Shaka Smart talks Atlantic 10

By Doug Harris | Friday, May 18, 2012, 02:44 PM

Shaka Smart, the VCU basketball coach, talked to the media for the first time about the move to the Atlantic 10 in a teleconference today.

Here are a few of his thoughts:

“The league is going to be ‘scary’ good. There’s just so many basketball programs in the Atlantic 10, and when you add Butler and VCU, which have an opportunity to do great things year in and year out, when you look at it, I say ‘scary’ good because … you realize someone is going to have to finish a little further down in the stands, and only one team can win it. And only four teams can be in the top four.

“But it’s a challenge you can look at one of two ways. You can be scared. You can kind of shrink from the challenge. You can look at it negatively. Or you can be positive and optimistic and attack the challenge head on, and that’s what we choose to do.”

“It’s a league that has done terrific things in the past, and I think with these changes, it has an opportunity to do great things and maybe get even more teams in the NCAA tournament.”

“Obviously, at-large bids work on a year-by-year basis. There’s years when certain teams are stronger than in other years. But I do think there’s there’s (an abundance) of high-quality basketball teams in the Atlantic 10, and those teams are going to continue the momentum they have, and it’s going to be a very, very competitive conference.”

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Charleston Classic field set

By Doug Harris | Thursday, May 17, 2012, 08:29 PM

The Charleston Classic announced the final team in the eight-team field for its tourney Nov. 15-18.

Joining Dayton will be new entree Murray St. along with Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado and St. John’s. Auburn replaced Southern Illinois.

The Flyers could play Murray State twice this season since the Racers are on UD’s non-league schedule.

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Taylor chooses Marshall

By Doug Harris | Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:32 AM

Hargrave Military Academy star Ryan Taylor, who was recruited by Dayton, has signed with Marshall, the school announced.

Taylor, who visited UD once and was trying to work out a second visit, also had offers from Cincinnati and Arkansas.

It’s unclear whether the 6-foot-6 forward was able to get the grade-point average and minimum test score he needed to be eligible as a freshman on full scholarship. The NCAA has done away with partial qualifiers, although it allows an appeal process in certain instances. If an athlete doesn’t have the required GPA and test score as a high school graduate, he can attend a junior college or prep school. Fifth-year prep school athletes can attend a college but must sit out a year while paying their own way.

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Miller, Wabler on VCU

By Doug Harris | Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 08:42 PM

The addition of VCU to the Atlantic 10 was applauded by Dayton basketball coach Archie Miller and athletic director Tim Wabler.

It’s certainly a coup for the league and commissioner Bernadette McGlade, replacing Temple and Charlotte with VCU and Butler. The Owls will be missed, but the A-10 replaced them with two teams that have a combined three Final Four appearances and 16 NCAA tournament wins in the last three years.

Miller: “We’re losing a quality program in Temple, obviously, but with a VCU and Butler, it’s just two more championship-type programs that are ‘Top 25-esque,’ and they’re all trying to get to the same place. It makes you deeper, it makes you stronger.

“I think when you start talking about a league with Dayton and Xavier and the Atlantic 10 guys that are already in it, and you add a Butler and VCU … I think our league just continues to bolster and gets stronger and stronger. It’s becoming a multiple-bid league, not on an occasion, but year in and year out. And I think that number of at-large bids can go from three or four to five or six sometimes with some of the teams that are in our league. It’s exciting.

“The Atlantic 10 has always been a good league, it’s always been an underrated league. Now more so than ever, Butler just played for two national championships in the last three years. VCU just cracked the Final Four and had a heckuva run this year. I don’t think those two programs feel like they’re going to come in here and play second fiddle to anyone. When you look at the depth we already have and look at two more championship type contenders, in my opinion, if there weren’t any nights off (in the league) before, there really aren’t any nights off now.”

Wabler: “When you look at what the Atlantic 10 will look like next year and the year after, I thnk VCU is a great fit. On a side note, it will be great to see coach (Shaka) Smart in our arena again.”

Smart was a UD assistant under Oliver Purnell.

“I think certainly the intention of our conference is to makes sure, while all this transitioning (in conferences) is going on, to make sure we’re all in the best basketball conference we can be in, and certainly Butler and VCU add to that.”

The Flyers and VCU have met four times in men’s basketball, all during the 1980’s. The Rams hold a 3-1 advantage in the series.

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VCU officially joining Atlantic 10

By Doug Harris | Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 01:34 PM

VCU is becoming a member of the Atlantic 10 on July 1, a year before Butler joins, which gives the conference two high-profile basketball programs to replace Temple and Charlotte.

