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FLYERS CONCLUDE EXHIBITION ACTION HOSTING WALSH
In their final tune-up before the start of the 2012-13 regular season, the University of Dayton Flyers face the Walsh Cavaliers in exhibition action on Sunday on Tom Blackburn Court beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be carried by WHIO Radio and available with live streaming video, stats and streaming audio at www.DaytonFlyers.com.
The Flyers are coming off a 77-58 exhibition victory against the Findlay Oilers on Saturday, Oct. 27. Jalen Robinson led the way with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds. Kevin Dillard recorded 13 points and seven assists, while Vee Sanford scored 13 and Josh Benson added 11 points and seven rebounds. UD held a 46-28 rebounding advantage and shot 49 percent from the field.
RED & BLUE RECAP
Flyer fans got their first glimpse of the Flyers in the annual Red and Blue game at UD Arena on Oct. 20. In the annual intrasquad scrimmage Jalen Robinson led all players with 10 points, while Josh Benson had nine points, two assists and a blocked shot. The Flyers played two, 12-minute periods in their annual scrimmage.
ABOUT WALSH
The Walsh Cavaliers returns three starters and seven letterwinners from a team that finished 26-5 overall last season. The Cavs are led by the trio of Brad DuPont, Rian Burrell and Kenny Kornowski. DuPont led the team in assists (7.5) and earned honorable mention All-American Mideast Conference honors. Burrell had a breakout year as a freshman, averaging 13.9 points, while shooting 52 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range. Kornowski was averaging 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds per game before he suffered a season-ending knee injury last December. Against Dayton last year, Kornowski led the Cavs with 30 points. Walsh on Tuesday lost to No. 4 Ohio State 83-71 despite 16 points from Jeff Copeland.
FLYERS PICKED TO FINISH EIGHTH IN A-10 PRESEASON POLL
The University of Dayton Flyers were picked to finish eighth in the 2012 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll. The Flyers will be led by preseason first-team selection Kevin Dillard. Saint Joseph’s was chosen as the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball preseason favorite in the league’s preseason poll. Saint Joseph’s edged out second-place Saint Louis by one first place vote. VCU was picked third followed by Temple, Massachusetts, Butler, La Salle, Dayton, Xavier and Richmond to complete the top 10. St. Bonaventure, Charlotte, George Washington, Fordham, Rhode Island and Duquesne rounded out the 16-team field.
CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name schools. Dayton is 16-7 in the last five years against BCS programs. They have won 10 of the last 13 overall and five of the last eight games against BIG EAST opponents. Dayton’s 16 victories have come against Ole Miss (thrice), Alabama, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisville, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Auburn, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh. UD has won their last five versus the SEC and the last three against the ACC. Dayton went 4-2 last season against BCS opponents with wins against No. 16/15 Alabama, Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Minnesota.
POSTSEASON STRING OF SUCCESS
2011-12 was Dayton’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance. UD earned a bid to the NIT four times and NCAA Tournament once. The last time Dayton advanced to the postseason in five straight years was when the Flyers accomplished that feat from 1999-2000 to 2003-04.
NO CRYING FOUL
In Atlantic 10 action, Dayton was great at the free throw line (273-of-343, .796), leading the conference.
DILLARD STRONG IN EXHIBITION OPENER
Picking up where he left off last season, Kevin Dillard enjoyed a solid exhibition opener again the Findlay Oilers. Dillard had 13 points, seven assists, a block a steal and shot 5-of-7 from the floor.
DILLARD IN ELITE COMPANY
Kevin Dillard joined Ryan Perryman, Brian Roberts and Chris Wright as University of Dayton players named First Team Pre-Season All-Atlantic 10. This past summer, Dillard was among the 20 college players selected to participate in the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas hosted from July 6-9. He led the Flyers in scoring (13.3), assists (6.0), steals (47) and minutes (32.7). Dillard also finished second in the A-10 and tied for 16th in the NCAA in assists per game with 6.0.
DILLARD DISHING DIMES
In addition to leading the Atlantic 10 in assists, Kevin Dillard also finished 2nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and 6th in free throw shooting (.827) in 2011-12. He had at least one steal in 25 games last year.
EVEN BETTER AGAINST THE A-10
Against Atlantic 10 opponents, Kevin Dillard led in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4) ranked second in the conference in assists per game (6.7) and third in free throw percentage (.880). His scoring was also up from non-conference action, averaging 13.8 points versus conference opponents (14th in the A-10).
