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NO. 9 SEEDED DAYTON BATTLES NO. 12 SAINT JOSEPH’S IN THE A-10 SEMIFINALS
The No. 9-seeded University of Dayton Flyers continue on in the 2011 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship Saturday, facing the No. 12-seeded Saint Joseph’s Hawks in the semifinals at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports, carried by WHIO Radio and available with live stats on Gametracker and audio at www.DaytonFlyers.com.
Dayton is rolling in the post-season, picking up victories over Massachusetts and No. 18/20 Xavier in the first two rounds of the tournament. UD enters this game 21-12 overall and will be making its second semifinal appearance in the last three seasons. The Flyers are led by Chris Wright, a three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection. Wright ranks first on the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocks (47). Chris Johnson, an A-10 Honorable Mention selection, averages 11.6 points per game and shooting .379 from beyond the arc. Juwan Staten, an All-Rookie Team selection, is the Atlantic 10 and NCAA freshman leader in assists per game with 5.7. Finally, Luke Fabrizius has been on-fire in the A-10 Championship, averaging 11.5 points and shooting 6-for-11 (.545) from beyond the arc. Fabrizius hit the game-winning free throws in UD’s quarterfinal win over Xavier. They were just his second and third made free throws of the season.
ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH’S
The Hawks have won six of their last 10 and enter Saturday’s semifinal matchup 11-21 overall. Carl Jones leads the team in scoring and has reached double figures in 28 of 31 games this season. C.J. Aiken ranks third in the nation in blocked shots with 3.7 per game. In their 93-90 overtime win over Duquesne, Ronald Roberts had 19 points and Idris Hilliard 18 for the Hawks. Saint Joseph’s won their final regular-season game to make the tournament and then beat George Washington in overtime in the first round.
SERIES STUFF
Dayton leads the all-time series 17-12 and won the earlier meeting this season 65-59 at UD Arena. The Flyers are 3-1 versus the Hawks in the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship.
FLYERS IN THE ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT
This is UD’s 16th season in the Atlantic 10 and in each of those years earned a berth to the A-10 Championship. This is UD’s sixth appearance in the semifinals. The Flyers have an overall 18-14 record in the tournament. Dayton has won the championship once (2003), placed second once (2004), and tied for third three times (2000, 2002 and 2009). Coach Brian Gregory is 9-7 all-time in the A-10 Tournament.
THREE FLYERS EARN ALL-ATLANTIC 10 ACCOLADES
Three Dayton Flyers earned All-Atlantic 10 honors as Chris Wright was named to the Third Team All-Atlantic 10, Chris Johnson an Honorable Mention selection and Juwan Staten to the All-Rookie Team. Wright is only the third UD player to be named All-Atlantic 10 three times, joining Brian Roberts and Ryan Perryman. Staten is Dayton’s seventh All-Rookie selection (Chris Johnson, Chris Wright, Brian Roberts, Keith Waleskowski, Brooks Hall, Tony Stanley). Johnson earned Honorable Mention honors for the first time in his career.
RPI UPDATE
According to CollegeRPI.com, Dayton’s RPI going into Friday’s game was 84. UD has five victories over Top 100 RPI opponents with wins over Xavier, Ole Miss, New Mexico, George Mason and Duquesne.
LOCK IT UP
Dayton is 17-0 this season when leading with five minutes to play in regulation.
THE HIT LIST
Chris Wright continues to post memorable performances in conference play. At La Salle, Wright scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and had a career-best six blocks. At Saint Louis, he posted 14 points and 14 rebounds. Wright added 14 points and 10 boards versus Saint Joseph’s. At Xavier, Wright tallied 10 points,10 boards and five assists. He led UD with 22 points and eight rebounds versus Richmond. Wright led UD with 15 points and 14 boards versus No. 24 Temple. Wright had nine rebounds and a steal in the Duquesne win. Against No. 25 Xavier, Wright had 11 points and five rebounds. He led UD with 21 points and seven boards in the home Saint Louis meeting. Wright had 12 points and seven boards at GW. In the A-10 First Round, Wright had 10 points and seven rebounds at UMass. Wright scored 15 against No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
THE HIT LIST CONTINUED
In non-conference action, Chris Wright’s signature achievement came in the win against New Mexico with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Wright matched his career-best with 30 points against Western Carolina. He tallied a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards against Mount St. Mary’s. Wright added 23 points and 12 rebounds versus Akron. Wright had 13 points and 15 boards versus ETSU. Against Miami he recorded game-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds. At ODU, Wright had a career-best four steals to go with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Against Seton Hall and George Mason, Wright had 13 points and nine rebounds.
