Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.
By Paul Gotham
’08 – ’09 Results: 27 – 8 (11 -5 Atlantic 10) Loss second of NCAA Tournament to Kansas, 60 – 43.
Coach: Brian Gregory 125 – 68 – 6 seasons at Dayton
Key Returners:
Chris Wright – 13.3ppg, 6.6rpg
Marcus Johnson – 11.8ppg, 3.1rpg
London Warren – 4.1ppg, 4.5apg
Kurt Huelsman – 3.6ppg, 4.1rpg
Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/19 vs. Georgia Tech, 11/20 vs. Villanova or George Mason
Stat of Identity: 39.7 Field Goal Percentage Defense, Memphis led the country at 37.1
No need to adjust your set. You have not been abducted and taken on a time travel machine and placed into the 60s. Yes, you read it right! The Dayton Flyers have earned pre-season top 25 notoriety. We would have to check the almanac as to when this phenomenon last occurred.
Wooden candidate, Chris Wright, leads a Flyer squad which returns four starters and 10 of its top 11 scorers from a team that advanced to the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament. Last year’s success and a wealth of returning players have earned the Flyers the coaches’ pick as the favorite to win the Atlantic 10 this year. Wright and gang could be ready to make a run in March that Dayton hasn’t experienced since 1984.
Dayton makes opponents earn everything they get – no coincidence considering head coach, Brian Gregory’s background. The seventh-year coach has put into place the grinding style of basketball he learned under the tutelage of Jed Heathcote and Tom Izzo. Gregory served as an assistant under Heathcote for five years and Izzo after that. The Spartans made three trips to the final four and won one title with Gregory serving as associate head coach.
Like those Spartan teams the formula is simple for Dayton. The Flyers limited opponents to 39.7% from the field last year including 32.8% from the three-point arc. Dayton’s defense begins with London Warren. The senior guard has led the Flyers in steals his first three seasons. A10 coaches voted Warren pre-season first team all-defense. Warren was also 30th in the country in assist / turnover ratio.
Marcus Johnson led the Flyers in minutes played last year. The senior shooting guard hit 36% (45-125) from long range last year. Rob Lowery returns from injury to add depth to the back court. Senior, Mickey Perry will provide minutes off the bench.
Junior, Devin Searcy, sophomore, Luke Fabrizius, and freshman, Josh Benson will add depth to the Flyer front court.
Last time Dayton won multiple games in the NCAA tournament was 1984 when the Flyers lost to the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas in the Elite Eight. This year’s Flyers have the potential to remind Flyer fans of that run.
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