KD IS AN MVP
Kevin Dillard was named the 2011 Old Spice Classic Most Valuable Player after a spectacular three-game run. In the tournament, Dillard led the Flyers in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (15), steals (11), blocks (4) and converted 10-of-11 free throws (.909). Against Wake Forest, Dillard scored 12 points. Dillard also scored 12 versus Fairfield. Against Minnesota he dazzled with his first double-double in a Flyer uniform, tallying 19 points and 10 assists. For the season, he was UD’s co-MVP, sharing the honor with now-graduated Chris Johnson. Dillard was also named the Blackburn/McCafferty MVP following the Dayton-Xavier game on Jan. 21. He had 16 points and nine assists in that game.
DELICIOUS DISH
With 198 assists, Dillard had the second-most in a single-season at UD. The record holder is Negele Knight with 216 assists during his senior season.
DILLARD NAMED NABC SECOND TEAM ALL-DISTRICT
Kevin Dillard was recognized as a member of the 2012 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District Second Team. Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, Dillard was among 240 student-athletes, from 24 districts, that were eligible for the State Farm Division I All-America teams. Dillard is the 12th player in UD history to receive the honor.
DILL PICKLE
Kevin Dillard had three doubles-doubles in 2011-12, with the third being 12 points and a college-career-high 13 assists versus Rhode Island. The 13 assists in a game were the third-most in UD history. Against Iowa in the NIT, Dillard paced UD with a season-high 23 points and six assists.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Kevin Dillard reached the 1,000 point mark in his collegiate career in the Duquesne game on Feb. 1. He scored 734 points in his two years at Southern Illinois and had 440 last season at UD.
BOOM BOOM BENSON
Josh Benson returns after missing the entire conference schedule in 2011-12 with a torn ACL in his left knee. Prior to the injury, he was one of UD’s most pleasant surprises averaging 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and shooting .610 from the field. Benson scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting against Western Illinois. He added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Minnesota and 17 points, all in the second half, at Murray State. Benson was third in the A-10 in field goal percentage (.610) at the time of his injury. In the exhibition against Findlay, Benson had 11 points and seven rebounds.
OLIVER TWIST
In seven games as a starter, down the stretch, Devin Oliver averaged 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. From February 1 on, Oliver also shot 22-of-24 (.917) at the free throw line. He had a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds versus GW in the A-10 First Round. In the Findlay exhibition, Oliver added eight points and five rebounds.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Alex Gavrilovic was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Dec. 19 after he had 14 points and six rebounds versus Florida International. He topped his season point total (to that point) of 13 in one night. He is currently out with mononucleosis.
SANFORD & SON
Vee Sanford, a transfer from Georgetown, made his Flyer debut in the Findlay exhibition. Sanford had 13 points and four assists in the victory. After sitting out last year in a transfer season, Sanford has two years of eligibility remaining.
MATTY ICE
Another Archie Miller transfer, Matt Derenbecker, also made his Flyer debut against Findlay. He had two points and four rebounds in the exhibition opener. Derenbecker, a two-time Louisiana High School Gatorade Player of the Year, played in all 32 of LSU’s games in 2010-11. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
GOOD OL’ J.R.
Making an immediate impact in the Flyers’ exhibition was freshman forward Jalen Robinson. Robinson led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Robinson was Ohio Division I Co-Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 19.1 points and 11.0 rebounds a game.
BEAM ME UP SCOTT-Y
Another key to the Flyer frontcourt will be freshman Devon Scott. Scott against Findlay came off the bench to add eight points and six rebounds. Scott was Second Team All-Ohio (17.5 ppg and 9.9 rpg) in high school.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Khari Price joins the Flyer backcourt after a stellar high school career. He averaged 18.2 points and 5.6 assists a game as a senior, and was named Second Team All-Louisiana. Price scored three points in the exhibition opener against Findlay.
OH CANADA
Dyshawn Pierre arrives to Dayton from Whitby, Ontario. Pierre led Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute to back-to-back provincial championships and was the Canadian U19 team’s leading scorer in 2011 (17.3). Pierre sat out the Findlay exhibition with a sprained ankle.
THE CLOSERS
Dayton shot .840 (110-131) from the free throw line in the last two minutes of games in 2011-12. Matt Kavanaugh converted all eight attempts. Paul Williams has made 22-of-24 (.917), Josh Parker is 22-of-27 (.815), Chris Johnson is 20-of-24 (.833) and Kevin Dillard made 23-of-28 (.821). In the Charlotte win, UD went 10-for-10 with under two minutes remaining.
EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
The Flyers are 63-11 in the last nine seasons when they score 75 or more points. The Flyers were 10-3 in 2011-12 and went 7-2 in 2010-11 when reaching the 75-point mark. UD has a 47-7 record the previous six seasons.
