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This is the second time in the last three years the Flyers advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. |
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DAYTON AND ILLINOIS TO SQUARE OFF IN THE NIT QUARTERFINALS ON WEDNESDAY
For the second time in the last three seasons the University of Dayton Flyers will play in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament. Dayton will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2, carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with live stats and streaming video and audio from DaytonFlyers.com.
The Flyers enter the contest 22-12 overall and are coming off an 81-66 Second Round NIT victory at Cincinnati on Monday. Dayton ranks in the Top 25 in the nation and first in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding margin (plus-6.1) and ranked in the Top 35 in the NCAA in scoring defense (61.9 points per game). In fact, the Flyers have held 26 of their 33 opponents below their scoring average. In A-10 and NIT postseason play, Marcus Johnson has been red hot averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting .500 (20-of-40) from the field.
FOUR FLYERS EARN ALL-ATLANTIC 10 HONORS
Dayton boasted four players on the 2009-10 Atlantic 10 All-Conference Teams which were released Sunday, March 7. Chris Wright led the way earning a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection. Chris Johnson earned the Chris Daniels Most Improved Player Award. For the second straight year, London Warren was named to the All-Defensive Team and Kurt Huelsman also represented Dayton on the All-Academic team.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Illinois Fighting Illini has won three of its last four games and come into the contest with a 21-14 overall record. Junior Demetri McCamey leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation in assists (all games) with an average of 7.0 apg. The Fighting Illini have four players whose scoring average is in double figures. McCamey leads the way with 15.1 ppg, followed by Mike Tisdale (12.1 ppg), Mike Davis (10.7 ppg) and D.J. Richardson (10.5). Illinois is 18-2 when shooting better than its opponent this season.
SERIES STUFF
Illinois leads the all-time series 4-2, but UD’s two victories have come in the NCAA and NIT Tournaments. The last time these two teams met was on Nov. 25, 1992 when Illinois won 86-78 in the Great Alaskan Shootout.
FLYERS IN THE NIT
This is Dayton’s 22nd appearance in the postseason NIT. UD’s last appearance came during the 2007-08 season. Dayton won the NIT in 1962 and 1968, was the runner-up five times and showcases a 37-20 all-time record. Coach Brian Gregory is 4-1 all-time in the NIT. Dayton’s 22 NIT appearances are second only to St. John’s 27 berths. The Flyers reached the finals five times in the 1950’s and won the tournament in 1962 (under coach Tom Blackburn) and 1968 (under coach Don Donoher).
DAYTON MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES TEAM AWARDS
University of Dayton junior Chris Wright was named the White-Allen Most Valuable Player on March 7 at UD’s men’s basketball banquet. This is the second consecutive year Wright earned the team’s MVP award.
WHITE-ALLEN MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Chris Wright
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: London Warren and Kurt Huelsman
CHRIS DANIELS MEMORIAL MOST IMPROVED AWARD: Chris Johnson
UHL FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Devin Searcy
SCHOEN MEMORIAL FREE THROW TROPHY: Chris Johnson
JOHN L. MACBETH SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Dan Fox
DR. GEORGE RAU SPIRIT AWARD: Marcus Johnson
“SHORTY” SHARPENTER TOP REBOUNDER TROPHY: Chris Wright
WRIGHT EARNS FIRST TEAM ALL-ATLANTIC 10 SELECTION
Junior forward Chris Wright earned a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection. A preseason nominee for both the Wooden and Naismith awards, Wright leads Dayton in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg), blocks (49), minutes per game (28.5) and dunks (a school-record 64), while ranking third in field goal percentage (.513, 177-345). He also ranks third in the A-10 in field goal percentage, ninth in rebounding and blocks and 15th in scoring. Wright stepped up his level of play against A-10 regular season opponents averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 boards and 1.9 blocks per game. Wright is the fifth player in UD history to earn a First Team selection and the first underclassman.
THE PRICE IS WRIGHT
In the Duquesne game, Chris Wright became the 42nd player in Flyer history to join the 1,000 career point club. With 1,094 career points, Wright ranks 34th on the all-time list. Gordy Hatton is next with 1,097.
THE HIT LIST
Chris Wright recorded a career-high 30 points and added nine rebounds in the victory over Charlotte. It has been one of his many memorable performances this season. He scored 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting at Saint Joseph’s. Wright scored 15 points against No. 5/6 Villanova. He recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards versus Kansas State. Against Towson, Wright scored 20 points and grabbed nine boards. Against Lehigh he tallied a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Wright led UD with 16 points and 12 rebounds over Old Dominion. His 19 points in the Boston University win came on 8-of-10 shooting. He had his 10th career double-double with 16 and 11 in the Duquesne win. He picked up 14 points and 12 boards versus George Washington. Wright earned the Black-Mac MVP award after scoring 17 points and snagging nine rebounds in the home Xavier contest. Wright scored 16 points at Saint Louis. Wright tallied 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field at Duquesne. Wright tallied a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds versus No. 20/18 Temple. Wright had 17 points and a career-best four blocks versus No. 24 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals. Wright hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points versus Illinois State in the NIT First Round. Wright scored 11 points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
UD’S WRIGHT NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
University of Dayton forward Chris Wright was named to the 2009-2010 Preseason Naismith Trophy watch list. The Naismith Trophy is voted on by coaches, administrators and journalists from around the country and is awarded to the nation’s top player.
