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DAYTON OPENS THE 2010-11 CAMPAIGN AGAINST MOUNT ST. MARY’S ON SATURDAY
The University of Dayton Flyers will commence their 103rd season of basketball by hosting the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers on Saturday from Tom Blackburn Court beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be carried by WHIO Radio and available with live streaming video, stats on Gametracker and streaming audio at www.DaytonFlyers.com.

This is not only the season opener for both teams, but also the opener of the 2010 Global Sports Main Event. The five-team event will culminate with Dayton taking on the Cincinnati Bearcats at U.S. Bank Arena. Dayton will have three extra home games this year as UD opens the season against the Mount, hosts Savannah State on Monday, Nov. 22 and Florida A&M on Wednesday, Nov. 24. The Flyers will then travel down I-75 to play the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday, Nov. 27 at U.S. Bank Arena in the finale of the Global Sports Main Event.

ABOUT MOUNT ST. MARY’S
The Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball team has been picked to finish fifth in the annual Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Coaches Poll. The Mount, under new head coach Robert Burke, went 16-15 overall last season and finished in third place in the Northeast Conference with a 12-6 league record. Senior Shawn Atupem is MSM’s top returning scorer after averaging 10.7 points per game last year. The Mount have won 54 games over the past three years.

SERIES STUFF
Dayton leads the all-time series 2-0 with both contests at UD Arena. The last time these two programs met was on Nov. 26, 1999. The Flyers came away with a 74-51 victory during UD’s home opener.

OPENING DAY HORS D’OEUVRES

• The Flyers have won five consecutive opening games and eight of their last nine.
• This is the second time Mount St. Mary’s will have played in the Flyers’ home opener.
• In his three previous opening days, Chris Wright averaged 21.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.
• Last year against Creighton, Chris Johnson recorded a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
• Coach Brian Gregory is 7-1 all-time on opening day. and 6-1 in home openers.
• The last time the Flyers broke the 100-point scoring mark in a season opener was on Nov. 23, 1991 when UD defeated Austin Peay 101-94.
• All-time at UD Arena, Dayton is 37-4 in home openers.
• At one point, the Flyers had a 23-game home opener winning streak from 1969 to 1991.

IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT NOTES
The University of Dayton has won two of the four early season basketball tournaments it has played in since Brian Gregory took over as head coach in 2003. The Flyers became the only team to win the EA Sports Maui invitational under the guidance of a first-year coach when UD won Maui in 2003. In 2008, Dayton defeated No. 15 Marquette in the finals of the Chicago Invitational Challenge. Chris Wright was named MVP of the tournament after getting three double-doubles in the four-game event. The Flyers’ in-season tournament history goes all the way back to 1949 when they placed second in the National Catholic Invitational in Denver. In addition to the 2003 Maui Invitational, UD has won 11 other in-season tournament championships, including the 1955 University of Kentucky Invitational and the 1999 CoSIDA Classic played at The Pit in Albuquerque.

FLYERS PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN THE PRESEASON ATLANTIC 10 POLL
The Flyers were picked to finish fourth in the 2010 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll. The Flyers will be led by preseason first-team selection Chris Wright and third-team selection Chris Johnson. Freshman Juwan Staten, an ESPNU Top 100 guard, earned a spot on the preseason all-rookie team.

DAYTON’S CHRIS WRIGHT NAMED TO WOODEN AWARD PRESEASON TOP 50 LIST
University of Dayton forward Chris Wright is one of the top college basketball players named to the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list. This is 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. The Trotwood, Ohio native is 32nd in career scoring at UD with 1,127 points in just 87 games, and is a two-time NABC All-District selection. Named First Team All-Atlantic 10 in 2009-10, Wright averaged 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds a game.

WRIGHT AMONG 10 COLLEGE STARS INVITED BACK TO PRACTICE AGAINST TEAM USA NATIONAL TEAM
University of Dayton senior forward Chris Wright was one of 10 members of the USA Basketball Select Team that trained against the gold-medal winning 2010 USA Men’s World Championship Team.

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, 10 points and 14 rebounds versus Auburn and then 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. Also against BCS opponents this year Wright scored 11 points at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round. In the NIT Quarterfinals, he recorded 10 points and seven rebounds at Illinois. In the NIT Semifinals, he had nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds versus Ole Miss.

THE HIT LIST
After averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in exhibition play, Chris Wright is picking up where he left off last season. Wright led UD with 29 double-figure games in 2009-10.  Wright also led the team in minutes (28.6), dunks (a school-record 68), blocked shots (a school-record 53), free throws attempted (185) and free throws made (125). Last season’s notable performances included:

• In the 2010 NIT Championship game, Wright tallied 14 points and nine rebounds to help Dayton defeat North Carolina.
• Recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards versus Kansas State.
• Led Dayton with 16 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Old Dominion.
• Added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds versus No. 20/18 Temple.
• A career-high 30 points and added nine rebounds in the victory over Charlotte.

