field. In UD basketball history, Little is tied with Norm Grevey for 52nd on the all-time scoring list with 875 career points and needs 19 to reach Mark Jones for 51st.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
Displaying an NBA-like level of athleticism, Chris Wright looks to lead the Flyers back to the postseason. The sophomore forward is a Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team selection. Wright tied for a game-high 17 points in UD's win over Wofford. He scored a game-high 18 points against Delaware State. Wright recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 boards against Mercer. He added another double-double with a career-best 14 rebounds and 10 points versus Auburn. Wright then posted his third double-double in as many games with 13 points and 13 boards over No. 15 Marquette. At Akron, Wright led all scorers with 18 points. Against Marshall, Wright recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Wright scored a game-high 14 points versus Miami. Wright had 15 points and eight boards at Duquesne. At GW, he had 15 points and six boards. Wright then soared for four dunks en route to 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks against St. Bonaventure. Wright led all scorers with 16 points to go with seven rebounds versus Saint Louis. Wright then had 14 points and seven boards against Saint Joesph's. The Flyers are 33-4 overall, 23-0 at home and 4-0 against ranked opponents with Wright in the lineup during his UD career.
FIGHT FOR YOUR WRIGHT
Last season Chris Wright earned a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie team even though he played just eight minutes in conference play. Wright was the fifth Dayton player to be selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. Tony Stanley (1998), Brooks Hall (2000), Keith Waleskowski (2001) and Brian Roberts (2005) are the previous Flyer A-10 Rookies. He played eight minutes in conference action before fracturing a bone in his ankle that required surgery. Before that, he was chosen A-10 Rookie of the Week four times in the first six weeks of the season (the last player to do that was Jameer Nelson).
THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
Sophomore Chris Wright leads the Flyers scoring (12.9), rebounding (6.9), field goals made (102), offensive rebounds (59), defensive rebounds (93), blocks (26), free throw attempts (106) and double-doubles (4). After a slow start Wright has regained his shooting touch at the free throw line. He shot .645 in non-conference play, but has made 24-of-30 (.800) in Atlantic 10 action including in last 12 of his last 14.
TAKING FLIGHT WITH WRIGHT
Highlighted by a season-high four slams against St. Bonaventure, Chris Wright leads Dayton with 32 dunks this year. That puts him third on Dayton's all-time, single-season list just behind Charles Little's 33 and 43 from Sean Finn.
WRIGHT NAMED THE ATLANTIC 10 CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON DEC. 1
Chris Wright was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 1 for his efforts after leading UD to a Chicago Invitational Challenge title. Wright averaged a double-double (12.0 ppg., 10.5 rpg.) and was named tournament Most Valuable Player. This was Wright's first A-10 Player of the Week Award. In the championship game against No. 15 Marquette, Wright had 13 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
MARVELOUS MARCUS
Over the previous four weeks, Marcus Johnson has been the most consistent scorer for UD with 12 games in double figures. He has averaged 12.8 points while shooting .512 (63-123) from the field. He tied for a game-high 17 points in a season-opening win over Wofford. Johnson then scored 15 of his team-high 16 points in the first half over Bethune-Cookman. Against Auburn he sank all eight free throw attempts with six of them in overtime en route to 16 points. Johnson added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor against Troy. Johnson scored 15 points versus Coppin State, tallied 10 points versus UNC Greensboro and scored 11 against Marshall. In the George Mason win he had 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. He posted a season-high 21 points at Akron, hitting four 3-point attempts. Johnson added 12 points against Miami. At UMass, he recorded 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. He chipped in with 12 points against Fordham. Johnson scored nine of his 11 points in the second half at Duquesne. At GW, he scored six of his team-high 17 points in the final 2:05 of play, including the game-winning free throws. Johnson tallied 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting versus St. Bonaventure. His string of double-figure games ended with Saint Louis, but he executed a perfect alley-oop dunk to score the game-winning points over the Billikens. Johnson came right back to score 13 points against Saint Joesph's.
DOUBLING THE FUN
Marcus Johnson, a 6-3 guard from Cleveland, has scored in double figures 34 times in his 86-game career, with 32 in his last 46 games. In fact, Johnson has also reached double figures in scoring 17 times this season, including the 12 of his last 13 contests. During Atlantic 10 action, Johnson has done most of his damage in the second half averaging 7.7 points and shooting 20-of-37 (.541) from the floor.
