Miller on losing streak, Williams

By Doug Harris | Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:57 PM

Dayton coach Archie Miller discussed the four-game losing streak and senior guard Paul Williams’ shooting slump:

“It eats at you pretty good,” he said of the defeats. “I don’t do losing well whether it’s one or two.

“I think we’ve handled a lot of adversity and getting these guys’ confidence back. We’ve practiced really hard and worked on things. And individually, can our players regain themselves as players? Can a Paul Williams come through and make a couple shots for us at Fordham? That’s really all that goes through your mind as a coach.

“I think part of Paul’s deal (3-for-31 in the last four games), as you look at him throughout the season, is he’s really struggled from two-point land. Whether it’s been a mid-range pull-up or it’s been a layup. Part of Paul is he’s doing a nice job from the free throw line (20 of 21 in the last four games), and for the majority of the season, he’s been a very reliable, consistent 3-point shooter.

“Paul’s best days were early on, and as January came, he’s gotten himself in a slump. The good thinig about him is he knows he’s going to play a lot of minutes. I concentrate on him with defensive intensity, can you take care of the ball, can you make a couple guys better, make a shot here or there? He’s struggled in that he doesn’t get enough easy ones at the rim, he doesn’t get enough two-point jump shots. You need a couple of those easy ones to make the game feel easier for you.”

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A look at what other A-10 schools are doing

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 01:52 PM

The University of Dayton isn’t the only Atlantic 10 school funneling money into athletic facilities. Here’s a look at what other programs in the conference have done or have started in the last three years:

Charlotte

Football: Construction on 15,300-seat McColl-Richardson Field started last year and is scheduled to be completed in 2013. It includes a 37,000-square-foot fieldhouse and two practice fields. Cost: $45 million.

Tennis: A new complex with 12 hardcourts. Cost: N/A.

Duquesne

Basketball: Chair-back seats, a video board above midcourt, corner scoreboards and a redesigned concourse for the Palumbo Center. New locker rooms for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. Cost: $3.1 million.

Fordham

Football: New locker rooms. Cost: $2 million.

Men’s basketball: New offices, locker room and video room. Cost N/A.

Other sports: Upgrades or new construction for tennis courts, softball complex, offices for women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and men’s soccer. Cost: N/A.

George Washington

Basketball: New locker rooms, scoreboards, entrances and exterior for the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center. Cost: $43 million.

Baseball: New dugouts, press box, stadium seats, bullpens and turf for Barcroft Park Field. Cost: $4 million.

Other sports: Turf at the Mount Vernon soccer-lacrosse field. Cost: N/A.

La Salle

Basketball: Two new video boards for Gola Arena. Cost: N/A.

Softball: New field. Cost: N/A.

Other sports: Resurfacing tennis courts and track. Cost: N/A.

Rhode Island

Baseball: FieldTurf and a new scoreboard for Beck Field. Cost: $1.3 million.

Football: New scoreboard and bleacher repairs for Mead Stadium. Cost: $2 million.

Other sports: New tennis courts and enhancements to the rowing center, aquatics center and softball field. Cost: N/A.

Richmond

Football: Construction of 8,700-seat Claiborne Robins Stadium, a multi-purpose facility that also is home to the soccer, lacrosse and track and field teams. Cost: $25 million.

Basketball: Extensive makeover of the the Robins Center, including new coaches offices and renovations in the interior of the building. Cost $15 million.

Saint Joseph’s

Basketball: Refurbished Hagan Arena, which is the old Alumni Fieldhouse with 1,000 more seats and many amenities, and the Ramsay Basketball Center, a two-story, 20,000-square-foot addition to the arena that has locker rooms for the men’s and women’s teams, players’ lounges, a film room and coaches’ offices. Cost: $35 million.

Other sports: New fields for baseball, softball and field hockey on what’s called the Maguire Campus. Cost: $8 million.

St. Bonaventure

No projects in last three years. But new fields for non-revenue sports being prosposed, plus assessments underway for Bonaventure Square, an on-campus complex that would include 100-room hotel. Cost: N/A.

Temple

Basketball: A new 30,000-square-foot headquarters for the men’s and women’s teams adjacent to the Liacouras Center that includes practice facilities. Cost: N/A.

Football: Enlarged training area and new team meeting room for the football center. Cost: N/A.

Other projects: New turf for field hockey and lacrosse fields and boathouse for rowing team. Cost: N/A.

Xavier

Basketball: A new scoreboard and court at the Cintas Center along with numerous other design projects at the entrances and in the concourses. Cost: $1.7 million.

Note: Saint Louis and Massachusetts did not respond to requests for their investments in athletic facilities.

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Dayton ‘special’ to Riazzi and family

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, February 8, 2012, 11:36 AM

The Dayton men’s basketball suite in the Cronin Athletics Center has been named for the Carmen Riazzi family because of their help in supporting the project. For those who don’t know about Riazzi, here’s a brief look at his life story:

As a basketball star at the University of Dayton in the mid-1950s, Carmen Riazzi was known for his unassuming nature and preference to keep the focus off himself.