NAISMITH TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST ADDS DAYTON’S WRIGHT
Chris Wright was named to the 2010-11 Preseason Naismith Trophy watch list for the second consecutive season. Wright was one of three players named to the Naismith watch list from the Atlantic 10.
DAYTON’S CHRIS WRIGHT NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50 LIST
Chris Wright was one of the top college basketball players named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list. This was the third straight year Dayton has had a player on the Wooden List. Brian Roberts was on the 2008 Midseason Top 30 List, and Wright was also on last year’s Preseason List. Wright ranks 16th in career scoring at UD with 1,555 points. Named First Team All-Atlantic 10 last year, Wright is averaging 13.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season. His 8.3 rebounds ranks third in the A-10 and 69th in the NCAA.
WRIGHT NOMINATED FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Chris Wright was one of 30 men’s basketball players who were initially listed on the official candidate list for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Wright was the second Flyer named to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS candidate list. Brian Roberts earned the honor in 2007.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
Chris Wright was one of nine college basketball players who appeared on the preseason Lowe’s Senior CLASS, Naismith and Wooden Watch Lists. Joining CW are Kevin Anderson (Richmond), Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech), Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall), Jon Leuer (Wisconsin), E’Twaun Moore (Purdue), Jacob Pullen (Kansas State) and Kyle Singler (Duke).
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS
Chris Wright is currently 10th on UD’s all-time list in rebounding with 854. Erv Giddings is ninth with 935.
GETTING TO THE LINE
Another category Chris Wright has climbed the UD career charts is free throws made. His 382 made free throws put him 10th all-time. He is 18 away from Jack Sallee for ninth place.
HELLO MR. EVERYTHING
Chris Wright is not only a senior captain, but a leader in key statistical figures this season. He leads Dayton in points (13.0), rebounds (8.3), blocks (47), field goals made (162), free throws made (99), dunks (36) and double-doubles (10).
BETTER MAKE THE WRIGHT DECISION
Chris Wright is Dayton’s career leader in blocked shots with 158, surpassing Sean Finn’s previous record of 139. Wright has at least one block in 22 straight games, a UD program record. Wright’s career average of 1.2 blocks per game ranks first on UD’s all-time list.
A CAREER DAY
Chris Wright’s six blocks at La Salle tied the UD single-game record held by George Morrison, Erv Giddings and Sean Finn. Wright also holds UD’s single-season record for blocks, with 53 during the 2009-10 season. He ranks ninth in the A-10 with 1.4 blocks per game this season.
PRICE IS WRIGHT
Senior Chris Wright earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team for the second straight season. This year, Wright has been solid against A-10 opponents averaging 12.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting .458 from the field.
THAT FIGURES
Chris Wright leads UD with 24 double-figure scoring games. UD is 16-8 this year when he has 10-plus points.
WRIGHT’S ALL-ATLANTIC 10 ACCOLADES
Chris Wright earned a Third Team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 2010-11 and was a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 2009-10. A preseason nominee last year for both the Wooden and Naismith awards, Wright led Dayton in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), minutes per game (28.6) and dunks (a school-record 68) last year. Wright is the fifth player in UD history to earn a First Team selection and the first underclassman.
WRIGHT TO KNOW
The Dayton Flyers are 87-33 overall, 58-7 at home and 7-8 against ranked opponents with Chris Wright in the lineup during his UD career. In fact, he is 78-7 at home over his last four-and-a-half years of organized basketball in high school and college.
DUNK TANK
After 120 games in a Flyer uniform, Chris Wright is Dayton’s all-time dunk leader with 169 career dunks. His 68 slams in 2009-10 topped his own school record of 54 set in 2008-09. This year he had a season-best five at La Salle, three against Akron and two at Ole Miss. Wright had three slams, including an ESPN Top Play dunk versus New Mexico.
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE, DOUBLE THE FUN
Chris Wright leads Dayton and ranks third in the Atlantic 10 this season with 10 double-doubles. Wright possesses 29 career double-doubles, despite missing half of his freshman season with a broken ankle.
WRIGHT NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dayton’s Chris Wright earned the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week award on Jan. 3, 2011. Wright averaged a double-double with 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds.
CHRIS CROSSING THE CHARTS
Chris Johnson, a 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Honorable Mention selection, is quickly moving up the charts in the program’s history. CJ became UD’s 43rd member of the 1,000 point club hitting a 3-pointer at GW. Johnson’s 1,024 points rank him tied for 40th with Coby Turner. Johnson also ranks tied for 6th with Monty Scott on UD’s all-time list for 3 pointers made.