WRIGHT NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50 LIST
UD’s Chris Wright was one of the top college basketball players named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list.
BEST AGAINST THE BCS
With a 43-and-a half inch vertical leap, Chris Wright saves his best efforts for the best competition. Four of his 12 career double-doubles have come against BCS schools, including 13 points and 13 rebounds last November against No. 15 Marquette and a then career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Flyer win over West Virginia in the First Round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. This year he tallied 15 points and 10 boards against Kansas State and 11 points at Cincinnati.
CAMP CONFIDENTIAL
Chris Wright is on a never-ending quest to improve. He made trips around the nation for individual training and to play against other top collegians as a counselor at summer camps. Wright worked at LeBron James’ camp in San Diego and Cleveland matching up against the superstar in nightly games. Wright also participated in the Vince Carter Skills Academy in Orlando.
DAYTON’S WRIGHT NAMED ATLANTIC 10 CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UD’s Chris Wright was named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week after his 25-point performance, including 18 in the second half, to lead the Flyers to a 90-80 win over Creighton in the season opener.
ON THE ATTACK
Chris Wright’s aggressive approach on offense often puts him on the line. Wright has 169 attempted free throws while London Warren is next with 85. Wright also leads the team in free throws converted (113) and at .669 percent is one of four Flyers shooting 66 percent or better from the line.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
A charismatic player whose work ethic matches his athleticism, it took Chris Wright just eight minutes to become one of the top players in the A-10 Conference. That’s all the league action he saw as a freshman before fracturing his ankle in the A-10 opener. Yet he was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team in 2007-08, and to the Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team in 2008-09.
WRIGHT TO KNOW
The Dayton Flyers are 63-21 overall, 44-2 at home and 6-6 against ranked opponents with Chris Wright in the lineup during his UD career. In fact, he is 64-2 at home over his last four-and-a-half years of organized basketball in high school and college.
WRIGHT A 2010 NABC SECOND TEAM ALL-DISTRICT SELECTION
UD’s Chris Wright has been recognized as a member of the 2010 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District Second Team. This is the second consecutive year the NABC has honored Dayton’s forward, as he was the 11th player in UD history.
THAT FIGURES
Chris Wright has scored in double figures in 37 of his last 44 contests including 17 of his last 20 games. He leads UD this season with 27 games scoring in double figures.
BETTER MAKE THE WRIGHT DECISION
Chris Wright is not just climbing UD’s charts offensively, but defensively as well. Wright has 105 career blocks, ranking him fourth on the Flyer all-time list. Next is Erv Giddings with 116. His career average of 1.2 blocks per game would also rank first on Dayton’s all-time list. Wright holds UD’s single season record for blocks with 49 and has at least one block in seven consecutive games.
DUNK TANK
With his four jams against UMass, Chris Wright eclipsed his own single-season record for dunks. Last year Wright had 54 dunks. This season through 33 games Wright has 62 dunks. After just 83 games in a Flyer uniform, Chris Wright is Dayton’s all-time dunk leader with 130 career dunks, breaking Charles Little’s career record of 102.
MARVELOUS MARCUS
Senior Marcus Johnson has played through injuries this season, first injuring his wrist while being fouled on a dunk against Villanova (a play that made SportsCenter’s Top Ten) and then suffering a sprained left ankle in the Appalachian State win. In conference play, Johnson was solid averaging 8.8 points and shooting .469 percent from the floor. Johnson opened the year with 13 points against Creighton. Johnson tallied a 14-point performance versus Kansas State. Johnson scored 12 points and dished out five assists against Towson. Johnson scored 12 points against Old Dominion and 11 versus Duquesne. He scored a season-high 17 points at Xavier and added 13 points and six rebounds versus George Washington. Johnson tallied 11 points and eight boards at St. Bonaventure. Johnson added 13 points and five boards against Charlotte. He recorded 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and a SportsCenter Top Ten play versus La Salle. Johnson shot 5-of-7 from the field en route to 11 points versus UMass. In the A-10 First Round, Johnson led UD with 16 points. He led UD with 18 points against No. 24 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals. He led UD with 16 points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round. He averaged 17.0 points on 11-of-22 shooting in the A-10 Tournament. During the month of March, Johnson is averaging 12.0 points per game.