He’s still that way.

Riazzi was polite but fairly reticent while being interviewed for an article about his days with the Flyers. Asked to name the top player or two on his teams from 1954-57, Riazzi said, “I’ll pass on that one.”

Quizzed about some of the famous characters on UD teams during that era, he chuckled and said only, “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

At one point, he even offered an apology, though none was necessary, for sharing a bit about his background. “I hope I’m not rambling,” he said.

But while Riazzi, who was the team MVP as a senior in 1956-57 and played for two NIT runner-up squads, was reluctant to discuss his exploits, his former teammates didn’t mind singing his praises.

Bucky Bockhorn, who led the Flyers to a No.2 ranking nationally in 1955-56 (the highest ever for the program), said Riazzi’s skills were ahead of his time. A fan favorite and known as the Scooter for a wide array of moves and quick release, he didn’t always get to display his talents under domineering coach Tom Blackburn, according to Bockhorn.

But Riazzi never complained, earning the respect of his peers. And that admiration only grew during Riazzi’s post-college years.

He and his wife Ann, a Julienne High School graduate, raised 10 children, some of whom had outstanding athletic careers. And he was an astute businessman, holding a corporate position for SREPCO Electronics before retiring several years ago.

“I don’t know how you get to heaven,” Bockhorn said, “but if it’s being a good family man, a great teammate, a good businessman and an all-around great guy, then he’s got a good shot.”

A native of Erie, Pa., Riazzi was all set to attend the University of Cincinnati before playing in a postseason all-star game in Dunkirk, N.Y., and running into a friend of Father Charles Collins, who was UD’s dean of students and chair of the athletic council then.

“I came out the locker room, and this guy walked up to me and said, ‘Can I talk to you?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘I want you to take a visit to the University of Dayton.’ I said, ‘I pretty much decided where I wanted to go.’ He said, ‘I’ll talk to the principal and see if I can get you out school. Would you go?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ “ Riazzi recalled.

“I came to Dayton and there’s a (Chris) Harris and (Bucky) Bockhorn and (Bill) Uhl and (John) Horan and the whole bit. They showed me the town and introduced me to a lot of people. I changed my mind when I got back, and said, ‘I’m coming to Dayton.’”

Riazzi has never regretted his decision. He lived in St. Joseph’s Hall, a dorm that housed the basketball and football players on the same floors. And the teams developed tight bonds.

“Everybody in that St. Joe’s Hall, football and basketball, were close,” Riazzi said. “We’ve maintained closeness. It was a great group.”

Although he had to tone down some of his basketball flair, he appreciates now having played for Blackburn and doesn’t second-guess his coach.

“He was a tough guy. He was a disciplinarian. Sometimes, as we all do with coaches, you may not agree, but you’d better do it,” he said.

“All the old-timers … we all got through it all. I think we respect that he made us solid citizens and demanded it. I think we took that with us.”

One thing Blackburn said still rings true for Riazzi: “You’re a Dayton Flyer, and you’ll always be a Dayton Flyer.”

Although he spends most of the winter in Fort Myers, Fla., Riazzi still attends a few games a year with son John’s season tickets. And the Riazzi family made a sizeable donation toward the men’s basketball office in the still-under-construction Cronin Athletics Center. UD honored him by naming it the Carmen Riazzi Basketball Suite.

“UD and the Dayton community have been a very special place for me and our family,” Riazzi said.

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Dayton’s Dillard rests ankle

By Doug Harris | Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 02:57 PM

Kevin Dillard watched Dayton’s practice Monday in street clothes. The point guard turned his ankle in the final minute of a 58-50 loss to Saint Louis on Saturday.

He said afterward he was fine, and coach Archie Miller isn’t too concerned. The Flyers don’t play again until visiting Fordham on Saturday.

Miller said the PG “should be fine by this weekend.”

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Reviewing the Dayton road loss

By Doug Harris | Saturday, February 4, 2012, 09:51 PM

Dayton hounded Saint Louis into a mediocre shooting performance of 40 percent from the field, which is the fourth-lowest showing for a UD foe this season.

That’s why coach Archie Miller had such a positive attitude after the 58-50 setback tonight. The Flyers competed, and they guarded with pride.

That’s been a long time coming.

The previous three foes shot 51.7, 52.6 and 52.7 from the field. That will get you beat most nights. The Flyers held Xavier to 46.4-percent shooting, but the two foes before that also cracked the 50.0 barrier.

The Billikens aren’t the most potent offensive team in the league, but they’re certainly efficient enough to cause problems. You don’t get to 18-5 without playing decent O.

If the Flyers keep up that level of intensity, they’re good enough to get back on the winning track. Not that they don’t still have some issues.