PREMIUM PRODUCTION
Chris Johnson has scored in double-figures in 19 of his last 25 contests and ranks second on the team lead with 21 games with 10-plus points. He leads the team minutes (29.5) and is second in scoring (11.6), offensive rebounds (67) and free throw percentage (79-94, .840). CJ also ranks third the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage.
WARM IT UP CHRIS
Chris Johnson is building off a breakout sophomore season. At Ole Miss he had game highs of 20 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson scored 15 points against East Tennessee State. CJ recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds against CCSU. He had 24 points and nine rebounds at Old Dominion. Johnson tallied 15 points against Western Carolina. He recorded 16 points and eight rebounds versus Winthrop. At Seton Hall, CJ had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson led UD with 18 points versus George Mason. He recorded 15 points and seven rebounds against New Mexico. At Saint Louis, he had 13 points and six rebounds. Johnson scored 13 and dished out four assists versus St. Joe’s. CJ scored 16 at Xavier. Against Fordham, Johnson tallied 12 points and a career-high five assists. Johnson led UD with 13 points at Duquesne and had 14 points versus St. Bonaventure. Battling an upper-respiratory infection, Johnson scored 12 at La Salle. He had seven points and 11 rebounds versus No. 24 Temple. Johnson led UD with 14 points at Charlotte. He finished with 14 points and eight boards in the second Duquesne meeting. Johnson had 22 points and nine rebounds versus No. 25 Xavier. CJ recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards against No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
CJ NAMED TO PRESEASON A-10 THIRD TEAM
Chris Johnson earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Preseason Third Team. CJ was the 2010 NIT Most Valuable Player. After a slow start to the season, Johnson in his last 24 games averages 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting .425 from the floor, .394 from 3-point range and hitting 62-of-74 free throws.
JOHNSON NAMED THE 2010 ATLANTIC 10 CHRIS DANIELS MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Chris Johnson earned the 2010 Atlantic 10 Chris Daniels Most Improved Player award. Last year, Johnson led the team in FT% (.848, 84-99) and was 2nd in scoring (11.9) and rebounding (6.9). In 2008-09, he averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Johnson is the first player in A-10 history named the Most Improved Player after being named to the All-Rookie Team.
COLOSSAL IN THE CONFERENCE
Chris Johnson ranked second on the team in A-10 scoring with 11.3 points per game. His conference average is slightly below the 12.4 he put up in non-conference action.
STATEN DOIN’ GREAT IN DAYTON
Flyer freshman point guard Juwan Staten’s 5.7 assists a game not only leads the Atlantic 10, but is the best mark among freshmen in the country. The top five freshman assist leaders are Staten (26th, 5.7), North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall (5.6, 27th), Long Island’s Jason Brickman (5.4, 32nd), Brown’s Sean McGonagill (5.3, 42nd) and Detroit’s Ray McCallum (4.9, 54th). Staten was the first Flyer freshman to start a season-opener at point guard since Edwin Young in 1996. Staten’s point-assist double-double against Florida A&M was the first at UD since Ramod Marshall had 17 and 10 against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 4, 2004. He has dished out 10 or more assists twice this season - (Florida A&M & Fordham).
STATEN A FOUR-TIME A-10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD WINNER
Juwan Staten was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Jan. 16, 2011 for the fourth time this season, leading all rookies in the conference. He earned the award previously on Dec. 27, 2010, Dec. 6, 2010 and Nov. 22, 2010. Staten’s four Rookie of the Week awards were the most by a Flyer since Chris Wright’s four.
THIS DIAPER DANDY DELIVERS
Juwan Staten set UD’s all-time freshman record for assists eclipsing the 128 dished out by Negele Knight. He ranks third on UD’s single-season assist list with 183. Staten also holds the Flyer record for the most starts by a freshman point guard (30). Staten leads the A-10 in assists per game (5.7) and is fourth assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1).
STATEN THE OBVIOUS
Juwan Staten, an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection, has lived up to the hype. Against Florida A&M, Staten had his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. He had eight assists in the Mount St. Mary’s win. Staten matched that eight-assist effort with another one at Ole Miss. Staten led UD with nine points and four assists at Cincinnati. He then added 14 points against ETSU. He tallied 12 points and eight assists in the win over Miami. Staten recorded seven points and seven assists at Old Dominion. He scored nine at Seton Hall. He had 16 points versus George Mason. Staten had an ESPN Top Play dunk to go with seven points and six assists versus New Mexico.