JOHNSON NABS PRESEASON ALL-ATLANTIC 10 SECOND TEAM SELECTION
Earlier this year, senior Marcus Johnson earned a spot on the preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team. Last season Johnson was named to the Honorable Mention team and was named the co-winner of the White Allen MVP award.
MORE ON MJ
Marcus Johnson has moved up the charts in UD basketball history, ranking 26th on the all-time scoring list at 1,243 career points. Johnson needs five points to reach Mike Sylvester for 25th. MJ joined the 1,000 point club at Miami.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Marcus Johnson, a 6-3 guard from Cleveland, has scored in double figures 59 times in his 132-game career. Johnson reached double figures 26 times last season, which led the team. This season Johnson has scored in double figures 16 times and in 12 of his last 20 games. The Flyers are 12-4 this season when he scores in double-figures and 50-9 over his career.
BEING `KURT’ TO THE OPPOSITION
“The Professional” Kurt Huelsman continues to serve as a leader on both ends of the floor. On Senior Night, Huelsman scored a season-high 13 points versus Saint Louis. Huelsman had three blocks and five boards against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Against Rhode Island, Huelsman had 10 points and added nine rebounds. Huelsman came back to record nine points and seven boards at St. Bonaventure. Huelsman then added 10 points with six free throws at Duquesne. Huelsman snagged seven rebounds at No. 20/18 Temple. He added seven points and 10 rebounds at Richmond. Matched his career-best with six converted free throws versus GW in the A-10 First Round. Huelsman added five points and five rebounds versus No. 24 Xavier in the A-10 Quarters. Added a career-best four steals and six rebounds versus Illinois State in the NIT First Round. He ranks fifth on the team in FG% (.486, 51-105) and third in rebounding (4.3). He ranks ninth on UD’s all-time blocked shots list with 69. Keith Waleskowski is next with 70.
LONG-LASTING FRESHNESS
Kurt Huelsman has started every one of his 134 career games tying him with Nate Green for UD’s all-time record in games played. In less than four seasons, UD has won 91 games with Huelsman in the starting lineup. Clemson’s Trevor Booker and Oakland’s Johnathan Jones have started every game of their college career and more than Huelsman. Through March 23, Texas’ Damion James and Tulsa’s Ben Uzoh are the active career leaders with 140. Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds is next with (136), followed by Jones (135), Booker and Huelsman (134).
THE IRON MAN
Kurt Huelsman and London Warren set the school record for consecutive games played on Feb. 21 when the Flyers played Duquesne. Earlier this year, Huelsman took sole possession of the UD record for consecutive career starts previously held by Mark Ashman’s 119. Huelsman’s 134 consecutive starts is the most in the Atlantic 10. Huelsman and Warren hold the Dayton record for all-time games played with 134.
HUELSMAN EXCELS IN THE CLASSROOM
Dayton’s Kurt Huelsman was named to the 2010 Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team. Huelsman is a two-time team captain, UD Best Defender Award recipient and Macbeth Scholar-Athlete Award winner. Huelsman was named a First Team University Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV earlier this year. A senior from St. Henry, Ohio, Huelsman is an Operations Management major. He is also a three-year member of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
LONDON WARREN NAMED TO THE 2010 ATLANTIC 10 ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
For the second consecutive year, London Warren earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team. Warren is on pace to be the first player in UD history to lead the Flyers in steals all four seasons of his college career. He leads the team with 42 steals this season and at least one steal in 11 of his last 15 games.
DAYTON’S WARREN A CANDIDATE FOR 2010 COUSY AWARD
University of Dayton senior guard London Warren was selected as one of 73 candidates for the 2010 Bob Cousy Award, an honor that goes annually to the top point guard in college basketball. Warren has quarterbacked the Flyers to a 22-12 record and leads the team in assists (4.2). Warren ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in assists per game and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8).
LONDON CALLING
Known as the “Jacksonville Jet,” London Warren was named to the 2009 and 2010 Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Teams. He dished out eight assists and hauled in five boards against Creighton. He added five points, four assists and three rebounds against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. He recorded five rebounds and three assists against Kansas State. In the BU win, he had nine assists. Against Ball State, Warren had seven assists. Warren scored seven points and dished out six assists versus GW. At Saint Joseph’s, Warren recorded six points, nine rebounds and four assists. Against Rhode Island, Warren had a season-high 12 points (5-7 FG) and a career-high five steals. At St. Bonaventure, he scored 11 points and he added seven points versus Xavier He added another six assists at Duquesne and five rebounds at No. 20/18 Temple. Warren tallied six points, eight rebounds and eight assists without a turnover against UMass. He scored eight points versus Saint Louis. He added six rebounds versus GW in the A-10 First Round. Warren had seven points and four assists versus No. 24 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals. Warren had seven assists and five boards versus Illinois State in the NIT First Round. Warren had eight rebounds at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Named to the 2009 preseason Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team, London Warren’s defense provides a huge spark for the Flyers. Last season, Warren had at least one steal in 29 out of 34 games. Warren led UD in steals (55) and assists (145).Warren has 171 steals in his Flyer career, good for third all-time in UD history. Tony Stanley is next with 174 steals.