MORE ON MJ
Quietly, Marcus Johnson has moved up the charts in UD basketball history ranking 58th on the all-time scoring list with 799 career points. He needs five points to reach Norman Plummer for 58th. Overall, Johnson leads the team in 3-point shooting (.370) and minutes (28.5).
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Marcus Johnson has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 13 games, but what's even more critical to UD's success is his defense. He has guarded the opposition's top scorer in 10 of those 13 contests and matched his career best with four steals in the win at Duquesne.
BEING `KURT' TO THE OPPOSITION
Kurt Huelsman continues to be a steady presence on both ends of the floor. Huelsman opened the season with five points and five rebounds versus Wofford. He came back to snag seven rebounds in a victory against Delaware State. Huelsman added a team-high seven boards over Bethune-Cookman. He tallied eight rebounds and three blocks versus Auburn. Huelsman came back with eight points versus No. 15 Marquette. At Akron, he had four points and four boards. Huelsman shot 3-of-3 from the floor at Creighton. He had five rebounds versus UNC Greensboro. Against George Mason, Huelsman tied his career-high with four blocks and added eight points and seven boards. At Toledo, he had six points and seven rebounds and scored seven points versus Fordham. He shot 3-of-4 and dished out three assists at Duquesne. Huelsman matched his career-best with three assists versus St. Bonaventure. He snagged five rebounds versus Saint Louis and added six points and two assists against Saint Joesph's. Huelsman is third on the team in rebounding (3.9) and second with 19 blocks.
THE IRON MAN
As a freshman Kurt Huelsman was the only player to start every game during the 2006-07 season. He started all 34 games in 2007-08 and the first 22 in 2008-09. Huelsman is tied for the longest active streak of consecutive starts in the Atlantic 10 Conference with 87 games.
GET DOWN AND DIRTY
Kurt Huelsman is a big fan of the hit TV show "Dirty Jobs." In his personality profile, Huelsman said one day he would to take over for host Mike Rowe, which is a perfect role for him. Huelsman does all of the dirty jobs for UD like playing physical, boxing out, battling on the boards and making the hustle plays. Against St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins, Huelsman helped in limiting him to 12 points, which was eight below his season average.
HEY MICKEY
Known as a strong outside shooter, team-first player and a quality individual, Mickey Perry is building upon a promising sophomore season. Perry was flawless against Bethune-Cookman knocking down both three-point attempts. Perry knocked down 3-of-4 shots versus No. 15 Marquette. Perry scored 10 points against Troy. Perry then tallied 10 points and a career-best three steals at Creighton. He had five points and three assists at UMass. Perry added six points at Duquesne. Perry had three points and two boards versus St. Bonaventure and three against Saint Joseph's. Dayton is 16-3 when Perry knocks down a three-pointer in his career and 9-2 this season.
THE JACKSONVILLE JET
Known as the "Jacksonville Jet," London Warren is an explosive point guard who has outstanding quickness on the offensive and defensive ends. Warren opened the 2008-09 season with three points, four assists and a steal in the season opener over Wofford. He followed up with four points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in a win over Delaware State. He dished out six assists and had three steals over Mercer. Against Bethune-Cookman, Warren had five assists to only one turnover. In the triumph over No. 15 Marquette, Warren added seven points and two assists. Warren came back with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and six assists versus Troy. Warren recorded a season-high seven rebounds and dished out six assists versus Coppin State. At Toledo, Warren was flawless with eight assists and zero turnovers to go with 11 points and three steals. Warren had five points and five assists at UMass. He picked up six assists and four boards at GW. After not hitting a field goal in three games, Warren broke out with six points and five assists in the win over St. Bonaventure. He had three steals against Saint Louis and four assists versus Saint Joeseph's.
LONDON CALLING
London Warren's defense has certainly provided a spark for the Flyers. Warren has at least one steal in every game but three this season. Warren leads UD in steals (32) and assists (81).Warren has 104 steals in his Flyer career.