HEAD OF STATEN
In conference play, Juwan Staten has been just as good. He had eight points and eight assists at Saint Louis. Staten tallied 10 points and seven assists at UMass. Staten led Dayton with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor at Xavier. Against Fordham, Staten dished out 10 assists with only one turnover. He had six assists at Duquesne. Staten tallied nine points and six assists versus St. Bonaventure and six points and five assists at La Salle. He had 12 points versus No. 24 Temple. Staten tallied 13 points and four assists at Charlotte. He scored 13 again in the home game against Duquesne. Staten had six points, seven assists with one turnover versus No. 25 Xavier. Staten scored eight of his 10 points in the final two minutes at George Washington. Staten led UD with 10 points and seven assists in the A-10 First Round win at UMass. Staten dished out eight dimes versus No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
STATEN ON COUSY AWARD CANDIDATE LIST
Juwan Staten was one of 66 college basketball players, and one of just five freshmen, on the 2011 Bob Cousy Award candidate list. The annual award, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes college basketball’s top point guard. 66 players were nominated for the 2011 award. Staten was also one of five freshmen on the candidate list. That includes Duke’s Kyrie Iriving, South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington, Kentucky’s Brandon Knight and Missouri’s Phil Pressey.
DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Senior forward Devin Searcy is questionable after an ankle injury against Xavier. He opened the year with his first career double-double, tallying 15 points and 12 rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s. Searcy added his second double-double in as many games with 10 points and 11 boards versus Akron. At Ole Miss, Searcy scored nine points going 5-of-6 at the charity stripe. He shot 5-of-5 from the floor en route to 10 points against Miami. Searcy tallied eight points and seven rebounds against Central Connecticut State. He hauled in 10 rebounds versus Winthrop. Searcy added six boards at Saint Louis. He set a career high with five assists versus Saint Joseph’s. Searcy added nine points and six boards on 4-of-4 shooting from the floor versus Fordham. Searcy had five points and six boards against Richmond. He added five rebounds at Rhode Island. Searcy recorded seven points and seven rebounds at Charlotte. He played one of his best games in a Flyer uniform with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the home Duquesne game.
DOUBLE DOWN
After not having a double-double in his first 94 career games, senior Devin Searcy has had three this season. Searcy leads Dayton in free throw percentage (21-of-24, .875) and ranks third in overall rebounding (4.1) and fourth in offensive rebounds (57). Searcy has played 127 games at UD, which is good for sixth all-time in Flyer history.
THAT’S SOME WILL-POWER
Paul Williams leads the team in three-point shooting (53-122, .434). He is second for UD in 3-pointers made (53) and third in free throw percentage (48-60, .800). He is also sixth in the A-10 in 3-pt. field goal percentage.
P-DUBYA
Paul Williams has come alive on the offensive end, scoring in double figures 13 times this season. He opened this year with 14-points against Mount St. Mary’s. He added 15 points against Savannah State. Williams had a career-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc at Old Dominion. Williams then scored 16 on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc against New Mexico. Williams scored 12 points at Saint Louis and at UMass. He scored 10 at Xavier. Against Richmond, Williams scored nine. Williams added 11 points at Duquesne. He had six points and six boards at La Salle. Williams led UD with 12 points at Rhode Island. Williams had four assists at Charlotte. He added five points and four rebounds in the Duquesne home game. Williams scored six points at George Washington. He had five points and six rebounds at UMass in the A-10 First Round.
BIG WILL
Paul Williams plays his best against the big-name opponents. In the 2011 A-10 Quarterfinals, Williams scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and hit 4 shots from beyond the arc against No. 18/20 Xavier. He shot 5-of-6 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points at Old Dominion. Williams scored 16 on 4-of-6 shooting against New Mexico. He recorded 10 points at Xavier and led UD with 12 at Rhode Island. Against No. 25 Xavier, Williams added 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and hauled in five rebounds.
LONG DISTANCE CALL
With eight three-pointers against Fordham, Josh Parker was one away from matching the UD all-time record. Parker connected on 8-of-14 shots from beyond the arc and led the Flyers with 27 points. Against A-10 opponents, Parker is shooting .366 from beyond the arc (26-of-71).
PARKER BROTHERS
Josh Parker has a unique ability to score points in a hurry off the bench. Aside from Fordham, his biggest performance came against New Mexico with 10 of his 16 points in the first half. He scored 18 points at Ole Miss. In the Florida A&M win, Parker led all scorers with 18 points. He dished out five assists with zero turnovers against East Tennessee State. Parker then had six assists versus Miami. Parker added 16 points and eight assists against CCSU. Parker had 11 points and five assists versus Richmond. He dished out five assists at Duquesne. Parker scored 12 at La Salle, hitting three 3-pointers. Parker had 11 points at UMass in the A-10 First Round. Against No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals, he dished out six assists with zero turnovers. Parker averages 7.2 points a game off the bench, tops on the team.