THE JACKSONVILLE JET
Last season, London Warren’s 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio was tied for fifth-best in the program’s history. Speaking of program history, Warren has 439 career assists, putting him ninth on the Dayton’s all-time list. Larry Schellenberg is next at 465 assists.
RL BACK FROM THE DL
Ten months after surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, Rob Lowery returned by playing eight minutes, scoring eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the floor against Lehigh. Less than a month later, he scored a career-high 23 points (8-10 FG, 7-9 three-pointers) versus Boston University. Lowery scored 16 points versus Xavier and dished out five assists. At Xavier, Lowery had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Lowery swiped a career-best five steals at Saint Joseph’s. He scored seven points at No. 20/18 Temple. Lowery added 13 points and five assists versus UMass. He had 11 points and four assists versus Saint Louis. Lowery had 11 points and four assists against GW in the A-10 First Round. In the A-10 Quarters, Lowery tallied 14 points and four steals versus No. 24 Xavier. Lowery had 11 points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round. Dayton is 39-13 all-time with Lowery in the lineup. Lowery ranks eighth in the A-10 in 3-point field goal shooting (.377, 43-114).
HEY MICKEY
During A-10 regular season play, Mickey Perry averaged 5.4 points and shot .400 from the field. Perry matched his career-high of 15 points three times this season (Presbyterian, Appalachian State and UMass). Earlier in the year, Perry had a 10-point effort against No. 5/6 Villanova. He dished out a career-best six assists at Miami. Perry scored 11 against GW and seven versus Xavier on 3-of-4 shooting from the field. Perry tallied 15 points, sinking five three-pointers, versus UMass. He had eight points against Illinois State in the NIT First Round and six at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
OH MICKEY YOU’RE SO FINE
Mickey Perry ranks third in 3-pt. field goal percentage (.364), fourth in assists (62) and fifth on the team in scoring (5.7 ppg). In 17 home games this season, Perry averaged 7.2 points.
DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Junior forward Devin Searcy has been deadly accurate from the field this season for UD. He leads the team in field goal percentage, converting 53-of-91 (.582) from the floor. At Saint Louis, Searcy scored a career-high 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor. Against Lehigh, Searcy shot 5-for-5 from the floor and finished with 13 points. He started off this season shooting 3-of-3 from the field in the win over Creighton. Searcy tallied nine points and six rebounds at St. Bonaventure. He hauled in a career-high eight rebounds in the home Xavier game. Searcy added 10 points and six rebounds versus UMass. In his last four games, Searcy is 6-of-6 from the floor.
JOHNSON NAMED THE 2010 ATLANTIC 10 CHRIS DANIELS MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Chris Johnson earned the 2010 Atlantic 10 Chris Daniels Most Improved Player award. Johnson leads the team in FT% (.861, 62-72) and is second in scoring (11.5), rebounding (6.8), fourth in 3-pt. FG% (.360 59-164) and steals (28). Last year Johnson averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
WARM IT UP CHRIS
Chris Johnson scored in double-figures in the season’s first eight games and continued to produce throughout the season. At Xavier he scored 10 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, including 10 off the offensive glass. He started off the season with an explosive 18-point, 15-rebound performance in the opener against Creighton. Johnson then led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added seven boards in the victory over No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Johnson then tallied 13 points versus No. 5/6 Villanova. Johnson led UD with 18 points in the home win over Xavier. Johnson scored 14 points versus Charlotte. At Saint Louis he added eight points and 12 rebounds. Johnson led all scorers with 21 points after sinking a career-best six three-pointers at Duquesne. At Richmond, Johnson led UD with 13 points and nine rebounds. He tallied 11 points versus GW in the A-10 First Round. In the NIT First Round, Johnson tallied 13 points and nine rebounds versus Illinois State. He added seven points and seven boards at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
CHRIS-CROSSING
Sophomore Chris Johnson was strong in league play during the regular season (11.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and finished 13th in the A-10 in rebounding and eighth in 3-point shooting. He had 21 points (5-10 3-pt.) with eight rebounds and three steals at New Mexico, and then bettered that with career-highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds in the Duquesne win. He was named A-10 co-Player of the Week after his 20-20 game.
20-20 VISION
There have been just seven 20-20 games turned in by a Dayton player at UD Arena since the Arena opened in 1969. Ken May, George Janky, Tom Crosswhite, J.D. Grigsby, Joe Fisher, Ryan Perryman all did it prior to Chris Johnson, but Johnson’s is only the second in the last 35 years. (Grigsby is teammate Chris Wright’s uncle). It was the first 20-20 game this season by any Atlantic 10 player. Johnson is also only the third player in Division I to score at least 25 points and grab 20 rebounds this season. Artsiom Parakhouski of Radford and Jamine Peterson of Providence are the other two.