BETTER MAKE THE WRIGHT DECISION
Chris Wright is not just climbing UD’s charts offensively, but defensively as well. Wright has 109 career blocks, 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 53.

PRICE IS WRIGHT
Senior Chris Wright earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team for the second straight season. 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’S ALL-ATLANTIC 10 ACCOLADES
Chris Wright earned 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). He also ranked third in the A-10 in field goal percentage, ninth in rebounding and blocks, and 17th in scoring. Wright is the fifth player in UD history to earn a First Team selection and the first underclassman.

WRIGHT NOMINATED FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
University of Dayton senior forward Chris Wright is one of 30 men’s basketball players who have been listed on the official candidate list for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award - presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight sports - focuses on the “Four C’s” of classroom, character, community and competition. Wright is the second Flyer named to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS candidate list. Brian Roberts earned the honor in 2007.

DUNK TANK
After just 87 games in a Flyer uniform, Chris Wright is Dayton’s all-time dunk leader with 133 career dunks. His 68 slams in 2009-10 topped his own school record of 54 set in 2008-09.

WRIGHT TO KNOW
The Dayton Flyers are 65-21 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.

THAT FIGURES
Chris Wright has scored in double figures in 39 of his last 47 contests, including 19 of his last 23 games.

CHRIS & CHRIS
In the previous two seasons, Chris Wright and Chris Johnson have formulated a winning one-two punch. When the duo is out on the court, Dayton has won 73 percent of its games.

CJ NAMED TO PRESEASON A-10 THIRD TEAM
Junior Chris Johnson earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 Preseason Third Team. CJ was the 2010 NIT Most Valuable Player.

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 led the team in FT% (.848, 84-99) and was second in scoring (11.9), rebounding (6.9), third in steals (34) and fourth in 3-pt. FG% (.349 66-189). His freshman year Johnson averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He is the first player in league history to be named the Most Improved Player after being named to the All-Rookie Team.

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. Johnson was also only one of three players in Division I to score at least 25 points and grab 20 rebounds last season.

WARM IT UP CHRIS
After adding 11 points against Grand Valley State and 12 against Findlay, Chris Johnson looks ready to build off a breakout sophomore season. 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. At Xavier he scored 10 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, 10 of them off the offensive glass. Johnson led UD with 18 points in the home win over Xavier. Johnson led all scorers with 21 points after sinking a career-best six three-pointers at Duquesne. In the NIT First Round, Johnson tallied 13 points and nine rebounds versus Illinois State. Johnson connected on 9-of-10 free throws en route to 18 points at Illinois in the NIT Quarterfinals. Johnson recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds versus Ole Miss in the NIT Semifinals. He scored 10 of his 14 points in the final six minutes of regulation in the NIT Championship against North Carolina.

DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
Senior forward Devin Searcy looks to close his Flyer career on a high note and continue his efficient performance on the offensive end. Searcy led UD in field goal percentage last year converting 56-of-95 (.589) 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 last 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. Searcy only played against Findlay in exhibition action and had two points and two rebounds.

P-DUBYA
Paul Williams plays his best against the big-name opponents. Williams added 16 points against North Carolina in the NIT Championship and scored 11 at Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round. At the Puerto Rico Tipoff, the junior guard hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the win over No. 21/19 Georgia Tech and scored 10 versus Kansas State. Williams scored seven of his 13 points in the final minute to help UD to the victory. Against Presbyterian, Williams snagged a career-best eight rebounds, and followed that up with 10 points and seven rebounds against App State. Williams scored seven of his 10 points at the free throw line in the A-10 First Round win over GW.  Williams had a team-best three steals against Grand Valley State and 12 points versus Findlay in exhibition play.

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
Paul Williams shot 21-for-24 (.875) in the final two minutes of the game at the free throw line last season. In the other 38 minutes of regulation, he was 12-for-20. Williams ranked third on the team in free throw percentage (.750, 33-44).

COOL HAND LUKE
Luke Fabrizius was limited to 25 games last season due to injuries to his right knee and back, but when he has played, the sharp-shooter was a positive influence. Dayton was 17-8 last season when Fabrizius could play. 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 subsequently also had a back injury). His best performances of late occurred when he scored nine against Illinois State in the NIT First Round and nine at Illinois in the NIT Quarterfinals. Fabrizius shot better from outside the arc 37-of-91 (.407) than his overall 42-of-114 (.368). Fabrizius had five points against Grand Valley State and eight versus Findlay in exhibition action.