PUTTING THE FAB IN FABRIZIUS
In UD’s two A-10 Championship games, Luke Fabrizius is averaging 11.5 points per game and shooting .538 from the field (7-of-13) and .545 (6-of-11) beyond the arc. He hit the game-winning free throws versus No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals. Prior to those two free throws, Fabrizius was 1-for-3 on the season at the charity stripe.
COOL HAND LUKE
Luke Fabrizius, Dayton’s top 3-point shooter from last season, has started to turn things as of late. He is shooting 21-of-33 from the field (.636) and 15-of-31 (.484) from beyond the arc in his last nine games. He missed the first six games with a sprained ankle. Fabrizius opened his 2010-11 campaign with six points against East Tennessee State. After not hitting a field goal in his next four games, Fabrizius tallied seven points and three rebounds versus Winthrop. He hit three consecutive 3-pointers en route to nine points versus George Mason. Fabrizius scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting at Rhode Island. He scored 10 points versus No. 24 Temple. Fabrizius scored 12 hitting four 3-point shots at Charlotte. In the A-10 First Round, he was lights out at UMass leading Dayton with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Fabrizius hit the game-winning free throws en route to 10 points against No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
START ME UP
Josh Benson has started 10 of the last 11 games and been a factor. In 10 starts, Benson is averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and shooting .605 from the floor (26-of-43). Memorable starts include Benson poured in a career-best 13 points of 5-of-8 shooting from the field in the home Saint Louis game. In his first career start, Benson had nine points and six rebounds in the SBU win. He tallied nine points and six rebounds at La Salle. Benson had eight points and five of his six rebounds on the offensive end in the home Duquesne meeting. Benson added seven points and two blocks versus No. 25 Xavier. He added 10 points and seven rebounds at GW. Benson scored seven points versus No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
BOOM BOOM BENSON
In his last seven games, Josh Benson has stepped up, averaging 7.4 points and shooting 21-of-34 (.618) from the floor. At Ole Miss he scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting with five rebounds. He followed that up with eight points versus Savannah St. Benson added six points and a game-high nine rebounds at Cincinnati. He then tallied eight rebounds against ETSU. He netted 11 points at Xavier on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Benson followed that up with 10 points and eight rebounds against Fordham. He had 10 points and four rebounds at Duquesne.
KAVAN-AUGHSOME
To say Matt Kavanaugh had a terrific performance against Seton Hall would be the understatement of the season. After scoring 11 points in his first 11 games, Kavanaugh recorded career highs of 15 points and seven rebounds. In other action, he tallied five rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s. Kavanaugh matched that total with five more boards versus Western Carolina. He had five boards versus New Mexico. Kavanaugh added five points and six rebounds at Xavier. He added six more rebounds in the victory against Fordham. He had a solid performance with six points and seven boards versus St. Bonaventure. Kavanaugh tallied six points and a team-high six rebounds at Rhode Island. He had five points versus No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
NO BS WITH SPEARMAN
Brandon Spearman plays with energy on both ends of the floor. In his first career start, Spearman scored eight points and dished out three assists against Fordham. His breakout game came against Akron with seven points in 12 minutes. Spearman provided a big lift with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting versus Florida A&M. Spearman had four points, three rebounds and two assists versus Winthrop. He scored six points at Duquesne. He was 4-for-4 at the charity stripe at La Salle. Spearman scored five points versus No. 24 Temple. He dished out two assists versus Saint Louis. Spearman scored six points hitting two 3-pointers at GW. He scoreed nine fist half points and had four rebounds at UMass in the A-10 First Round. He had three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal versus No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
OLIVER TWIST
Devin Oliver consistently gets to the glass and provides energy off the bench. Oliver recorded eight rebounds at Cincinnati. He then snagged five rebounds in eight minutes against Savannah State. Oliver had five points and three boards against Florida A&M. He then had eight points versus Winthrop. Oliver tallied four points and six rebounds against Fordham. He had four points on 2-of-2 shooting at Duquesne. Oliver scored four again on 2-of-2 shooting versus St. Bonaventure. Oliver had four points and three rebounds at Charlotte. Played 18 minutes and had four rebounds in the home Duquesne game. Oliver corralled four rebounds versus No. 25 Xavier. He had three points and three boards versus Saint Louis. He picked up three boards at UMass in the A-10 First Round.
KING OF THE HILL
Ralph Hill had a strong opening performance, connecting on a three-pointer and adding two rebounds versus Mount St. Mary’s. He added two points and a rebound against Florida A&M, and corralled two rebounds at Cincinnati. He corralled a rebound versus Fordham and at Duquesne. Hill scored a career-high six points at UMass in the A-10 First Round.