P-DUBYA
Sophomore Paul Williams had his best game of the season in the win over No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. Williams scored seven of his 13 points in the final minute to help UD to the victory. He nearly matched that performance hitting a 3-pointer with 31 seconds to seal the comeback win against Towson. Williams scored 10 points versus Kansas State. Against Presbyterian, Williams snagged a career-best eight rebounds, and followed that up with 10 points and seven rebounds against App State. He tallied seven points in the home Xavier game. Williams netted 12 at Duquesne. He scored seven of his 10 points at the free throw line in the A-10 First Round win over GW. Williams had 11 points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
Paul Williams is shooting 17-for-20 in the final two minutes of the game at the free throw line this season. In the other 38 minutes of regulation, he is 11-for-17. Williams ranks second on the team in free throw percentage (.757, 28-37).
COOL HAND LUKE
Luke Fabrizius has been limited to 22 games this season due to injuries to his right knee and back. He began the season by averaging 8.1 points and shooting .455 (20-of-44) from three point range with games of 12 points against No. 19/21 Georgia Tech and 16 points and nine rebounds against No. 5/6 Villanova. He first injured the knee in the Old Dominion win on Dec. 11. After missing almost a month, he returned for the A-10 season against Duquesne on Jan. 9. In the first three A-10 games of the year he played 30 minutes, scored 22 points and made six of nine three-pointers. He then re-injured the knee (and has subsequently also had a back injury). His best performance of late occurred when he scored nine against Illinois State in the NIT First Round. Since Fabrizius re-injured the knee on Jan.18, UD is 9-8. Fabrizius is shooting better from outside the arc 33-of-78 (.423) than his overall 38-of-97 (.351).
BENSON’S BACK
Josh Benson is chipping in at almost every opportunity on the floor. Against Presbyterian he tallied a season-best 10 points with seven rebounds. He also scored seven points against BU. Benson came through with eight points and three assists at Xavier. Benson tallied five points and four rebounds at Saint Louis. He came back to score nine points in 11 minutes against La Salle. Benson corralled five rebounds at Richmond. He had four points and five rebounds at home versus Saint Louis.
WELCOME MATT
Matt Kavanaugh made his first collegiate appearance against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. He tallied his first collegiate career rebound versus Kansas State. Kavanaugh corralled two offensive rebounds against Lehigh. He scored his first career collegiate point versus Presbyterian and had two points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
ANSWERING THE BELL
The Dayton basketball staff has incorporated boxing to hammer home their lessons to the Flyers. In evaluations, they break each game into 10 four-minute rounds, with the goal of winning as many “rounds” as they can. This fall, the team worked out one day a week at Drake’s Gym, an old-school boxing gym in downtown Dayton. But before the Xavier win on Feb. 6, head coach Brian Gregory took it to a new level. With the team gathered in the locker room for final instructions prior to taking the court, Gregory suddenly appeared in front of the team wearing a long, hooded red-and-white fight robe and boxing gloves. He began firing off volleys of punches at each player as he bobbed to LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out.’ Gregory’s move both fired up and relaxed the Flyers, leading to the convincing 25-point win.
INSIDE THE RPI
Dayton has quality Top 100 RPI victories versus Georgia Tech, Xavier, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Illinois State and Cincinnati. Eight of UD’s 12 losses were to Top 50 opponents and 11 were against Top 100 teams. Dayton possesses and RPI of 55 and the NCAA’s 32nd toughest schedule.
STEAL OF A DEAL
During the 2009-10 season the Flyers are averaging 6.4 steals per game. Last year Dayton’s 6.49 steals per game was UD’s best average in 17 years and ranked as the fifth-best steal-per-game average in school history. UD opened the 2009-10 season with four swipes against Creighton and had eight against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech. At George Mason, UD made 10 steals. The Flyers matched that with 10 at New Mexico. Seven of the Musketeers’ eight turnovers came via steals at Xavier. At St. Joe’s the Flyers had nine steals, five by Rob Lowery. Dayton had seven different players collect one steal versus Charlotte. Dayton had 11 steals versus La Salle. The 13 steals versus No. 24 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals were a season high. UD had eight steals at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round.
ARENA ROCK
The Flyers are 49-4 (.923) in the last three seasons at UD Arena. UD had a school-record 30-game home-court winning streak snapped earlier this year by Rhode Island.
HOME SWEET HOME
Over the last four years on Tom Blackburn Court, the Flyers are 63-7. The 63 victories are tied for the eighth-most in the NCAA since the 2006-07 season. Just ahead of UD are Kansas (74), Ohio State (67), Pittsburgh (66), Florida and UNLV (65), Syracuse (64) and tied with Texas A&M (63). UD has started at home 10-0 for the last four seasons. Dayton won its 500th game at UD Arena on Dec. 29 and is 507-183 in 40 seasons at the Arena. The Flyers have a home all-time winning percentage of .780 (764-215).