BIG SHOT ROB
Junior Rob Lowery has quickly made a name for himself as a clutch performer. In the 72-71 win over Fordham, Lowery drove the length of the floor for a basket with 5.4 seconds to go. In the win over No. 15 Marquette, Lowery scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor. With UD protecting a two-point lead, Lowery, who missed his first five shots, drilled a 15-foot field goal with 48 seconds to go to push the lead back to four and swished two free throws with 15 ticks left to seal the decision versus Wofford. He tied for the team-high with 13 points and had the steal and dunk that tied the game, the assist on the go-ahead three-pointer and the free throw that made it a two-possession game against George Mason. Against Delaware State, he had nine points, four steals and three assists. Lowery posted a team-high 15 points at Creighton. In the win at Toledo, Lowery scored 13 points. He had six points, three rebounds and three assists at UMass. He shot 6-of-9 from the field en route to a team-high 16 points at Duquesne. At GW, Lowery had eight points, eight rebounds and six assists. He added 15 points and seven assists against St. Bonaventure. Lowery added eight points and seven assists against Saint Joesph's. Lowery is averaging 6.3 points a game at home, but nearly double that from UD Arena (10.4). In his last nine games, Lowery averages 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
JOHNSON NAMED A-10 CO-ROOKIE OF THE WEEK ON JANUARY 18
On Jan. 18, freshman Chris Johnson earned the Atlantic 10's Rookie of the Week award. Johnson averaged 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, and shot .545 (6-11) from the field and 1.000 (6-6) from the line for the week.
CHRIS-CROSSING
Freshman Chris Johnson has a knack for knowing where the ball will come off the glass, particularly on the offensive end. He is second on the team with 54 offensive rebounds, even though he plays almost eight minutes a game less than the teammate he trails, Chris Wright. He nailed the go-ahead shot on a three-pointer with 1:05 to go against George Mason. Johnson recorded his first career double-double adding 12 points and 11 rebounds versus No. 15 Marquette. In the Coppin State win Johnson led UD with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He was just short of a double-double with 12 points and eight boards versus UNC Greensboro. Against Delaware State, he had eight points and five rebounds while hitting 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. Johnson scored in double-figures for the first time in a UD uniform with 14 points over Bethune-Cookman. Johnson then came up with eight points and eight rebounds versus Mercer. At Akron, Johnson connected on 4-of-5 free throws, including two technical shots, to help seal the win. At Toledo, he had seven rebounds and five points. In the Miami win he snagged a team-high seven rebounds. Against Fordham, he had nine points and eight rebounds and came up just short of a double-double at Duquesne with 10 points (3-3 FG, 4-4 FT) and nine boards. Against St. Bonaventure, Johnson recorded 17 points and eight rebounds. Johnson had six rebounds against Saint Joseph's. During A-10 play, Johnson is shooting .621 (18-29) from the field and averaging 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds.
COOL HAND LUKE
Although it didn't show up on the box score, freshman Luke Fabrizius had a memorable Flyer debut. His mom, Julie Fabrizius, is a breast cancer survivor for five years and, thanks to her son, she was honored at halftime of the Flyers' home opener against Wofford as a part of the "Real Men Wear Pink" campaign. He converted his first collegiate field goal against Delaware State with a 3-pointer. Fabrizius hitting 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc en route to nine points against Bethune-Cookman. He then connected on three 3-pointers to finish with nine points and four rebounds against Mercer. Fabrizius then had eight points against Troy. He reached double-figures for the first time with 10 points against UNC Greensboro. At UMass, he had six points and two rebounds. Fabrizius tallied 11 points at Duquesne.
DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Devin Searcy has been one of the most pleasant surprises this year for UD. Searcy ranks second in field goal percentage (.489, 23-47). Against Wofford, Searcy recorded two rebounds and two assists, which equaled his assist total from all of last year. Searcy broke free with eight points and three rebounds on 4-of-6 shooting against Bethune-Cookman. Searcy had three points and an assist in 12 minutes against Mercer. He chipped in with six points and four rebounds in a win over Auburn. Searcy had four rebounds and two blocks versus No. 15 Marquette. In the Troy win, Searcy had five rebounds and another five at Akron. He followed that up with four rebounds at Creighton. He was 2-for-2 apiece against UNC Greensboro, Marshall and George Mason. At Toledo, Searcy had six points, hitting all four free-throw attempts. He added five rebounds in the win over Miami and four points at UMass. Against Fordham, Searcy had four points and five rebounds. Searcy snagged a career-best two steals versus St. Bonaventure. He gave big minutes early on to help hold Saint Joseph's Ahmad Nivins to 12 points.