The shooting guard spot has become an absolute puzzler. Senior Paul Williams, who has been a solid Atlantic 10 player throughout his career, wasn’t able to shake his funk against the Billikens. He went 1-for-8 from the field. In his last four games, all losses, he’s 3-for-31. In that same stretch, he’s 20-of-21 from the foul line. Go figure.

Maybe some keen observers can detect that opponents are defending him differently. It seems to me, though, he’s getting pretty much the same looks on offense he’s always gotten.

Back-up Josh Parker’s production also has taken a severe dip. He’s 5-for-23 from the floor during the losing streak.

So, kudos to the Flyers for playing much tougher defense, which is promising. But without more output from the 2 spot, UD’s struggles could continue.

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Flyers fall on road to Saint Louis

By Doug Harris | Saturday, February 4, 2012, 07:08 PM

Dayton shot just 24.6 percent from the field against one of the nation’s best defensive teams and dropped a 58-50 decision at Saint Louis before 10,414 fans today.

UD, suffering its fourth straight defeat, made only 14-of-57 shots and registered a season low in points.

Chris Johnson scored 16 and Kevin Dillard 11, and the Flyers (14-9, 4-5 Atlantic 10) were much improved defensively over their three previous games. But the Billikens (18-5, 6-3), who shot 40 percent from the floor, kept their NCAA tournament hopes alive by avenging a 79-72 overtime defeat at UD Arena last month.

Brian Conklin had 15 points and Kwamain Mitchell 11 for SLU, which helped UD by making only 18-of-31 foul shots.

Trailing by 11 in the first half and 10 early in the second half, the Flyers pulled to within two at 36-34 on a 3-pointer by Luke Fabrizius with 15:18 to go.

UD had a chance to take the lead on its next possession, but Fabrizius missed another try from the arc.

After the Billikens pushed the spread to seven, the Flyers had a chance to get it under three again with 3:55 left, but Kevin Dillard couldn’t complete a three-point play with a free throw. Conklin made one of two foul shots, and Mike McCall turned a Fabrizius turnover into a breakaway layup.

Trailing 55-50, UD coach Archie Miller was slapped with a technical, with 17 seconds left for arguing a no-call on a Johnson 3-point attempt.

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Dillard says season at ‘do or die’ point

By Doug Harris | Friday, February 3, 2012, 02:44 PM

Kevin Dillard knows the make-up of the Dayton basketball team was changed drastically when forward Josh Benson was lost of the season, but the point guard doesn’t think that’s an excuse for the current three-game losing streak.

“Josh is a shot blocker. But at the same time, we still have to find a way to get it done,” he said. “We can’t keep coming up with excuses for ourselves. At some point in time, we have to say enough is enough and get the stops we need to win the game. We gave up 80 again in our building (to Rhode Island and Duquesne), and when you give up 80, you’ve got to score 80 to win, and you can’t always rely on that.”

Dillard believes opponents have been taking a different view of the Flyers after the team won the Orlando Old Spice Classic and then started the Atlantic 10 season with wins over Saint Louis, Temple, Xavier and La Salle to go 4-1.

“Since we did that, every team is going to play their best game against us. Every team watched that tournament and they see the games we’ve had and wins we’ve had. They see what we’re capable of. They’re going to come out and play even harder than they would against a regular team,” he said.

“I feel like we have to start approaching every game like that. No team is going to take us lightly. They’re going to give us their best shot. We’ve got to take their best shot and respond.”

He knows he can expect a Billiken team bent on revenge Saturday.

“Saint Louis is going to be ready for us,” he said. “They still got the first meeting in the back of their heads. They’re going to be real energized. We’ve got to come out with intensity. Right now, it’s really do or die for us. We’ve got to fight. Our backs are against the wall. We’ve got to play the best we’ve ever played this season.”

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Flyers’ issues are tough to solve

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 11:23 PM

I heard a lot of predictions in the preseason about how many wins Dayton would be able to muster this year, and most seemed to fall in the 15-18 category.

All those who forecasted a victory total in that range are looking pretty smart after an 83-73 home loss to Duquesne, the Flyers’ third-straight setback.

I’ve got to admit, I adjusted my expectations after the team’s surprising start. Beating Minnesota for the Old Spice Classic crown and then starting Atlantic 10 play with wins over probably the three best teams in Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier left me thinking UD had a pretty high ceiling.

But reality is starting to set in. The Flyers are sorely missing forward Josh Benson and the athleticism he would bring inside. They’re getting carved up defensively, and while they do play with great effort, they don’t have the inside quickness to be get consistent stops.

Even their guards are getting beat off the dribble too much, which forces the bigs to help and either leads to an easy put-back or a kick out for a 3-pointer.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better, either. The Flyers play four of their next five on the road.