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Dayton’s 18 victories last season at UD Arena set the program record for home wins and eclipsed the old mark set by the 2002-03 team that went 17-1 and the 1977-78 squad that went 17-3. Only two other Flyer squads, the 1949-50 team at the Fairgrounds Coliseum (16-0) and the 1959-60 squad in the UD Fieldhouse (14-0), ever also went unbeaten at home.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
This season 20 of the opponents’ top individual scorers have been held under their average against UD, including Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds (8), Temple’s Ryan Brooks (11), Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal (9) and Derrick Favors (10), George Mason’s Cam Long (8) and Illinois State’s Osiris Eldridge (12). Dayton ranks second in the A-10 field goal percentage defense (.393) and third in the A-10 in scoring defense (61.9).
THE NAME OF THE GAME
The 34 games played this season are tied for the second most in the program’s history. Last year UD played in 35 contests, the most by a University of Dayton team in a single season.
TAKE FIVE
Dayton has played its best basketball this season in the final five minutes of regulation, out-scoring its opponents 393-298. The Flyers are shooting 112-of-248 (.452) from the floor, 39-of-108 (.361) from beyond the arc, and 130-of-186 at the free throw line (.699). But defensively, UD is limiting opponents to 74-of-214 shooting (.346), 20-of-87 from three (.230) and have forced 63 turnovers in that span.
CRUNCH TIME
A .663 team from the line on the season, Dayton is shooting .769 (80-104) from the line in the last two minutes of the game in 2009-10. Six Flyers are shooting .750 or better, in crunch time. Chris Johnson is 13-of-14 (.929), followed by Marcus Johnson (.923, 12-of-13), Rob Lowery (.909, 10-of-11), Paul Williams (.850, 17-of-20), Chris Wright (.800, 8-of-10) and Mickey Perry (.750, 6-of-8).
LESS IS MORE
Dayton is 2-7 this season away from UD Arena when shooting 20 or more 3-pointers in a game. Overall, Dayton is 11-5 when attempting less than 20 three-pointers this season, and 11-7 when shooting 20 or more. The two wins were against Georgia Tech and Cincinnati.
WELCOME TO FLIGHT CLUB
Dayton set a new single-season record for dunks just 19 games into the 2008-09 season. The Flyers’ total of 117 was 56 more than the 61 slams performed by the 2003-04 team in 33 games. This season UD has 111 dunks through 34 games with Chris Wright (64) leading the way followed by Marcus Johnson (15), Devin Searcy (11), Josh Benson (9), Chris Johnson (8), London Warren (2) and Rob Lowery and Kurt Huelsman (1).
FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
Dayton has shown their offense is not a one-man show. Eight Flyers, Chris Wright, Luke Fabrizius, Mickey Perry, Rob Lowery, Chris Johnson, Marcus Johnson, Devin Searcy and London Warren each have led the team in scoring this season. Wright has led 13 times, Chris Johnson 11 times, Marcus Johnson five times, Perry three times, Fabrizius twice, and Searcy, Lowery and Warren once. In rebounding, Wright has led the team 15 times, Chris Johnson nine times, Kurt Huelsman and London Warren four times, Marcus Johnson twice and Paul Williams, Josh Benson, Devin Searcy and Fabrizius once apiece. (Note: scoring and rebounding numbers add up to more than 34 due to games where more than one player tied for the team-high).
EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
UD is 44-6 under Brian Gregory when scoring at least 75 points. Dayton is 8-1 this year and 15-2 the last two seasons.
THE ROUND MOUND OF REBOUND
This season UD is 18-7 when out-rebounding the opponent and have a plus-7.2 rebounding margin in the 22 victories this season. In conference play, UD out-rebounded opponents by 9.1, more than two rebounds more than Xavier (6.7).
SPARK OFF THE BENCH
With such a deep team, it is no surprise UD’s bench was a big part of the team’s success. UD non-starters have won the battle of the benches 22 times in 2009-10. UD held a 42-27 advantage in bench scoring against Creighton. The Flyers then outscored No. 21/19 Georgia Tech’s bench 47-24. Against No. 5/6 Villanova, UD’s bench outscored the Wildcats 39-25. In the K-State contest, UD held a 35-20 bench scoring advantage. In the BU win, it was 48-16. At New Mexico, it was 31-7. Dayton dominated with a 37-6 advantage in the home Xavier game. UD dominated in bench points over La Salle with a 42-15 edge and held a 44-22 advantage against UMass. At Richmond, UD outscored the Spiders 20-4. At Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round, UD dominated with a 39-9 advantage. This year the Flyer bench has out-scored opponents 963-593. Dayton is ninth in the NCAA in points off the bench.