STEVIE WONDER
A heady player with a classic Hoosier-guard game, Stephen Thomas is a quick, shifty point guard. He enjoyed one of his best games with four points, four rebounds and numerous hustle plays against Marshall. Against Delaware State he had four points and three rebounds in the Flyer victory. He recorded a block and a career-high five rebounds against Bethune-Cookman. Against Auburn, with teammates London Warren & Rob Lowery in foul trouble, Thomas netted a career-high eight points. He came back and recorded five points and a steal versus No. 15 Marquette. At Akron, Thomas tallied six points, two rebounds and two steals. He had a 3-pointer and an assist versus Miami. In seven minutes of play, Thomas tallied four points versus Fordham. Thomas added a rebound against St. Bonaventure.
P-DUBYA
Freshman Paul Williams, one of the top prep recruits out of Michigan, brings a reputation as a clutch shooter and lockdown defender to the Flyer backcourt. Williams is a Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection. He added two rebounds against Delaware State. Williams broke out with three 3-pointers against Troy. He then added four points and three boards versus Coppin State. Against George Mason, he had two points, two boards and a steal. At Toledo, he had two rebounds and a steal. He had four rebounds versus Miami. He played 12 minutes against St. Bonaventure and had two steals. Against Saint Louis, he snagged a career-best six rebounds, including a defensive rebound to secure the victory. He added five rebounds versus Saint Joseph's.
GIVEN THE COLD SHOULDER
Freshman Josh Benson, the second in a line of highly-anticipated local talents, will be out 3-to-6 months following shoulder surgery performed on Nov. 3. The 6-foot-10 big man was an ESPN Top 150 recruit where he averaged of 18.9 points, 11 boards and four blocks during his senior year. Benson has been cleared to do lower body conditioning and is expected to be redshirted for this season.
SUITCASE SUCCESS
The Flyers are 6-2 this season away from UD Arena going 4-2 on the road and 2-0 at neutral site contests.
EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
The Flyers are 36-4 under head coach Brian Gregory when they score at least 75 points and 7-0 this season.
NON-CONFERENCE NOTES
UD's non-conference schedule features two top 25 teams from the Associated Press Poll and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. The Flyers will play No. 9 Xavier in February and March and defeated No. 8 Marquette in November. Dayton received 69 votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and 95 in the Associated Press Poll.
POINT BREAK
Bringing 40 minutes of hands, hair and harassment, the Flyer junior point guards London Warren and Rob Lowery have provided great excitement on both ends of the floor. Against St. Bonaventure, the duo combined for 21 points and12 assists. Warren and Lowery rank No. 1 & 2 on the team in steals.
CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS
UD is third in the Atlantic 10 in rebound margin at plus 5.9. Against Mercer, a team that had upset Alabama and Auburn by pounding the boards, the Flyers out-boarded Mercer 48-31. UD followed that up corralling 60 rebounds in an overtime win over Auburn. UD held a 44-33 advantage on the glass against Coppin State thanks in part to 17 on the offensive end. Dayton then out-rebounded Marshall 42-32, George Mason 42-29 and Miami 38-30. The Flyers held a 44-33 edge against Fordham and a 35-29 advantage against Saint Joseph's. Since being out-rebounded by a much smaller Wofford squad in the opener, UD has gotten at least ten more rebounds than 10 opponents.
STEAL OF A DEAL
Dayton's 6.7 steals per game is the best average in 17 years and is on pace to be the fourth-best steal-per-game average in school history. Six different Flyers had a steal in the opener against Wofford. Dayton followed that with seven different players tallying a steal over Delaware State. In the Bethune-Cookman game, Dayton had eight steals. Dayton had four steals over Mercer and eight versus Auburn. UD tallied six swipes against No. 15 Marquette. At Akron the Flyers had 11 steals and at Creighton UD tallied seven swipes. UD added nine steals against UNC Greensboro, eight at Toledo and had 10 versus UMass. Dayton had eight steals at Duquesne. The Flyers swiped nine in the win over St. Bonaventure with no player grabbing more than two.
TAKE IT AWAY
Dayton has forced as many turnovers as made field goals by its opponent eight times this year. Dayton leads the Atlantic 10 lead with 357 forced turnovers and ranks third in turnover margin at plus 2.3.