BENSON’S BACK
Josh Benson chipped in at almost every opportunity on the floor during his freshman year. He finished with 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 35 contests off the bench. Against Presbyterian he tallied a season-best 10 points with seven rebounds. He also scored seven points against Boston U. Benson added 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. He had four points and five boards at home versus Saint Louis. Benson had five points against Grand Valley State and four versus Findlay in exhibition play.

WELCOME MATT
Matt Kavanaugh returns to the Flyers looking to add much needed depth to the rotation. Kavanaugh played in 14 contests last year averaging 0.8 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. He made his first collegiate appearance against No. 21/19 Georgia Tech and tallied his first career rebound versus Kansas State. He scored his first career collegiate point versus Presbyterian. In the exhibition against Grand Valley State, Kavanaugh added eight points.

PARKER BROTHERS
A guard who graduated in 2007 from Thornton High School in suburban Chicago, redshirt junior Josh Parker is a double-digit scoring threat. After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, Parker looks to solidify the point guard spot for UD. At Drake, Parker’s signature performance was a 25-point effort against Northern Iowa. In his sophomore year at Drake, Parker averaged 10.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting .432 (57-132) from 3-point range and .720 (67-93) from the free throw line. He was named to the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference All-Improved Team. In exhibition play Parker led Dayton led in points (14.5), rebounds (6.0) and assists (7) and three-point field goals (7).

STATEN THE OBVIOUS
One of the top point guards in the 2010 class, Juwan Staten will be among the leading candidates for Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year. As a senior, Staten helped lead Oak Hill to the #1 ranking in the state of Virginia and a 29-4 record overall. Staten also helped Oak Hill to a #7 national ranking according to a USA Today poll and a #12 national ranking by ESPN. Oak Hill coach Steve Smith has praised his former starting point guard by saying that he “doesn’t like to compare guards, but he’s as quick as any guard I’ve had except Ty Lawson. He really pushes the ball. Brandon Jennings was quick. But Ty and Juwan are the quickest point guards I’ve had.” Oak Hill has produced numerous NBA guards, including Rod Strickland, Rajon Rondo, Ty Lawson, Brandon Jennings, Marcus Williams and Steve Blake. Staten averaged 12.0 points in exhibition action.

IMPACT PLAYER
Juwan Staten ranked as the #49 overall player and #13 overall point guard on Rivals.com for the 2010 recruiting class. ESPN rated Staten as the #71 overall player and the #12 overall point guard, and ESPN writer Paul Biancardi ranks Staten as the #9 freshman who will make an immediate impact this season.

NO BS WITH SPEARMAN
An athletic and aggressive swingman with a strong body, freshman Brandon Spearman plays with energy on both ends. Spearman also is rated as the 15th best player from the state of Illinois, according to chicagohoops.com. As a senior at Simeon, Spearman averaged 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while leading his team to the 4A State Championship in Illinois. Spearman came up clutch for Simeon on their way to the 4A State Championship. He led his team in scoring in all seven state tournament games. Spearman was named as a unanimous selection to the all-tournament team and the tournament MVP. Spearman had two points and two assists versus Grand Valley State and seven points and four rebounds against Findlay in exhibition play.

OLIVER TWIST
MVP of the Michigan Prep All-Star Game, Devin Oliver just missed a triple-double as he led his All-Star team to a 101-98 victory with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. As a senior at Kalamazoo Central, Oliver averaged 17 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 steals. He led Kalamazoo Central to a 74-65 victory over Ann Arbor Huron in the Class A State Tournament Final. Oliver is a two-time All-State performer and finished fifth for Mr. Basketball in the state of Michigan his senior year. Oliver had two points against Grand Valley State and two versus Findlay in the exhibtion games.

KING OF THE HILL
As a high school senior, Ralph Hill averaged 22.6 points per game while leading his team to an 18-5 record. He was named First Team All-Central District and was also selected to the Division I All-Ohio Third Team. Hill, a 6’6” 195 pound small forward, is known for his ability to knock down shots. In the Ohio North-South All-Star game, Hill connected on 9-of-13 field goals to finish with 18 points. In the exhibition versus Grand Valley State, Hill tallied four points and two rebounds.

DILLARD TRANSFERS TO DAYTON
In May, coach Brian Gregory announced that Kevin Dillard, who was the 2008 Illinois Mr. Basketball award winner, will transfer to UD from Southern Illinois University. 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 and will have two seasons of basketball eligibility remaining for the Flyers. Dillard averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 assists in 2009-10 for SIU. He was the Salukis’ leading scorer and the Missouri Valley Conference’s assist leader. He was also fourth in the MVC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0), ninth in steals (1.1) and 12th in scoring. In 2008-09, he was named the Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year after leading Southern Illinois in scoring (12.2).