THIRD IS THE WORD
Dayton has hit at least one 3-point shot in 117 straight games.
DOUBLE THE PLEASURE, DOUBLE THE FUN
Dayton went 7-0 in 2011-12 when five players scored in double figures. Nine of Dayton’s 10-man rotation scored in double figures last season. Dillard led the team in double-figure scoring efforts with 27. Next were Chris Johnson (19), Paul Williams (15), Josh Parker (13), Matt Kavanaugh (12), Luke Fabrizius (6), Josh Benson (5), Devin Oliver (4) and Alex Gavrilovic (3).
GET IT ON THE GLASS
Dayton went 18-8 in 2011-12 when out-rebounding its opponent. All of the Flyers’ A-10 wins came when they outrebounded the opponent. UD was 9-4 in conference play when out-rebounding the opponents.
INSIDE THE RPI
Dayton finished the 2011-12 season with the 68th-toughest strength of schedule among all NCAA Division-I teams. UD had eight wins over Top 100 teams (Alabama, Temple, Minnesota, Xavier, Ole Miss, Saint Louis, La Salle and Massachusetts) with four of those against Top 50 opponents.
ATLANTIC 10 OVERALL RANKINGS
UD was among the A-10’s best in many categories. Dayton ranked first in free throw percentage (.778), second in rebounding margin (+3.6) and third in defensive rebounding (32.1).
AGAINST CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
When the Flyers went to conference play, Dayton’s numbers against A-10 opponents jumped. The Flyers led the conference in free throw percentage (.796) and three-pointers made (8.4).
LINE THEM UP
The Flyers set a program record and ranked second in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.778). The prior program record was set back during the 1982-83 campaign (.773). UD had six players who shot better than 70 percent at the charity stripe: Chris Johnson (.859), Paul Williams (.831), Kevin Dillard (.827), Matt Kavanaugh (.807), Josh Parker (.773) and Devin Oliver (.741) lead the way. The Flyers shot 70 percent or better at the charity stripe in 16 consecutive games.
PRIME NINE
The Flyers finished above the .500 mark in conference play for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. The Flyers finished 9-7 in the A-10, ending up in a tie for fifth. In six previous seasons, they produced a winning league record just once, and their average finish in that span was seventh.
80 PROOF
UD scored at least 80 points seven times in 2011-12. The Flyers had not done that since the 2001-02 season, when they reached that mark 14 times.
BALL CONTROL OFFENSE
One of the building blocks to coach Archie Miller’s offense is sharing and taking care of the basketball. In the Flyers’ opener against Western Illinois, Dayton dished out 25 assists with only eight turnovers. In Dayton’s loss at Miami, the Flyers committed 22 turnovers. That’s the most UD had turned the ball over since their 22 miscues against Georgia Tech on Nov. 19, 2009. The 74 points against Alabama, who had the 8th-best scoring defense in the NCAA, are the second-most the Crimson Tide allowed. The Flyers dished out 17 assists in the win against Xavier. In the Rhode Island game, UD had 21 assists. Dayton had 17 assists on 22 field goals in the Charlotte win. In 2011-12, the Flyers went 7-4 when forcing more turnovers than their opponents.
UD LOCKED IN TO REGULAR SEASON INVITATIONALS THROUGH 2013
Continuing a commitment to enhancing the non-conference schedule and increased national exposure, the University of Dayton Flyers were announced as a part of the 2012 DIRECTV Charleston Classic eight-team field. Dayton will be a part of a competitive field that includes Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado, Murray State and St. John’s.
2013 MAUI FIELD ANNOUNCED
The Flyers will return to the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational in 2013, 10 years after the Flyers won the event. The 2013 Maui Invitational features Dayton as well as Arkansas, Baylor, California, Minnesota, Chaminade and two other previous tournament champions in Gonzaga (2009) and Syracuse (1990, 1998).
2011 OLD SPICE CLASSIC NOTES
Dayton defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 86-70 to capture the 2011 Old Spice Classic championship. In that game, Dayton rewrote program records for in-season tournaments. The Old Spice Classic was Dayton’s 14th in-season tournament championship. UD has won three of the last five it has participated in and this is the first since taking the 2008 Chicago Invitational Challenge. In the program’s history, Dayton had also never beaten a Big Ten team by double-figures before the Minnesota win.
UD WINS “BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR COLLEGE BASKETBALL ATMOSPHERE”
The University of Dayton won the ”Best Under-the-Radar College Basketball Atmosphere” presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Dayton beat nine other unique, tradition-rich game-day atmospheres through a two-week Facebook voting competition. An in-depth feature on what makes the UD Arena atmosphere the best was featured during the “GEICO Best of College Basketball” special, March 25, on CBS Sports.