TRIPLE PLAY
Dayton has won 20 or more games for the third consecutive season. The last time the Flyers accomplished that feat was from 2000-01 to 2003-04 when UD reached the 20-win mark four consecutive years. In the program’s history, Dayton has reached 20 or more victories in 25 seasons.
QUALITY OF COMPETITION
Dayton’s 12 losses are by a total of 49 points. UD’s three non-conference losses are all by single-digit margins to No. 3 Villanova, No. 11 Kansas State, and No. 19 New Mexico. The Flyers’ eight league losses are by a total of 28 points. Each loss was a one-or-two possession game in the final minute.
CLOSE SHAVE
What a difference a year makes. The Flyers are 3-10 in games decided by five points or less and have lost nine close games in the 2010 calendar year. In 2008-09 Dayton was 11-1 in games decided by five points or less, the best record of close games in the nation. The Flyers were also 19-0 last season when leading with five minutes left in regulation. Dayton’s back-to-back one-point losses to St. Joe’s and Rhode Island were just the second time in school history it lost two straight games by a single point (it first happened in Jan. 1975).
EARLY SEASON TESTS
The Dayton-Creighton game was the nation’s only season-opener that features two teams that received votes in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll. Dayton was ranked 22nd in the preseason poll, while Creighton received seven votes. UD’s next game against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech featured the first time during the 2009-10 season two ranked opponents squared off against each other.
CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. Dayton is 8-4 in the last three years against BCS programs and has won four of its last five games against the Big East.
TAKING THE NATIONAL STAGE
To start the 2009-10 campaign the Flyers were nationally ranked in a major poll for the first time since the 1967-68 season. With UD being ranked at some point in each of the last three seasons, it is also the first time in 49 years the Flyers have been ranked in three consecutive seasons. The last time that happened was the 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons.
SAILING THE ATLANTIC
Dayton is 283-205 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference. In 14-plus years as an A-10 team, the Flyers are 135-100 UD coach Brian Gregory is 64-49 against A-10 competition.
FLY AWAY
The last time the Flyers beat a Top 25 team on the road was back on Dec. 8, 2007 when Dayton topped No. 11 Louisville 70-65. Since that game UD has lost four road games and one neutral site contest against ranked opponents.
THE TOP CHOICE IN THE A-10
With four starters and 10 of its top 11 scorers returning from last year’s 27-8 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the University of Dayton Flyers were selected as the team to beat in the Atlantic 10 this season in the league’s preseason poll.
SENIOR SUCCESS
With the 63-42 win over Illinois State in the NIT First Round, Dayton’s seniors have won at least 20 games three straight seasons and have 91 career victories (in 134 tries) to become the second-winningest class in program history. The Class of 2010 is just behind the class of 1955 (94 victories).
DAYTON SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS OF STATEN, HILL, BERRY, SPEARMAN, & OLIVER
University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory and his staff continue to stockpile strong, incoming talent, as another exceptionally talented recruiting class signed National Letters of Intent last fall to continue their careers at UD. The newest official members of the Flyer family are 6-foot-1 guard Jesse Berry of Lafayette (Ind.) Jefferson High School, 6-foot-6 forward Ralph Hill of Westerville (Ohio) North High School, 6-foot-7 forward Devin Oliver of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central High School, 6-foot-3 guard Brandon Spearman of Chicago Simeon High School, and 5-foot-11 guard Juwan Staten from Dayton, Ohio who attends powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. Headlined by Staten, who Rivals.com has ranked the 44th-best player in his class, the 2009-10 signing class is ranked as high as 15th in the country.
FUTURE FLYER UPDATES
The incoming Flyer recruits have enjoyed highly successful 2009-10 seasons. Berry helped lead his team to a state ranking of 23rd. Hill was named All-Central District basketball player for the state of Ohio. Oliver is an outstanding shooter with good strength and ball skills according to many scouts. He led Kalamazoo Central to a top three ranking in the state of Michigan Class A and an undefeated record in their division. Spearman is ranked the No. 15 best player from the state of Illinois according to chicagohoops.com. Staten helped lead Oak Hill to a No. 1 Ranking in the State of Virginia, a 26-3 record and an undefeated record at home. Staten also helped Oak Hill to a No. 9 national ranking.
PARKER TRANSFERS TO DAYTON
In April 2009, guard Josh Parker transferred to the University of Dayton from Drake University. Parker, a 6-0 guard, has already begun classes and will redshirt the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Parker appeared in 33 games last season for Drake. He averaged 10.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting .432 (57-132) from 3-point range and .720 (67-93) from the free throw line.
FORTUNE 500
The Flyers celebrated their 500th win at UD Arena on Dec. 21 2009. The Arena opened in 1969. UD Arena is one of just 27 active facilities to have hosted at least 500 wins for its home team, and only one of two built since 1969. The list includes Cameron Indoor Stadium, The Palestra, Pauley Pavilion, Freedom Hall, Allen Fieldhouse, The Pit and Hinkle Fieldhouse. Only four facilities – Pauley Pavilion, The Pit, Freedom Hall and the Huntsman Center – had 500 wins faster than UD Arena.