One thing that would help would be the return to form of Paul Williams. He’s an astonishing 2-for-23 from the floor in his last three games. He’s a three-year starter, and I even voted for him in my A-10 preseason ballot as a third-team all-conference pick. When I joked with him before the season that he’d better not let me down, he quipped, “That might not be high enough.”

I don’t think he’s disengaged. That’s sort of his personality, never gets too high or too low. I don’t remember him ever really showing emotion on the floor in games or at practice.

But his confidence appears to have hit bedrock. He always had a flat shot, and it takes great belief in yourself to overcome a fundamental flaw. Williams looks like he’s seriously questioning himself now.

Chris Johnson also is on the enigma side. After going for 17 points at St. Joe’s and 20 points and 12 rebounds against Rhode Island, he was a meager 1-for-6 from the field and 0-for-4 on 3-pointers against the Dukes. Consistency is not his strong suit.

You gotta love Matt Kavanaugh’s desire to compete, though. He’s limited physically, of course, but you can succeed at the A-10 level with a center like him.

And I wouldn’t trade Kevin Dillard for any point guard in the league.

But the 4 spot without Benson is a puzzle, and you add up the aforementioned issues and what do you get? A team that seems destined to finish in the 15-18 win range.

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Flyers lose third consecutive game

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 09:05 PM

Duquesne shot 61 percent in the first half and 52 for the game in sending Dayton to an 83-73 setback, the Flyers’ third straight loss.

B.J. Monteiro scored 20 points for the winners. Kevin Dillard had 22 points and seven assists, and Matt Kavanaugh had 17 points and six rebounds for UD (14-8, 4-4 Atlantic 10).

Trailing by as many as 16 in the first half, the Flyers made the last basket of the period and went on an 11-3 run to start the second half to shave the deficit to one.

They took their first lead in more than 25 minutes at 57-55 on a pair of Chris Johnson free throws with 10:09 to go.

They rallied by producing what they’ve been lacking for most of their last three games: defensive stops. The Dukes failed to score on 14 of 16 possessions to start the second half.

But the Flyers reverted to their meek and mild ways on defense again.

Leading by one, the Dukes (13-9, 4-4) went on an 11-2 surge to take control. They found an opening for a dunk, turned a Paul Williams turnover into a bucket and scored again when T.J. McConnell, who is second in the nation in steals, intercepted a pass and went coast to coast for a lay-up.

Andre Marhold slipped inside for two. And when Monteiro swished a 3, the Dukes had a 71-61 lead with 5:30 left. The Flyers didn’t get closer than five after that.

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More from Archie on state of Flyers

By Doug Harris | Tuesday, January 31, 2012, 07:45 PM

After the fiasco against Rhode Island, I asked Dayton coach Archie Miller on Monday whether he’d consider any lineup changes.

“Absolutely,” he said.

Maybe the slumping Paul Williams, I asked?

“Maybe everybody,” he said with a chuckle.

Of course, the Flyers only have four scholarship subs, which means we can assume at least one starter is safe. But who knows what the first-year coach has in mind?

“One of the things our team has been able to do through the first seven games of conference play is change the complexion of the way we play offensively. Going with that, we’ve had our moments when we’ve been really good. I also think as we started Atlantic 10 play, our defensive intensity, our lack of interior paint protectors, however you want to look at it - not just guarding the basketball - has really dropped off and almost has been dropping off game by game,” he said.

“The last three halves of basketball we’ve played, minus the first half at St. Joes, we totally lost the edge of what we had going for us in some of our big wins.

“It’s alarming. I think the (opponents’) field-goal percentages from 2 and 3, the lack of turnovers being forced, all of those numbers are alarming. And it really, to me, has to be recreated through practice and, hopefully, effort. Everything is coming back around to effort. And in February you can’t have that (as a problem).”

When I asked Miller how he was doing personally, he said: “Terrible. Absolutely terrible. Like I tell the guys, you only get so many opportunities to cash in. Momentum after a big weekend (beating Xavier) turns into, hopefully, a feeling of desperation this week. That’s the name of the game.

“How can we improve? What can we do differently as a defense to have a chance - ‘cause you can’t play how we’re playing on offense every game.”

How he processes bad losses like the one against URI, Miller said, “You replay every play offensively and defensively in your brain. You have every emotion you probably can imagine going through you. But it’s not a good feeling. Those things eat at you.”

There are some positives, of course. Chris Johnson followed a 17-point performance at St. Joe’s with a 20-point, 12-board effort against URI.

“Yeah, I don’t think we have guys right now not trying. We’ve had our moments where every team goes through these lapses where certain individuals go through a rut and they have to get themselves back out,” Miller said.

“But I can point to Chris Johnson and say he’s probably playing as hard as any player I’ve been around in a long time. He’s really getting after it. I think Matt Kavanaugh is really playing hard and well. What we need to do is get a couple guys back in that mode of thinking about effort plays and hustle plays and doing the little things, and I think they’ll start playing a lot better.”