FLYERS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN A-10 POLL
After a 23-11 season in 2007-08, the Dayton Flyers were picked to finish third in the league according to a poll of the Atlantic 10's head coaches and media. Xavier was the preseason favorite, with 44 of the 61 first-place votes. Temple garnered 12 first-place votes and placed second in the preseason poll. Dayton garnered three first-place votes and was tabbed third. Saint Joseph's was fourth, while Charlotte earned a pair of first-place votes and was fifth. Massachusetts was selected sixth in the poll followed by Saint Louis, Richmond, Rhode Island, La Salle, George Washington, Duquesne, Fordham and St. Bonaventure.
WANT THE GOOD NEWS, OR THE BAD NEWS?
The bad news was that UD set an NCAA record in the Auburn game with 24 three-point attempts without a make. The good news was that UD won, relying on defense, rebounding and clutch free throw shooting. The bad news early in that game was that the Flyers made just 5-of-16 free throw attempts in the first 32 minutes of the contest, but finished with 15 straight made free throws, including 7-for-7 in overtime.
INCONTHREEVABLE!
The odds a team that was making 39.5 percent of its three-pointers going 0-for-24 in a game are six-in-one-million, according to Texas Tech professor Dr. Alan Reifman.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
According to RealTime RPI, the Atlantic 10 ranks ninth among Division I conferences in strength of schedule. A-10 teams have already faced 18 ranked opponents thru Feb. 2. A-10 teams have amassed 15 wins over BCS conference teams thus far, the most of any non-BCS league and good for 4th nationally.
FLYERS SIGN KAVANAUGH TO 2008 CLASS
With only one scholarship available, University of Dayton men's basketball coach Brian Gregory and his staff landed their third top local product in as many years when Centerville High School star Matt Kavanaugh signed his letter of intent to attend UD and play basketball for the Flyers. As the newest official member of the Flyers family, the 6-foot-9, 225 pound power forward, follows in the footsteps two other local standouts who will be his teammates in 2009-10. Chris Wright of Trotwood-Madison High School was the first as he signed with the Flyers in November of 2006. Dayton Dunbar graduate Josh Benson followed Wright and signed with UD last year.
ELITE COMPANY
Dayton coach Brian Gregory became just the fourth coach in Flyer basketball history to record 100 career victories. Gregory joined Don Donoher, Tom Blackburn and Oliver Purnell as the only Dayton coaches to reach the 100-win plateau. Gregory reached 100 wins faster than any Dayton coach except the two icons of Flyer basketball: Donoher and Blackburn.
WELCOME TO FLIGHT CLUB
Through 22 games this season UD has already set the school single-season record with 78 dunks. The previous record of 61 was set in 33 games in 2003-04. Dayton had a program-record nine against UNC Greensboro and matched that one month later with nine against St. Bonaventure. In the Wofford contest Chris Wright had two slams and Marcus Johnson dunked in one. Then against Delaware State, Wright had four dunks including one where Mickey Perry threw it off the backboard. Three Flyers, Charles Little, Chris Johnson and Devin Searcy, each had a dunk over Bethune-Cookman. Wright added three dunks and Little with one against Mercer. At Akron, Wright had four of the Flyers' five slams. The Johnsons (Chris and Marcus) had two apiece in the Coppin State win. UD had four slams against George Mason and hammered home five at UMass. Dayton had eight flushes at Duquesne and four versus Saint Joseph's. Wright leads UD with 32 dunks.
HANGING WITH THE ATLANTIC 10
The Flyers hold an all-time 258-188 edge over Atlantic 10 conference opponents and have finished .500 or better in eight of the previous nine seasons. Dayton's six-game winning streak against A-10 opponents is the longest since winning nine in a row during the 2003-04 campaign.
HOT, HOT, HOT
UD has won its last 28 non-conference home games. Included are games against members of the Big East, Conference USA, Mid-American and Missouri Valley conferences.
HOME SWEET HOME
Last year the Flyers' started off the 2007-08 campaign 10-0 at home. It was the second consecutive season UD won its first 10 games of the season on Tom Blackburn Court. Dayton finished with a 15-3 home record in 2007-08 that included victories over NCAA Tournament teams Pittsburgh, Saint Joseph's, Temple, American and Coppin State. The Flyers have a home all-time winning percentage of .777 (745-213).