DILLARD TRANSFERS TO DAYTON
In May, coach Brian Gregory announced that Kevin Dillard, who was the 2008 Illinois Mr. Basketball award winner, transferred to UD from Southern Illinois. Dillard, a 6-0 guard who graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Chicago, will become eligible to play for the Flyers beginning with the 2011-12 season. Dillard averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 assists in 2009-10 for SIU. In 2008-09, he was named the Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year after leading SIU in scoring (12.2).
UD SIGNS LaDONTAE HENTON & PERCY GIBSON
Coach Brian Gregory announced the signing of two prospects from the state of Michigan to National Letters of Intent as 6-foot-8 forward Percy Gibson of Southeastern High School in Detroit, and 6-foot-6 forward LaDontae Henton of Lansing’s Eastern High School committed to UD. Gibson averaged 17.2 points and 11.0 rebounds last season for powerhouse Detroit Southeastern High School. Henton is a three-time All-Michigan Class A (big school) selection. He averaged 24.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocked shots, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals, and was the only junior named first team all-state in Class A.
THE ROUND MOUND OF REBOUND
Dayton leads the Atlantic 10 lead with 38.8 rebounds per game and ranks 16th in the NCAA. In the Mount St. Mary’s win, UD out-rebounded the Mount 54-31. UD then followed that up with a 42-27 advantage over Akron and a 51-35 edge at Ole Miss. In the Winthrop win, UD held a 46-28 advantage on the glass. At Seton Hall Dayton had 18 offensive boards. UD had 48 rebounds against New Mexico. The Flyers tallied a season-high with 56 rebounds versus Fordham. UD held a 48-22 edge on the glass and had 16 offensive boards versus Duquesne. UD dominated UMass in the A-10 First Round holding a 42-34 edge.
ON THE OFFENSIVE
Last year Dayton had two games with 20 or more offensive rebounds. The Flyers have already surpassed that total with 20 or more offensive rebounds against Mount St. Mary’s, Ole Miss, Winthrop and Fordham.
SHUTDOWN DEFENDERS
Dayton is 11-2 this season when limiting opponents to 60 points or less. UD forced 21 turnovers against Miami. The Flyers smothered Seton Hall to 26 percent shooting from the field in the second half. In the first half at SLU, the Flyers held the Billikens to 1-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. At UMass, the Flyers limited the Minutemen to 27 percent shooting from the field. In the Fordham win, Dayton held Fordham to 33 percent shooting from the field. The Flyers forced 19 St. Bonaventure turnovers. UD held Charlotte to 4-of-19 shooting from three. In the A-10 First Round, the Flyers held UMass to 20 percent shooting from three and forced 15 turnovers.
DEFEND, REBOUND & RUN
The big difference in UD’s success comes from defense and rebounding. In the Flyers’ 21 victories, their defense limits teams to shoot just .392 from the field, and UD out-rebounds opponents by a plus-9.0 margin. In the 12 losses, opponents average 70.9 points, are out-rebounding Dayton by 2.5 and shooting .447 from the floor. UD is 13-7 when it has more fast break points than its opponent. UD holds a 401-311 advantage this season in fast break points.
EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
UD is 53-7 under Brian Gregory when scoring at least 75 points. The Flyers are 7-1 in 2010-11 when reaching 75 points. UD went 10-1 last year and is 23-3 the previous three seasons.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Through games of March 11, Dayton ranks 2nd the A-10 in rebounding margin (+4.8), 4th in 3-pt field goal defense (.311), 5th in scoring defense (64.6) and field goal defense (.411).
ROAD WARRIORS
In away games (road/neutral) this season, the Flyers have six players who average 5.7 points or more: Chris Johnson (11.9 ppg), Chris Wright (10.8 ppg), Paul Williams (8.9 ppg), Juwan Staten (8.4 ppg), Josh Parker and Josh Benson (5.7 ppg). Johnson, Williams, Josh Benson and Matt Kavanaugh average more points away from home than at UD Arena.
DISH IT OUT
Sharing the ball has been a consistent theme with the Flyers. UD has had an assist on 66 percent of its converted field goals (488 assists, 774 field goals). Dayton’s best performance came versus St. Joe’s with 21 assists on 23 field goals.
RESILIENCE AND BRILLIANCE
Nine of Dayton’s 21 victories this season have come after the Flyers trailed at halftime. UD has also won four of its last eight games after trailing at the half.
YA GOTTA HAVE HEART
Two of the top 10 comebacks from halftime in UD history have come this year. UD rallied from 14 down at Seton Hall and 13 at Ole Miss. The other eight all occurred in separate seasons.
DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK
In addition to the Seton Hall and Ole Miss comebacks, Dayton rallied from six down with 4:32 left against Duquesne, trailed by nine versus Central Connecticut State and rallied from 12 back versus New Mexico.
SPARK OFF THE BENCH
With such a deep team, it is no surprise UD’s bench serves as a big part of the team’s success. UD has out-scored the opponent’s bench a total of 652-4291 this season. UD’s bench has out-scored its opponent’s bench in 24 of the 33 games this season and has a 19-5 record as well. At Ole Miss, UD held a 30-18 edge. The Flyer bench enjoyed its best outing against Florida A&M scoring 42 points. Dayton out-scored Winthrop 29-6 in bench points. In the win over George Mason, Dayton held a 15-4 advantage in bench scoring. The Flyer bench dominated Fordham 46-9 and held a 20-2 advantage against St. Bonaventure. At Rhode Island, Dayton’s bench out-scored the Rams 19-4. UD out-scored No. 24 Temple’s bench 22-12. The Flyers held a 30-6 scoring edge over Charlotte. UD’s bench out-scored UMass 45-31 in the Atlantic 10 First Round. The Flyers held a 15-8 edge over No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
WELCOME TO FLIGHT CLUB
Dayton set a single-season record for dunks with 127 last season. This year UD has 63 dunks through 33 games. The season high is eight at La Salle. Chris Wright leads UD with 36 this season. Josh Benson has 12, Chris Johnson six, Devin Searcy five, Juwan Staten two and Devin Oliver and Ralph Hill one.
CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. Dayton is 12-5 in the last four years against BCS programs and won five of its last seven games against BIG EAST opponents.
MARCH MADNESS
In the previous three seasons, coach Brian Gregory is 17-10 in the month of March. The Flyers have also won seven of its last nine in March. Coach Gregory is 25-18 all-time in the month of March.
PACK YOUR BAGS
The Flyers are 7-7 this season away from UD Arena, going 6-6 on the road and 1-1 at neutral site contests. Dayton’s victories away from home include an overtime win at Ole Miss, a comeback win at Seton Hall, and Atlantic 10 victories over Saint Louis, La Salle and Charlotte. The Flyers defeated No. 18/20 Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.
THAT’S A CATCH-22
This season Dayton has limited an opponent to 22 points or less in a half eight times. Last year UD accomplished that feat 10 times.
SCORING BALANCE
Dayton has enjoyed scoring balance with eight different leading scorers in 33 games. Chris Johnson and Chris Wright each 11 times. Paul Williams thrice, Josh Parker, Devin Searcy and Juwan Staten each twice and Luke Fabrizius and Matt Kavanaugh once. (Note: scoring numbers add up to more than 33 due to games where more than one player tied for the team-high).
ON THE PLUS SIDE OF FREE THROWS
The Flyers have three players shooting above an .800 clip at the charity stripe this season. Devin Searcy leads the pack at .875 followed by Chris Johnson at .840 and Paul Williams at .800. Dayton made less than 60 percent of its free throws in only five games this year.
KNOCK ‘EM DOWN
Dayton is 11-4 this season when shooting 70 percent or better at the free throw line.
AT THE LINE, WHEN IT’S ON THE LINE
UD is shooting a .730 free throw percentage (84-115) in the last two minutes of the game. The top three clutch individuals for the Flyers are Chris Johnson (.828, 24-29), Josh Parker (.786, 11-14) and Paul Williams (.733, 11-15).
FREE THROW FORTUNES
Juwan Staten is shooting .735 (25-34) from the line in his last 15 games. He shot .550 in the first 17 games of the season. Josh Benson is .813 (13-16) from the charity stripe in his last 10 games, after shooting .610 in his first 23 games.
TAKE FIVE
Dayton has been solid in its best basketball this season in the final five minutes of regulation, out-scoring its opponents 384-324. The Flyers are shooting 107-of-268 (.399) from the floor, 35-of-98 (.357) from beyond the arc, and 135-of-180 at the free throw line (.750). Defensively, UD is limiting opponents to 88-of-250 shooting (.352), 19-of-102 from three (.186) and have forced 50 turnovers in that span.
CHRIS & CHRIS
In the previous three seasons, Chris Wright and Chris Johnson have formulated a winning one-two punch. When the duo is out on the court, Dayton has won 70 percent of its games (72-31).
THIRD IS THE WORD
Dayton has hit at least one 3-point shot in 79 straight games.
SENIOR SUCCESS
The Class of 2011, Chris Wright, Devin Searcy, Peter Zestermann and Logan Nourse, have won at least 20 games four straight seasons and have 96 career victories which makes them the winningest class in program history.