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Dayton still in Lunardi’s bracket

By Doug Harris | Monday, January 30, 2012, 03:26 PM

The loss to Rhode Island was one that seemed to put an end, at least temporarily, to Dayton’s hopes for an NCAA tournament at-large bid, but that doesn’t appear to be the case after all.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, who is famous for picking the final teams in the field with uncanny accuracy, has UD in his bracket posted today as a 10 seed.

I have to admit, I’m shocked by that. But one thing working in UD’s favor is a stellar 6-2 record against the RPI top-50.

The Atlantic 10 has five teams on the board. Of course, the Flyers have to reverse their two-game losing streak and get back on the winning track to stay there.

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Flyers’ loss to Rhode Island devastating

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 28, 2012, 10:40 PM

There’s a danger in getting too high over a win and too low over a loss. The fortunes of seasons change so drastically within a couple of games. It’s not wise to make forecasts after a single result no matter what the outcome.

But we may look back at Dayton’s beyond-shocking 86-81 loss to Rhode Island and say, “That’s when the season turned.”

The Flyers were in the NCAA at-large discussion even after losing at St. Joe’s on Wednesday. And they were facing a game that was about the closest thing to a sure win that the Atlantic 10 has to offer — Rhode Island at home.

But they were awful defensively, giving up 53 second-half points. And while there’s no justifying losing to a 3-18 team in UD Arena, the Rams played their brains out. When Orion Outerbridge banked in a 3-pointer midway through the second half, you knew this could be a strange night.

And Billy Baron, the coach’s son, is going to cause Atlantic 10 teams fits after transferring from Virginia and becoming eligible about a month ago. He had it going, and he was making some difficult shots.

It’s hard to imagine how the Flyers recover. They dropped from a tie for first in the A-10 to a tie for sixth. And they have some challenging games left with trips remaining to Xavier, Saint Louis, Richmond, Duquesne and Fordham.

UD has just nine scholarship players, and while no one was making excuses, the loss of Josh Benson certainly has been evident the last two games. UD has struggled against athletic front courts in losses to St. Joe’s and URI. Benson could hang with some of those leapers. Without him, the Flyers don’t have the footspeed to match up.

Coach Archie Miller had a telling quote: “(Defending athleticism) has been a problem. I can think back to our St. Bonaventure game. I can think of the St. Joe’s game. And I can think back to tonight. When they have a heavy rotation of three or four guys who can really, really get up on that rim and really, really run, to me right now we have guys who play below the rim. That’s not changing, so we need to draw more charges and keep the ball out of the post and work defensively earlier than that.

“Teams are just saying we can do whatever we want on offense.”

Yep, that about sums it up. And future foes who watch tape of the last couple games will be telling themselves the same thing.

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Flyers shocked at home by Rhode Island

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 28, 2012, 09:08 PM

Billy Baron scored 25 points to lead Rhode Island, a 14-point underdog, to a stunning 86-81 win at Dayton tonight.

The Rams, winning for the fifth straight time against UD, are just 4-18 and had lost their first six Atlantic 10 games before the upset. The Flyers are 14-7, 4-3 A-10.

The Flyers took a 75-72 lead with 3:38 to go, but the Rams scored nine straight points (seven by Baron) to take an 81-75 lead with 37.4 second left.

Luke Fabrizius made two straight 3-pointers to make it a one-point game with 15.9 seconds left. Mike Powell then made two foul shots for URI with 15 seconds to go. Needing a 3, Chris Johnson hoisted one near the UD bench that missed, ending the Flyers’ chances.

Johnson had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Fabrizius had 17 points and Kevin Dillard had 12 points and 13 assists for the Flyers. Dillard, though, had a turnover and lost possession when he was tied up on a drive in the final 75 seconds.

Trailing by six at one point in the second half and by five with 11:16 to go, the Flyers ripped off seven straight points, capped by a Matt Kavanaugh break-away dunk with 8:35 left. But while the crowd was still in hysterics, Rhode Island scored five quick points to retake the lead at 65-62 with 8:05 to go.

An inside basket by Kavanaugh and a jumper by Ralph Hill put UD back in front. After the teams traded free throws, URI’s Orion Outerbridge was called for a foul and then tagged with a technical for protesting with 5:22 left. Dillard made one of two free throws on the “T” and Chris Johnson made both of his foul shots for a 71-67 lead.

But the Rams, who came into the game with an RPI of 277, wouldn’t disappear. Powell’s jumper made it 73-72 with 3:54 to go.

Dillard drove to a bucket, but Baron made a pull-up 3-pointer to tie the game with 3:17 left. URI regained the lead on put-back by Levan Shengelia with 1:32 to go. Dillard committed a turnover on a deflected pass.

Baron then hit an 18-footer for four-point lead with 46 seconds left, and Dillard was tied up on a drive. The possession arrow went URI’s way. Baron then made two free throws for a six-point edge.