SPARK OFF THE BENCH
With such a deep team, it's no surprise Dayton's bench has been a big part of the team's success. The Flyers are 16-1 this season when their bench out-scores the opponents. UD holds a 563-310 edge in bench scoring this season.
CONQUERING GOLIATH
In recent years the Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. The Flyers are 5-2 in the last three years against BCS programs and have won three consecutive games against Big East opponents.
FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
Dayton has had five different players lead the team in scoring this season - Chris Wright (10), Marcus Johnson (six), Rob Lowery (five) Charles Little (twice) and Chris Johnson (once). In rebounding, six players have taken honors in at least one game - Wright (nine), Chris Johnson (eight) Kurt Huelsman (four), Little (twice) and Devin Searcy and Rob Lowery (once). (Note: scoring and rebounding numbers add up to more than 22 due to games where more than one player tied for the team-high).
NATION'S BEST
Through Feb. 2, the Flyers rank fifth in winning percentage (.909), tied for eighth in the NCAA in field goal defense (.374) and ninth in scoring defense (57.9).
RPI UPDATE
According to RealTime RPI, the Dayton Flyers are ranked 36th in the latest RPI. Dayton has four Top 100 RPI victories this season: Marquette, George Mason, Saint Joseph's and Miami.
THREE'S COMPANY
Dayton has won 20 of its first 22 games for just the third time in school history. Brian Gregory and the legendary Tom Blackburn are the only coaches to accomplish that feat at UD.
THAT'S A CATCH-22
UD has held opponents to 22 points or less in a half 10 times during the 2008-09 campaign. Last year the Flyers accomplished that feat six times.
DEPTH CHARGE
UD is one of two top teams playing 12 players at least seven minutes a game, and one of the products of that is simply wearing down the opposition. In the George Mason win, UD out-scored the Patriots 11-2 in the last 4:41 of the game. In the Miami game, UD out-scored the Redhawks 10-4 over the last 4:31. Against Marshall, UD held the Thundering Herd scoreless for exactly nine minutes late in the second half. In the Saint Louis game, the Flyers held SLU without a field goal in the last 7:18 of play. In the last five minutes of the game, Dayton is holding its opponents to just .327 (50-153) from the field and .242 (16-66) from three.
SPREADING THE WEALTH AROUND
The Flyers have nine players who are averaging three points or more and 12 who play seven minutes or more this season. One other Atlantic 10 team has 11 players who play eight minutes or more. Dayton forces an average of 16.2 turnovers per game. UD ranks second in the A-10 in scoring margin at plus 9.6.
ON CLOUD NINE
With the win against Coppin State, the 2008-09 Dayton Flyers put themselves in elite company. In the 101 seasons of UD basketball only 19 teams have started off the season winning nine of its first 10 games. Three of the 19 have come during the Brian Gregory era.
NAIL BITERS
Dayton is 8-0 in games decided by five points or less. That's the best record in games decided by five or less in the country.
TWELVE OF TWELVE
The Flyers are one of 12 teams in the NCAA who are at least 11-1 in their previous 12 games.
COACHES VERSUS CANCER
In the Saint Joseph's game, Dayton head coach Brian Gregory joined hundreds of coaches nationwide in the national Coaches vs. Cancer event. Coaches and their staff wore sneakers along with their game attire. By wearing sneakers with their suits, participating coaches will call attention to the importance of cancer prevention and early detection and that the American Cancer Society can help by providing free, lifesaving information, resources, and services.
NATIONAL CITY'S "THINK PINK" PROGRAM WITH UD A SUCCESS
The Flyers and National City teammed up to honor breast cancer survivors during an on-court ceremony at halftime of the Wofford game. The 10 survivors, including Luke Fabrizius' mom Julie and UD women's tennis coach Linda O'Keefe, were chosen from more than 200 nominees. Both coaching staffs wore matching pink ties to show support for the fight against breast cancer. The activities were a part of National City's "Real Men Wear Pink" campaign, featuring UD coach Brian Gregory.