Here is the news release from the A-10 office:

The Atlantic 10 Conference Council of Presidents has formally accepted Virginia Commonwealth University for membership, the league announced today.

VCU, which combines outstanding academics with successful athletic programs, will join the A-10 on July 1, 2012 and begin competition during the 2012-13 academic year. The immediate addition will bring the total number of Atlantic 10 members to 15 for the 2012-13 season. VCU fields 16 of the A-10’s 21 championship sports.

“The addition of Virginia Commonwealth University to the Atlantic 10 further strengthens us as the nation’s premier basketball-driven conference,” said Father Michael J. Graham, Xavier University President and Chair of the Atlantic 10 Council of Presidents. “Accepting VCU’s application makes sense on two important levels — its emphasis on the quality of the student experience of its student-athletes, especially in the classroom, and its commitment to the highest levels of competition. Both ideals square perfectly with the identity of the A-10 and all of its member institutions.”

Academically and athletically, VCU has an outstanding profile that is comparable with other Atlantic 10 institutions. A trademark of the Atlantic 10 Conference is its academic excellence; the league ranks third among all Division I conferences in the most recent NCAA graduation rates with an incredible 89 percent of student-athletes graduating. VCU’s latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) score is in step with all 14 current A-10 institutions.

“It is my privilege to be able to announce the addition of VCU to the Atlantic 10 Conference. It is an institution rich in tradition, academic excellence and broad-based athletic success,” said Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “One of the driving forces and priorities of the A-10 is to further enhance our national prominence in men’s basketball, build our brand and strengthen our current footprint. In addition to bringing in well-rounded sports programs across the board, VCU solidifies the A-10 academically and athletically.”

The Atlantic 10 has had 41 at-large NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament selections in the past 20 years, including three in 2012. The A-10 also has boasted 62 postseason appearances in the last decade. For the fifth year in a row, the Atlantic 10 Conference earned at least three bids and multiple at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament. Over the last six years, the Atlantic 10 has had 12 at-large selections - the seventh most among all other Division I conferences. A record eight A-10 institutions received invitations to the 2012 NCAA and NIT postseason tournaments, more than 29 of the 31 Division I conferences. The A-10 had eight institutions rated in the top 100 of the RPI at seasons end last year.

VCU went to the Final Four in 2011. Along with the recent addition of Butler University, it brings the total A-10 programs with at least one appearance in the Final Four to eight. VCU has made 11 total trips to the NCAA Tournament with four of those coming in the last six years. In seven of those 11 trips, the Rams have won at least one game, including their run to the 2011 Final Four. VCU has had eight postseason appearances since 2000.

“VCU believes the A-10 represents the best opportunity to meet our long-term aspirations for national academic and athletic achievement,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “As a Division I, nationally competitive athletics program, it is critical that VCU seizes the opportunity to further elevate its athletics as it raises its overall academic profile as a national research university. VCU’s Quest for Distinction strategic plan calls for excellence in all we do, including athletics. Moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference supports that quest for higher standards of excellence in our athletic programs.”

VCU has more than 31,000 students on two Richmond, Va., campuses in addition to a branch in Qatar and international partnerships in 11 other countries. Its graduate programs are ranked in the Top 25 by U.S. News & World Report and VCU boasts 32 top-ranked graduate and first professional programs. In addition, VCU has a strong research component, with more than $256 million in awards in sponsored research in 2011.

“The Atlantic 10 is a conference that gives us an opportunity to not only build our national brand, but also be associated and compete against great institutions with tremendous profiles, both athletically and academically,” said David Benedict, VCU’s interim director of athletics. “We believe that the transition to the A-10 allows us to enhance the experience of all of our student-athletes.”

During the 2011-12 season, Atlantic 10 men’s basketball conference teams appeared on television over 350 times, a record in the 36-year history of the league. One of just five conferences to have its men’s basketball championship air on network television (CBS), the A-10 currently has partnerships with CBS and ESPN. VCU enters the league as negotiations for the new media rights agreement are beginning. The Rams will also play their first A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship in the state-of-the-art Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Atlantic 10, one of the premier women’s basketball leagues in the country, is celebrating four consecutive years of 50 percent of its membership participating in postseason play. A program on the rise, VCU has won 20 games in three of the last four years with postseason appearances in each of those years.

The A-10 has had Olympic sport success as well, earning multiple NCAA bids in several sports, including a trip to the NCAA Men’s Soccer championship game, and at-large bids in men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s golf. UMass’ nationally-ranked women’s lacrosse team competed in the NCAA Championship this spring as did GW men’s tennis and Richmond’s women’s tennis.