HEAD OF THE CLASS
UD’s seniors, the Class of 2010, tied the best mark in UD history for wins in their first three seasons on campus. The Flyers’ 69 wins from 2007-09 tied the freshman-sophomore-junior wins by the Class of 1955 and the Class of 2005. The 69 wins are also the third-best three-year period, regardless of class year, in school history. Dayton won 79 games between 1949 and 1952, and 75 games between 1953 and 1956. UD’s Class of 2010 is also the first class in school history to go undefeated at home against non-conference opponents.
THAT’S A CATCH-22
UD has held opponents to 22 points or less in a half 10 times this season matching last season’s total.
DAYTON TEAMS’ ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATES AMONG THE NCAA’S BEST AGAIN
In April 2009, eight athletics programs at the University of Dayton were honored by the NCAA with Public Recognition Awards for their latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. The Flyer men’s basketball team was one of 10 NCAA teams listed (BYU, Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina, Texas, Villanova and VCU are the others) that posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads. The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
This year’s Dayton Flyer basketball marketing theme is “We’re All Flyers,” once again signifying the bond between UD and Miami Valley residents. For the second year in a row, head coach Brian Gregory and every UD player hand-delivered season tickets to 20 season ticket-holders around Dayton on Oct. 19.
GREGORY TOURS WITH USO’S OPERATION HARDWOOD VI
In August, University of Dayton men’s basketball head coach Brian Gregory had the opportunity to travel to the Persian Gulf and visit troops as part of the sixth installment of “Operation Hardwood,” a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. It was the second straight year Gregory toured the Middle East with the USO.
FLYER GARDEN PARTY
UD’s 74-58 win over Fordham on Jan. 13 was Dayton’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since 1991. UD has a 38-24 all-time record at the Garden. The Flyers’ 38 wins at the Garden are tied with Duke for the most victories of any non-New York metropolitan area school.
ELITE COMPANY
Dayton coach Brian Gregory became just the fourth coach in Flyer basketball history to record 100 career victories when the Flyers defeated Delaware State on Nov. 18, 2008. 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.
GREGORY’S CONTRACT TO RUN THROUGH 2018
University of Dayton Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler announced in May that the University has extended head men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory’s contract for an additional five years, and that it will run through the 2017-18 season. Since taking over as UD’s head coach in 2003, Gregory has a record of 138-72. His original contract term was five years. He signed a new agreement in 2005 that originally ran through 2013. He is one of just a handful who have been at their current school at least six years and have averaged at least 20 wins a season. That list includes Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, UConn’s Jim Calhoun, Florida’s Billy Donovan, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Duke’s Mike Kryzewski, Louisville’s Rick Pitino, KU’s Bill Self, Maryland’s Gary Williams and UNC’s Roy Williams.
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
The eight-millionth UD fan in UD Arena history attended the Presbyterian game. UD’s last 166 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 (405 of 408), including the last 204 regular season games. The last 23 regular season games have drawn at least 12,000.
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 96 sellouts in its 40-year history and seven this year. UD sold out the opener against Creighton, along with Appalachian State, Boston U, Duquesne, Xavier, UMass and Saint Louis. The record for sellouts is eight in the Arena’s first season 1969-70. The Flyers finished the regular season averaging 13,038 fans a game.
UD AMONG THE BEST IN NCAA ATTENDANCE
Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men’s basketball attendance for the 14th straight season in 2008-09. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 13th straight season (including the 2009-10 season). UD averaged more than 2,400 fans a game better than any other team in the A-10.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON
The UD men’s basketball program set the regular season attendance record this season. The Flyers averaged 13,038 fans per game, during the regular season. That mark was slightly above the all-time mark of 12,982 set during the first season at UD Arena in 1969-70.
TOURNEY TOWN
The UD Arena is tied with Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City for the most NCAA Tournament games with 83 contests hosted. The NCAA Division I Tournament made its start at UD Arena for the 10th year in a row as the University of Dayton Arena host the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2010.
This year the UD Arena will serve as a regional site for the 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Dayton will host the Opening Round through 2013 and will have the First and Second rounds in 2013. UD has hosted the Opening Round game since its inception in its current form in 2001. UD Arena has been an NCAA site in 24 of the last 40 years.
NCAA TOURNAMENT RETURNING TO UD ARENA THROUGH 2013
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced preliminary round sites for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championships, and the tournament is returning to the University of Dayton Arena in each of those years. The NCAA First and Second Rounds will come back to Dayton in 2013. In addition, the NCAA Opening Round Game will remain at UD Arena through the 2013 tournament.
DAYTON AMONG TOP 10 IN NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The University of Dayton’s 94 percent Graduation Success Rate is second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and ties it for 22nd 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. 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.