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A look back at UD’s road loss

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 10:49 PM

PHILADELPHIA — Dayton didn’t do much of anything well against Saint Joseph’s tonight. Nothing, nada, zilch. But I can’t say the Flyers’ 77-63 defeat was a total surprise.

The Atlantic 10 is a very good league. Anyone who’s been paying attention has certainly figured that out by now.

The A-10 has nine teams in the top-100 in the RPI, and winning on the road the rest of the way is going to take a superior performance by the Flyers. Look who they have left away from home: Saint Louis (which just ended Xavier’s home-court winning streak), Fordham, Xavier, Duquesne and Richmond. Anyone see a gimme in the bunch?

The Flyers were smacked back to reality here tonight, getting waxed by 14. And I thought this was a bad match-up from the start. The Flyers aren’t athletic in the frontcourt without Josh Benson, and the Hawks are VERY athletic. That’s why I say the result wasn’t exactly a shock. If they can’t get anything going inside, the Flyers won’t be good enough from the outside to get the job done too often.

But they’re 14-6 and 4-2 in the league. I keep dividing the conference up into four-game chunks. If they can go 3-1 in each, they have a shot at a special season.

They went 3-1 in the first “quarter” and now are 1-1 after the two toughest games of the second “fourth.” With home games against Rhode Island and Duquesne next, another 3-1 record is attainable.

The Flyers weren’t going to go on a rampage and beat up the A-10. The league is too good. But looking at what’s left in four-game increments, it doesn’t seem quite so daunting.

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Flyers fade in second half, fall to St. Joe’s

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 08:50 PM

PHILADELPHIA - Back-up forward Ronald Roberts had a career-high 27 points and Saint Joseph’s put up 50 points in the second half on its way to a 77-63 win over Dayton tonight.

Chris Johnson and Kevin Dillard had 17 points apiece for the Flyers (14-6, 4-2 Atlantic 10), who lost sole possession of first place in the league and fell into a five-way tie at the top.

Roberts, averaging about 10 points per game, had a windmill jam in the closing minutes that turned into a three-point play on a UD foul. The St. Joe’s students chanted, “You can’t stop him.”

The Flyers took a 34-27 lead on a Matt Kavanaugh bucket (his first of the game) to start the second half, but the offense was bogged down most of the night. The Hawks (13-8, 3-3) went on a 14-1 run to take a 53-44 lead with 11 minutes to go. UD was held scoreless for one four-minutes-24-second stretch.

The Hawks pushed the difference to 14 with the help of back-to-back 3-pointers from C.J. Aiken. The Flyers managed to cut the gap to nine with 6:23 left, but that was as close as it got.

The Flyers held St. Joe’s to 4-of-17 shooting to start the game while building a 21-16 edge. The Hawks fought back to take a brief lead, but UD scored the last five points of the first half for a 32-27 advantage. Josh Parker made a long 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

UD had a 27-14 rebounding advantage in the first half, including 10 on the offensive end, to offset 33-percent shooting. The final rebound margin was 42-29.

The Flyers finished 34.9 percent from the field and made just 7-of-27 three-pointers.

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More from Miller, Martelli

By Doug Harris | Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 10:55 AM

On the Atlantic 10 coaches teleconference this week, Dayton coach Archie Miller didn’t quite agree with a member of the media who suggested that the Flyers have cemented themselves as a league title contender.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve cemented anything. I think you cement yourself when it’s all said and done. And if you’re at the top at the end, that’s when it matters,” he said.

“Right now,we’re finishing our third week of conference. We have 11 confrence games left. The most high of emotions you may feel now, this thing changes very, very quickly with the drop of a game. Our focus hasn’t been very good after big wins, whether it’s Old Spice and we got smashed by Buffalo and Murray State. We beat Alabama and were able to come back and try to get another one with Seteon Hall, and we didn’t do that. We’ve had these moments at Temple. We finished at Temple on a high and had to go to St. Bonaventure and end up not getting it done.”

The Flyers will be challenged tonight with trying to contain St. Joe’s guard Langston Galloway, who comes off a million screens and hoists 3-pointers.

He’s averaging nearly three treys per game and is second in the nation in accuracy, shooting over 50 percent from the arc.

He’s had three 30-point games, more than anyone in the league. But he’s been inconsistent, which has been a bit perplexing. He’s had some single-digit games.

“One of the things I have to do for Langston is get him more options,” St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli said. “His game is so efficient now, you’re almost surprised when he misses a shot. And last year at this time, he went through bouts of self-doubt.

“We’ve done as much as we can and … I have to do more to get our players to realize this is a guy who can get you 30. We have to do a better job of screening and give him more floor to work with.”

The Flyers will play at Hagan Arena, which is the old Alumni Fieldhouse. they haven’t won there since 2000 and are a 4.5-point underdog.