One of the most successful programs in college athletics, VCU’s men’s tennis team has made 16 NCAA tournament appearances, and finished in the Top 25 rankings for 17 years. The women’s tennis team has 12 NCAA appearances and seven other VCU Olympic Sports have made multiple NCAA Championship appearances in recent years. This includes the Rams’ golf, men’s soccer and baseball teams, which have combined for 23 NCAA appearances.

VCU, along with current A-10 member the University of Richmond, are the only two Division I institutions in Richmond, Va., the nation’s 57th largest media market. The Atlantic 10 holds one of the most impressive media footprints in all of Division I with Atlantic 10 institutions residing in cities that comprise 21 percent of all American television households. There are nine A-10 schools in the top 25 media markets in the country and every institution is located in the top 65 markets.

VCU Athletics.com - Check out the Rams

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Pierre more than a dunk artist

By Doug Harris | Monday, May 14, 2012, 09:44 PM

Dyshawn Pierre may not look like he fits the profile of a player Dayton desperately needs right now: another guard to fortify its backcourt. But the 6-foot-6, 210-pound leaper is capable of operating on the perimeter.

“He’s a guy who I feel can play a number of positions for us as he moves through his career. He can really do a lot,” UD coach Archie Miller said.

Pierre spent five years at Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute in Whitby, Ontario (that extra year is optional and is something apparently many Canadians do). He’s leaving as the school’s all-time leading scorer (3,566 points) and rebounder (1,793). It’s a program with plenty of winning tradition, too.

He’s been a fixture on Canada’s youth national teams. He led the squad in scoring and rebounding as an 18-year-old in the U-19 FIBA World Championships last summer. He also helped the team finish third in the U-17 games two years ago.

“He was our leading scorer on the national team and played with guys like (UNLV-bound) Anthony Bennett and (Gonzaga freshman) Kevin Pagnos. It was a phenomenal group of potential up-and-coming pro athletes,” said Dean Hutchcroft, Pierre’s coach at Anderson.

Pierre plans to enroll at UD for the second summer session June 24, like the rest of the Flyers.

Asked to describe his game, he said: “I try to do all the little things. I try to go for offensive rebounds and I really try to work hard. I’m really a driving kind of player, but I’ll shoot the ball. I really try to create off the dribble — drive to the basket and kick it to a teammate and try to give them open looks. In the motion offense (on the national teams), I’ve played anywhere from the 2 to the 4, and that was helpful.”

His Youtube highlights feature mostly an array of dunks, but Pierre’s perimeter game is evolving.

“The thing about Dyshawn, a lot of people will say he doesn’t shoot the ball from the 3,” Miller said. “But one of the things you’ll notice is he’s a reluctant shooter. That’s not what he likes to do. He’s really, really impressive with the ball in his hands off the bounce. He’s physical. But he can shoot the ball well. It’s very undervalued in him. Our program takes a lot of pride in shooting, and I think that will become a really strong point for him as well.”

The Flyers have signed four other players in the 2012 class — forwards Jalin Robinson and Devon Scott, shooting guard Jordan Sibert (who has to sit out a year for transferring) and point guard Khari Price — and have one scholarship left to give.

“From a basketball standpoint and a pedigree standpoint, he’s a very, very good player,” Miller said of Pierre. “We’re really excited to bring him in. He brings a lot to our team. From a physical stature to a skill-level stature, I think he’s going to really have an opportunity to make us better.

“Most importantly, I think he is an amazing kid. Once you bring him on campus and have him interact with the people at the university, it became very, very apparent what a special kid he is. He’s going to really fit in with what we’re doing all the way around and he’ll represent not only himself and his family the right way, but our program the right way, too.”

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Miller discusses Sibert, new signee

By Doug Harris | Monday, May 14, 2012, 06:17 PM

Dayton coach Archie Miller picked up a player who starred on the U-17 and U-19 Canadian national teams, 6-6 forward Dyshawn Pierre, and Miller was also able to discuss the addition of Jordan Sibert for the first time.

I talked to Dyshawn, his coach and Miller and will have something posted soon. Here is the UD release on the two players:

University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Archie Miller has announced that two new players have signed to join the Flyer basketball program. Dyshawn Pierre, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward from Whitby, Ontario signed his letter of intent today. In addition, Jordan Sibert, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard, has signed to transfer to the Dayton basketball program from Ohio State. Sibert had announced his intentions last week.