GREGORY MOVES UP THE CHARTS
After defeating Miami on Dec. 4, coach Brian Gregory moved into 3rd place on UD’s all-time wins list. Gregory trails UD Hall of Famers Don Donoher (437 wins) & Tom Blackburn (352).
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. He signed a new agreement in 2005 that originally ran through 2013. He is one of 24 coaches who have been at their current school at least seven 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.
ANALYZING THE ATLANTIC 10
The Flyers are in their 16th season in the Atlantic 10 and possess a 143-177 overall record in conference play. Dayton has finished .500 or better in 10 of the previous 12 seasons. The Flyers clinched a bid to the 2011 A-10 Championship for the 16th consecutive season.
HAS IT BEEN THAT LONG?
Dayton snapped a seven-game losing skid against nationally-ranked opponents with a 68-67 win over No. 18/20 Xavier in the Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals.
HOME SWEET HOME
Over the last four years on Tom Blackburn Court, the Flyers are 76-10. The 76 victories are tied for the seventh-most in the NCAA since the 2006-07 season. Just ahead of UD are Kansas (90), Ohio State (86), Pittsburgh (83), Syracuse (80), Florida and Texas A&M (78), UNLV and Dayton (76). Dayton won its 500th game at UD Arena on Dec. 29, 2009 and is 520-187 in 41 seasons at the Arena. The Flyers have a home all-time winning percentage of .781 (777-219).
UD LOCKED IN TO REGULAR SEASON INVITATIONALS THROUGH 2013
Dayton announced they will compete in three consecutive regular season tournaments in the next three seasons. UD has signed deals to play in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando in 2011 and an ESPN Regional-sponsored event in 2012. The Flyers will return to the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational in 2013, 10 years after the Flyers won Maui in Brian Gregory’s first season.
ACROSS THE POND
The Dayton men’s basketball team will take a 10-day international tour this summer. The team will play two games in Amsterdam, one in Ghent, Belgium and two more in Paris from August 8-18.
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 were ranked at any time in three consecutive seasons. The last time that happened was the 1958-59, 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons. Here is the highest Dayton has been nationally ranked in the previous three seasons and the season finish:
• 2009–10 – #19 / (NIT Champions)
• 2008–09 – #25 / (NCAA Second Round)
• 2007–08 – #14 / (NIT Quarterfinals)
FORTUNE 500
The Flyers celebrated their 500th win at UD Arena on Dec. 29, 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.
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.
GOOD FOUR UD
Dayton has won 20 or more games for four consecutive seasons. The last time the Flyers accomplished that feat was from 1999-00 to 2003-04. Four consecutive 20-win seasons has happened only three times in the program’s history.
NON-CONFERENCE WRAP UP
Dayton finished with the best non-conference mark in the Atlantic 10 at 12-3. UD’s best performances included a double-OT triumph versus New Mexico, home wins over George Mason and Akron and an overtime victory at Ole Miss.
PERFECT TEN
Brian Gregory has led Dayton to five consecutive seasons with at least 10 victories in non-conference play.
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
The eight-millionth UD fan in UD Arena history attended the Presbyterian game on Dec. 19, 2009. UD’s last 185 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 (424 of 427), including the last 223 regular season games.
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. UD Arena has had 99 sellouts in its 40-year history including three this year. The record for sellouts is eight in the Arena’s first season (1969-70). The Flyers finished the 2010-11 regular season averaging 12,567 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 in 2009-10. 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.
DAYTON TO HOST NCAA INAUGURAL FIRST FOUR NCAA BASKETBALL GAMES
As it has for the past decade, the Road to the Final Four will begin at the University of Dayton Arena this year. That was made official when the NCAA announced that Dayton will be the site of the inaugural First Four games of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16. UD Arena will host the four first-round games over two nights in the NCAA’s new 68-team format, which was announced in July.
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
The University of Dayton Arena has hosted NCAA tournament events in 24 of the 41 years since opening its doors for the 1969-70 season. The NCAA First Four games will make UD Arena the most-used tournament venue in NCAA history. To date, UD Arena has hosted 83 NCAA men’s tournament games, tying it with Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.
DAYTON FARES WELL IN THE 2010 NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The NCAA Graduation Success Report on Division I institutions released on Oct. 27 places the University of Dayton in familiar territory – among the nation’s best. UD’s 94 GSR in this year’s report places the University tied for 21st in the nation and tied for first in the Atlantic 10. Dayton has 10 of its sports teams – baseball, women’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and volleyball -- that have a perfect 100 GSR in this year’s report, the most of any school in the A-10. The UD men’s basketball team’s GSR ranked second 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.