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Dayton’s Miller getting national press

By Doug Harris | Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 11:15 AM

For the job he’s done so far in his first year as coach at Dayton, Archie Miller seems to get an article in some national media outlet nearly every week.

Here’s a story from the CBS-TV New York website that appeared today.

The Flyers, incidentally, are getting votes in both national polls this week. They have the 35th-most votes in the AP Top 25 and 38th-most in the USA Today coaches ratings.

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Dayton in Lunardi’s bracket today

By Doug Harris | Monday, January 23, 2012, 11:38 AM

After a win over Xavier, Dayton has climbed to a No. 9 seed in Joe Lunardi’s NCAA tournament mock bracket at ESPN.com today. The Flyers were a 10 seed last week.

There are four Atlantic 10 teams currently among the 68 teams in the bracket, which is based on how the NCAA tourney field would look if the season ended after last weekend’s games.

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Kavanaugh earns A-10 honor

By Doug Harris | Monday, January 23, 2012, 10:10 AM

Matt Kavanaugh, a junior center for Dayton, was named the Atlantic 10 co-player of the week today.

Kavanaugh had 20 points and nine rebounds in an 87-72 win over Xavier on Saturday in the Flyers’ only game of the week.

He’s the second UD player to win the A-10 honor. Point guard Kevin Dillard was recognized earlier this season.

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More on Flyers, Gruden and Xavier rivalry

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 07:12 PM

Notes and quotes from Dayton’s 87-72 win over Xavier that left the Flyers alone in first place in the Atlantic 10:

• At one point late in the game, Xavier guard Mark Lyons whispered something into the ear of Dayton’s Kevin Dillard and then finished with a friendly pat on the hip.

Dillard said he didn’t remember what Lyons said in that show of sportsmanship, but the UD point guard added: “We knew each other before college and we have respect for each other’s game. We were having fun. It was a great game to play for both teams, even though they came up a little short. It was all love (from Lyons).”

• Archie Miller reminds me of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel in the way he’s embracing the rivalry with Xavier. Tressel, of course, famously threw down the gauntlet with Michigan on the day in 2001 when he was introduced as OSU coach and then went 9-1 against the Wolverines. Miller isn’t afraid to elevate the Xavier game above all others.

Asked if the win was the biggest of the year, he didn’t hesitate: “Yeah - for no reason other than we played them. That’s the way it is. I’m not stepping overboard or out-of-board. We understand the ground rules when we get into games like this, period.

“We’ll see them again, and it probably won’t be very comfortable when we go to Cintas. That’s how it is. There is no bigger game than Xavier. That’s what I was told when I got here. That’s what I knew before I ever got here. We respect it a lot.”

• Matt Kavanaugh talked about the purring UD offense. The 87 points were the most Xavier has surrendered this season.

“We’ve got a lot of guys buying into the system, and we have a great play-maker like Kevin Dillard and great shooters … That’s opened it up for me and Alex (Gavrilovic) down low,” Kav said.

• When Miller heard ex-NFL coach Jon Gruden was going to be at Dayton this weekend, he talked to former football coach Mike Kelly about arranging some time with the basketball team. He said Gruden had some flight delays but walked into the UD locker room on time at 7:45 a.m. today, shocking the players.

“It meant a lot to have someone of that stature,” Miller said. “He obviously got the day off in a good way.”

Here’s a link to his pre-game pep talk to the Flyers.

Gruden was in town because his son, Jon Gruden Jr., called Deuce, was on a football visit to UD.

“I’m taking him to schools he wants to go to,” Gruden said. “He’s seen (UD) in the spring, and I wanted him to come back when school was in session. And to see a Xavier-UD basketball game, that’s a real bonus.”

About his stint on Monday Night Football, he said: “I like it. I’m with good people. I miss coaching, but they do keep you close to the game. I’ve got a lot of work to do to get better at it, but I’m having fun.”

Asked if he had the Flyers’ attention during his pep talk, Gruden said: ”Oh yeah. It’s a real impressive group of kids.”

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UD beats Xavier, moves into first

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 03:05 PM

Matt Kavanaugh had 20 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Dillard had 16 points and nine assists to lead to Dayton to an 87-72 win over Xavier today before a capacity crowd of 13,435, the 100th sellout in UD history.

Josh Parker had 16 points and Paul Williams had 13.

Dillard was named the Blackburn-McCafferty most valuable player.

The Flyers (14-5 overall) took over first place in the Atlantic 10 at 4-1, while Xavier (13-6) fell to 4-2. All other A-10 teams also have at least two losses.

The Flyers soared to a 32-23 lead with 7:14 to go in the first half with some crisp offense. Mark Lyons answered with a 3, but the Flyers kept rolling behind Dillard and Kavanaugh.

Working the clock on their last possession of the first half, Dillard missed a 3, but Kavanaugh grabbed the long rebound and zipped a pass to Chris Johnson for a lay-up with four seconds left for a 46-33 halftime lead.