Pierre is an athletic wing forward who has played on back-to-back high school provincial championship teams and has represented Canada at the U19 and U17 World Championships. This past March he led Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute to its second straight Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Class AAA championship. Pierre averaged 17.3 points a game in the tournament, coming through with triple-doubles to start and end the tournament. He had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in the first round, and a 15-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist performance in the finals. Pierre was named the championship MVP.

Pierre was also Team Canada’s leading scorer at last summer’s U19 World Championships in Latvia. At age 17 during the event, he was one of the youngest players in the tournament. But his 17.7 points per game led Canada and was the 10th-highest average in the competition. He also averaged 8.1 rebounds and shot 63.9% from the field. In 2010, Pierre averaged 10.6 points and 8.2 rebounds at the U17 World Championships.

“We are really thrilled to add Dyshawn to our program and the University of Dayton,” Miller said. “He comes from a great family, a winning high school program and has a wealth of experience competing for his national team in Canada. He is a great fit as a person for what it takes to be successful as a student-athlete at the University of Dayton, and as a player he really embraces the qualities we want on our team. His versatility on both ends of the floor will allow him to flourish and grow in our style of play, and he will help us move, as a team, closer to the kind of basketball we intend to play.”

Sibert, a 2010 graduate of Princeton High School in Cincinnati, played his first two years at Ohio State. He will have two seasons to play at UD after sitting out the 2012-13 year due to NCAA transfer regulations.

Sibert played in 24 games on OSU’s Final Four team in 2011-12, averaging 11.4 minutes, 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds. He played in a total of 49 games in two seasons for the Buckeyes. His career high in scoring was 12 points against Northwestern on Dec. 28, 2011.

As a senior at Princeton High School in 2010, he was named the Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 18.7 points a game and was also Associated Press Southwest Ohio Division I Player of Year and Associated Press First Team All-Ohio. Princeton was 19-5 and advanced to the regional semifinals in 2010, after finishing 25-2 with a two-point loss in the state championship game to a Jared Sullinger-led Columbus Northland team. Sibert scored 21 points in that game, and averaged 13.3 ppg. as a junior.

Miller was a member of Thad Matta’s staff at OSU when Sibert originally committed to the Buckeyes.

“I’ve known Jordan and his family since he was a 15-year-old sophomore at Princeton High School,” Miller said. “No one is more excited to bring him to the University of Dayton more than me. He is a great kid, a talented player, and is highly motivated to succeed. He has really experienced championship level environments in both high school and college. We have a great situation for him on-and-off the floor to allow him to maximize his redshirt year. As we continue to build, the state of Ohio will always be the anchor of our recruiting. Landing Jordan gives more evidence that the University of Dayton is an attractive destination for the best players in Ohio.”

Pierre and Sibert are the fourth and fifth members of a newcomer class that includes Khari Price (6-0, 175, Sidell, La., Salmen HS) Jalen Robinson (6-8, 220, Columbus, Ohio, Northland HS) and Devon Scott (6-8, 235, Columbus, Ohio, Northland HS).

Dayton returns three starters from last season’s 20-13 team that advanced to the NIT and won the 2011 Old Spice Classic. Leading the returnees will be All-Atlantic 10 point guard Kevin Dillard, who was second in the A-10 and tied for 16th in the NCAA in assists per game with 6.0. Dillard also led the Flyers

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More on Sibert’s commitment to UD

By Doug Harris | Monday, May 7, 2012, 06:15 PM

Dayton jumped to the head of the pack in the recruiting of Jordan Sibert apparently because it communicated how much of a priority he was.

“The University of Dayton and coach Archie Miller, they said, ‘Hey, you’re it. We want you. This is what we envision for you in this program. That was their pitch, and we loved it,” said Sibert’s brother, Logan Brogden.

Still, the decision wasn’t an easy one for the Ohio State transfer, even though UD coach Archie Miller had a relationship with the player starting when Sibert was a sophomore at Cincinnati Princeton and Miller was an assistant at OSU. About a month ago, the Columbus Dispatch accurately reported Sibert would end up at UD, but the 6-4 guard said he considered scholarship offers from other schools, too.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Sibert said. “The decision wasn’t as quick as a lot of people thought it was. I had a lot of contact from a few different schools. It just came down to coaching. I really knew Archie. Archie was a big part of it. I felt I could trust him and felt comfortable with him. I know a few of the players who are there, and it seems like they have a really good unit of players there. The coaching staff, just meeting them, they really seemed all for me.