NON-CONFERENCE NOTORIETY
For the sixth consecutive season, Dayton finished with 10 or more non-conference victories. Last year the Flyers won the 2011 Old Spice Classic Championship, defeated four of the five BCS opponents they faced in the regular season and finished non-conference play with wins in five of its last six contests.
YOUNG & THE RESTLESS
With UD’s 2011 Old Spice Classic Championship, coach Archie Miller (age 33) became the third youngest to win an in-season tournament title. UMass’s John Calipari (Great Alaska Shootout 1991, age 32) and Butler’s Brad Stevens (Great Alaska Shootout 2007, age 31) are the only coaches younger than Miller to achieve this feat.
HOME SWEET HOME
Over the last six years on Tom Blackburn Court, the Flyers are 88-15. The 88 victories are the eighth-most in the NCAA since the 2006-07 season. Just ahead of UD are Ohio State (102), Kansas (101), Syracuse (98), Pittsburgh (94), UNLV and Florida (92) and Texas A&M (90). Dayton won its 500th game at UD Arena on Dec. 29, 2009 and is 530-190 in 41 seasons at the Arena. The Flyers have a home all-time winning percentage of .780 (787-222).
100TH SELLOUT AT UD ARENA
2011-12’s annual home game against Xavier was the 100th sellout in UD Arena history. Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the NCAA`s Top 35 in attendance every season. More than 8 million fans have attended UD Arena in the last 43 seasons.
200 HUNDRED AND COUNTING
Dayton’s game against Charlotte marked the 200th consecutive regular season home game with an attendance of at least 11,000 fans. The Flyers now have 202 straight. In the last 15 years, 99% of UD’s home games have drawn at least 10,000 (441 of 444), including the last 240 regular season games.
AMONG THE BEST IN NCAA ATTENDANCE
The University of Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men’s basketball attendance for the 14th straight season in 2010-11. The Flyers finished 27th in the NCAA in attendance with an average of 12,567 fans a game, after averaging 12,259 in 2009-10. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 14th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,400 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.
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 101 sellouts in its 43-year history. The record for sellouts is eight in the Arena’s first season (1969-70). The Flyers finished the 2011-12 regular season averaging 12,154 fans a game.
YOUNG GUN
Archie Miller is the fifth-youngest NCAA Division I head coach. At age 33, Miller is behind UNC-Greensboro’s head coach Wes Miller (28), Robert Morris’ Andy Toole (31), Appalachian State’s Jason Capel (31) and Wisconsin Green Bay’s Brian Wardle (32). Tony Jasick at IPFW is 33 as well, but has an earlier birthday than Miller.
COACHING TREE HOUSE
Archie Miller is part of the most prolific active coaching tree in college basketball. A total of eight of Arizona State coach Herb Sendek’s former full-time assistant coaches (not former players, managers or GA’s) are currently Division I head coaches. They are Jim Christian (Ohio), John Groce (Illinois), Larry Hunter (Western Carolina), Ron Hunter (Georgia State), Thad Matta (Ohio State), Archie Miller (Dayton), Sean Miller (Arizona) and Mark Phelps (Drake). Rick Pitino has seven branches on his coaching tree, while Mike Montgomery has six.
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.
GRADUATION SUCCESS AT UD
The NCAA Graduation Success Rate report on Division I student-athletes released Thursday, Oct. 25 places the University of Dayton in familiar territory – among the nation’s best in graduating its student-athletes. UD’s 94 GSR in this year’s report places the University tied for 27th in the nation and tied for second in the Atlantic 10. The Flyer men’s basketball team carried a 100 GSR score. UD’s men’s team is one of only three A-10 men’s basketball teams to have a perfect score.
DAYTON COMMUNITY GUARANTEES A SELLOUT FOR THE 2013 NCAA FIRST FOUR
The 2013 NCAA First Four on March 19-20 will mark the 13th consecutive year that March Madness has kicked off in Dayton, Ohio at the University of Dayton Arena. Dayton’s First Four Local Organizing Committee has secured enough early commitments that community leaders have declared the two-day event will sell out. A sellout would be a first since the First Four, and before it, the Opening Round became part of the NCAA Tournament format. The Arena is not only hosting the First Four this year, but also the Second and Third Rounds two days later on March 22-24.
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
The University of Dayton Arena has hosted NCAA tournament events in 25 of the 42 years since opening its doors in 1969. The NCAA First Four games made UD Arena the most-used tournament venue in NCAA history. To date, UD Arena has hosted 86 NCAA men’s tournament games, tying it with Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.
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.