GREGORY A PART OF OPERATION HARDWOOD
After the 2007-08 season, coach Brian Gregory was selected as one of eight college basketball coaches to travel to the Persian Gulf and visit troops as part of the fifth installment of "Operation Hardwood," a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. The tour featured a week-long basketball tournament and championship game with some of the best military players stationed overseas. Joining Gregory on the tour were Fran Fraschilla (ESPN Basketball Analyst and former St. John's head coach), Jeff Jones (American), Reggie Minton (National Association of Basketball Coaches Deputy Director and former Air Force head coach), Tom Pecora (Hofstra), Barry Rohrssen (Manhattan), Tom Schuberth (Texas-Pan American) and Jerry Wainwright (DePaul). Among the coaches and basketball figures who have participated in previous tours are Jay Bilas, Mike Brey, Bobby Cremins, Karl Hobbs, Tom Izzo, Bobby Lutz, Dave Odom, the late Skip Prosser, Tubby Smith and Gary Williams.
DANCE TO THE MUSIC
Dance is well known as a beautiful art form. Dancers will attest to the physical demands of the profession. But dancers are not the only ones doing ballet. Many athletes use dance and ballet to cross-train and improve their physical skills. Two Flyers can attest to that as Charles Little took a ballet class during the first semester while Chris Wright studied tap dance.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
This year's Dayton Flyer basketball marketing theme is "Your Team & Your Town," signifying the bond between UD and Miami Valley residents. As a token of their appreciation for the fan support they have received, head coach Brian Gregory and several UD players hand-delivered season tickets to 20 season ticket-holders around Dayton on Oct. 20.
UP ON THE HOUSE TOP
On Dec. 22, student-athletes and coaches from the UD men's and women's basketball teams, along with Santa Claus, visited children at the YMCA Day Care Center at the Grace United Methodist Church. The children visited with players from the Flyer men's and women's basketball teams, talked with Santa Claus, played games and opened Christmas gifts.
EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING
Looking for a way to break up the monotony of offseason workouts, Mike Bewley, the University of Dayton's strength and conditioning coach, wanted to train the men's basketball team in jiujitsu, a popular martial arts form often seen during those rugged Ultimate Fighting Championship clashes. Bewley kept a record board, and junior Kurt Huelsman and sophomore Devin Searcy were the unofficial winners among the players, beating each other once but losing to no one else.
SECRET SMILES AUCTION TO BE HELD MARCH 7
UD's eighth annual "Flyer Feedback Auction" to benefit the charity "Secret Smiles" will be held on Saturday, March 8. Coach Brian Gregory's dedicated cause is a charity called "Secret Smiles," a program that delivers beds and bedding to children of families who cannot provide for them. In the last two years, "Secret Smiles" has raised $37,000.
UD HONORS 1973-74 & 1983-84 TEAMS
On Jan. 25, the University of Dayton honored the 1973-74 and 1983-84 Flyer squads. The 1973-74 squad advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and finished 20-9. UD's 1983-84 team finished the year 21-11 and advanced to the Elite Eight. In addition, the 2008-09 Flyers wore home throwback uniforms patterned by the 1984-87 design. The highlight of the halftime ceremonies recoginzing both teams was the standing ovation that lasted just over two minutes for their coach Don Donoher.
THE 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 Jan. 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. In 2007-08 UD had the second-best average home attendance in school history (12,801). UD Arena has 85 sellouts in its 38-year history and seven in 2007-08. The record for sellouts is eight held in the Arena's first season 1969-70. UD's last 148 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 (386 of 389), including the last 185 regular season games.
UD AMONG THE BEST IN NCAA ATTENDANCE
The University of Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men's basketball attendance for the 11th straight season in 2007-08. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 12th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,400 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.
TOURNEY TOWN
The NCAA Division I Tournament will make its start at UD Arena for the eighth year in a row as the University of Dayton Arena hosts the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2009. In addition, 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. UD has hosted the Opening Round game since its inception in its current form in 2002. When the 2009 NCAA Tournament is over, UD Arena will have been an NCAA site in 23 of the last 40 years and will have hosted 84 NCAA Tournament games. That will make UD Arena the most prolific NCAA Tournament venue ahead of Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City (83) and the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City (81).
DAYTON AMONG TOP 10 IN NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The University of Dayton's 96 percent Graduation Success Rate leads the Atlantic 10 Conference and ties it for 10th in the NCAA. In addition, this year's GSR Report shows that UD graduated 100 percent of its student-athletes that participated in women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country/track & field, men's golf, women's golf, women's rowing, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis and volleyball. In addition to the ten programs listed above, the football program had a GSR of 95 followed closely by men's soccer (93), baseball (92), softball (92) and men's basketball (89). The UD's men's basketball team's GSR was the best in the A-10.
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.