FLYERS GO 2-0 IN EXHIBITION ACTION
The Dayton Flyers toppled two highly-ranked Division II powers during exhibition season. UD downed the third-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers 77-66 and the top-ranked Findlay Oilers 85-68. Josh Parker led the Flyers in points (14.5), rebounds (6.0) and assists (7) and three-point field goals (7). Dayton had balance throughout on offense with Juwan Staten averaging 12.0 points, Chris Johnson 11.5 and Chris Wright 10.0.

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 and Pittsburgh (67), 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).

CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. Dayton is 10-4 in the last three years against BCS programs and has won four of its last five games against BIG EAST opponents.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
In his Flyer coaching career, Brian Gregory is 26-7 all-time in the month of November and has never had a losing month.

BEASTS OF THE NORTHEAST
Dayton is 17-2 all-time against teams from the Northeast Conference. UD has also won 13 in a row against the NEC.

EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
UD is 46-6 under Brian Gregory when scoring at least 75 points. Dayton went 10-1 last year and is 16-2 the previous two seasons.

FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
Over the years Dayton has shown its offense is not a one-man show. Eight Flyers each led the team in scoring last season. Wright and Chris Johnson led 14 times, Marcus Johnson six times, Perry three times, Fabrizius twice, and Searcy, Lowery and Warren once. In rebounding, Wright led the team 16 times, Chris Johnson nine times, Kurt Huelsman and London Warren four times, Marcus Johnson three times and Paul Williams, Josh Benson, Devin Searcy and Fabrizius once apiece. (Note: scoring and rebounding numbers add up to more than 37 due to games where more than one player tied for the team-high).

SPARK OFF THE BENCH
With such a deep team, it was no surprise UD’s bench was a big part of the team’s success. UD non-starters won the battle of the benches 24 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. At Cincinnati in the NIT Second Round, UD dominated with a 39-9 advantage. The Flyers held a 25-11 bench scoring edge over North Carolina in the NIT title game. Last year the Flyer bench out-scored opponents 1,027-641. Dayton finished the year ninth in the NCAA in points off the bench.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Last season 23 of the opponents’ top individual scorers were held under their average against UD, including Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds (8), Temple’s Ryan Brooks (11), Illinois’ Demetri McCamey (13), North Carolina’s Deon Thompson (13), Ole Miss’ Chris Warren (15), Georgia Tech’s Gani Lawal (9) and Derrick Favors (10), George Mason’s Cam Long (8) and Illinois State’s Osiris Eldridge (12). Dayton ranked second in the A-10 field goal percentage defense (.393) and third in the A-10 in scoring defense (62.3).

HANG TEN
The Flyers were one of six teams last season to not have a double-digit loss. Kansas, Kentucky, Northern Iowa, Duke, Butler and Dayton all lost their games by single digits.

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. 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.

WELCOME TO FLIGHT CLUB
Dayton set a new single-season record for dunks with 127. The Flyers’ total of 127 was 66 more than the 61 slams performed by the 2003-04 team in 33 games. Chris Wright led the way with 68 dunks followed by Marcus Johnson (19), Devin Searcy and Chris Johnson (13), Josh Benson (10), London Warren (2) and Rob Lowery and Kurt Huelsman (1).

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.

THE ROUND MOUND OF REBOUND
In 2009-10 UD was 20-7 when out-rebounding the opponent and possessed a plus-6.7 rebounding margin in the 25 victories this season. In conference play, UD out-rebounded opponents by 9.1, more than two rebounds more than Xavier (6.7).

LEGENDS OF THE NIT
Dayton’s NIT history is rich with success. Last season was Dayton’s third NIT title. UD previously won the NIT in 1962 and 1968. Last year was also Dayton’s 22nd appearance in the postseason NIT. Dayton has been the runner-up five times and showcases a 40-20 all-time record. Coach Brian Gregory is 7-1 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 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 at UD Arena 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.

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 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.

HOT, HOT, HOT
UD has won its last 36 non-conference home games. Included are games against members of the BIG EAST, Conference USA, Mid-American, Colonial Athletic Association and Missouri Valley conferences.

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. UD Arena has 96 sellouts in its 40-year history including last 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 2009-10 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 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.

TOURNEY TOWN
The UD Arena holds the all-time record for the most NCAA Tournament games with 86 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 hosted the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2010. This year the UD Arena served 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.

DAYTON FARES WELL IN THE 2010 NCAA GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE
The NCAA Graduation Success Report on Division I institutions released today 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.