“My brother had a past history there (he attended UD from 2002-03), so me being able to go up there - and I played a lot there in high school - it was kind of familiar territory for me. It just felt like home.”

He said his final three choices were UD, Xavier and Cincinnati. West Virginia and Missouri also were interested.

“I didn’t really want to play right in Cincinnati. It was kind of the same thing as when I went to Ohio State. It’s close to Cincinnati but far enough away where I can still enjoy school,” Sibert said.

As for his not seeing the floor as much as he would have liked with the Buckeyes, Sibert said: “It had nothing to do with talent-wise. (Coach) Thad Matta even told me. Talent-wise, I can play here. I can play anywhere talent-wise. But it’s more of a system thing, what system do you fit best in? Me bringing my talents to Dayton, the system really fits me. Along with the great players they already have and are currently getting, hopefully I’ll be able to come in and be a leader and lead them far.”

Brogden added: “We as a family are extremely, extremely, extremely excited about Jordan getting the opportunity to go to the University of Dayton and play basketball. It’s just a blessing.”

Asked what Sibert brings as a player, Brogden said: “Everything. He’s going to get out there on defense. He’s going to attack the rim. He’s going to bring leadership. He’s going to bring hard work. He’s going to bring something to the table that (Dayton) hasn’t had in the last couple years. He does so many things on the floor and will get out in transition and bring some excitement to Flyer fans.

Brogden attended several Flyer games this season, but it wasn’t to set the table for Sibert to transfer, he said. As an assistant coach with All-Ohio Red, Brogden would bring recruits to the games to expose them to Flyer basketball.

“First and foremost, the times I came on campus, Jordan was fully invested in playing at Ohio State and loved Ohio State,” Brogden said. “He never envisioned himself leaving. The times I came on campus and visited UD, I never thought about that. Our plans were always for him to stay at Ohio State and graduate as a Buckeye.

“Everything happens for a reason. Our family is a strong believer in the man upstairs, and God has a plan. The way things work out, everything works out for the best. He’s right. The style of play does fit him. And the coaching staff fits him. And coach Archie Miller is the guy who is going to help Jordan get where he wants to go.”

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Sibert commits to Dayton

By Doug Harris | Monday, May 7, 2012, 12:29 PM

Jordan Sibert, an Ohio State transfer, will enroll at Dayton and begin playing in the 2013-14 season, he said today.

Sibert played sparingly the last two seasons for the Buckeyes but the 6-4 guard was a top-50 recruit out of Cincinnati Princeton High School. He bolsters the Flyers’ long-term depth at guard.

“It feels good to be able to be someplace where everyone is excited for you,” Sibert said. “Everyone was excited for me at Ohio State. But when your coaches are excited for you, and you feel the love, feel the need for you, it makes you want to do better, makes you want to build upon it. Instead of being like, I’m out here, I’m just another number, it feels better that, hey, these people believe in me. The Flyer Nation believes in me. It’s a good feeling.”

Sibert averaged 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds in just more than 11 minutes a game as a sophomore as the Buckeyes reached the Final Four.

He was ranked as the 39th-best recruit nationally and seventh-best shooting guard in 2010 by Rivals.com.

Asked to describe his game, Sibert said: “Honestly, I’m just a basketball player. I shoot through the passing lanes. I get a lot of steals. I get a lot of dunks. I can shoot when necessary. I’m not just a shooter. I think over the past two years, I kind of got labeled as a shooter, but that’s necessarily exactly who I am. I have fun. I enjoy it. Hopefully, I’ll get the crowd involved. And I’m going to try to be exciting to watch.”

Sibert’s brother, Logan Brogden, attended Dayton from 2002-03 and impressed the coaches during tryouts as a walk-on, but UD ended up having no spots that year for non-scholarship players. He built friendships on the team, though, with Warren Williams, Logan White, Marques Bennett and others that are still strong today.

After Sibert decided to transfer, Brogden was the contact person for schools interested in landing the player and said about 10 contacted him.

“You wait to see what’s concrete. The University of Dayton was as concrete as it can get, and they came full force,” Brogden said. “They really showed us and showed Jordan that, hey, you’re our guy.”

Brogden said Jordan turned down offers from Cincinnati and Xavier.

“Me being his older brother and mentor, I’m just very excited for him just to simply have the opportunity,” he said. “It was a humbling process him going to Ohio State and things not working out the way everyone planned. (But) when he walked away, there was a guy and a program that was interested in him like coach Archie Miller and the University of Dayton. He’s just excited about the opportunity to get on the floor, work as hard as he possibly can and show people what he can actually do to help that team win.”

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