Kavanaugh had 12 points and six rebounds and Dillard 10 points and three assists in the first half.

Lyons was hurt when he tumbled to the court after missing a drive with about 1:25 to go in the first half. He appeared to have injured either his tailbone or hamstring. Parker took the rebound coast to coast for a lay-up to push UD’s lead to 44-30.

Lyons, the Musketeers’ leading scorer, was helped off the floor and went straight to the locker room but returned for the second half.

Although they were accumulating fouls, the Flyers sprinted to a 52-34 edge on a Luke Fabrizius 3-pointer with 17:12 left. Xavier cut it to 11 with 12:50 to go. The Flyers scored the next six points, but Lyons (20 points) and Tu Holloway (21) ripped back-to-back 3-pointers to make it an 11-point gap again with 10 minutes to go.

Williams, though, splashed a 3 to push the spread to 14 again, and the Flyers, winning for only the seventh time in their last 21 games in the rivalry, never let it get under double digits.

Xavier, shooting 66.5 percent from the foul line, made just 12 of 24 free throws.

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Flyers have double-digit lead.

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 02:41 PM

Although they were accumulating fouls, the Flyers sprinted to a 52-34 lead on a Luke Fabrizius 3-pointer with 17:12 left. Xavier cut it to 11 with 12:50 to go. The Flyers scored the next six points, but Lyons (18 points) and Tu Holloway ripped back-to-back 3-pointers to make it an 11-point gap again with 10 minutes to go.

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Dayton takes 46-33 halftime lead

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 02:15 PM

The Dayton Flyers built a 32-23 lead with 7:14 to go in the first half. Mark Lyons answered with a 3, but the Flyers kept rolling behind Kevin Dillard and Matt Kavanaugh.

Working the clock on their last possession of the first half, Dillard missed a 3, but Kavanaugh grabbed the long rebound and zipped a pass to Chris Johnson for a lay-up with four seconds left for a 46-33 halftime lead.

Kavanaugh has 12 points and six rebounds and Dillard 10 points and three assists in the first half.

Mark Lyons, who left the game with an injury, is back in the second half.

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Lyons hurt, goes to locker room

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 01:51 PM

Xavier star Mark Lyons was hurt when he tumbled to the court after missing a drive with about 1:25 to go in the first half. He appeared to have injured either his tailbone or hamstring.

Josh Parker took the rebound coast to coast for a lay-up to push UD’s lead to 44-30. He was helped off the floor and went straight to the locker room.

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UD hanging on to lead

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 01:35 PM

The Dayton Flyers have a 36-28 lead with 3:54 to go in the first half. Matt Kananaugh has 12 points, Kevin Dillard eight.

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Flyers take early lead

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 01:10 PM

Dayton has busted out to a 10-5 lead on Xavier at the first media timeout at 14:58. Luke Fabrizius and Paul Williams have 3-pointers, and Matt Kavanaugh has been active on both ends of the floor.

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Flyers have special guest at pregame

By Doug Harris | Saturday, January 21, 2012, 12:21 PM

The Dayton basketball team was addressed by a top-notch motivator with UD ties before the Xavier game — Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden.

The former Flyer football player told the players this morning that he’s watched them play from his Florida home this season and said: “You’ve got talent, you’ve got depth, you compete and the best thing you have is togetherness.”

UD is a 1.5-point underdog against the Musketeers today.

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Xavier’s Mack discusses Dayton

By Doug Harris | Friday, January 20, 2012, 06:15 PM

Xavier coach Chris Mack had his press conference for the Cincinnati media this afternoon. Here are a few excerpts:

Has the atmosphere at Dayton changed at all since you were a player?

CM: It’s always been a great atmosphere. Certainly the things that they bring into the college game now with the Red Outs, the White Outs, towels. I don’t think they knew about that stuff in 1989. But the fans were always really into game and it’s always been a great atmosphere for college basketball.

How do you prepare guys like freshman Dez Wells, who’s never been there before, for that kind of atmosphere?

CM: You don’t worry about preparing about the atmosphere. You worry about preparing for the game. If you do what you do every day in practice between the lines tomorrow that’s the only thing that will matter. We’ve lost games there, we’ve won games there and it’ll have nothing to do with the atmosphere. It’ll have everything to do with our execution on the floor.

After what Chris Johnson did against you last year, what do you show the guys in the film? What makes him tough?

CM: I think the two things that really stand out are, No. 1, his ability to shoot the ball. He’s a phenomenal 3-pointer shooter. And then he’s a great offensive rebounder from his position. We learned the hard way in the game here and hopefully Dez doesn’t have to learn the hard way tomorrow. But he’s going to be the guy that goes after an offensive rebound every time the shot goes up. He’s not going to take a couple possessions off. He’s very disciplined in his approach. He’s tenacious. He’s determined to get there, and whoever’s checking him when the shot goes up better get him off.

Have you noticed a more concerted effort on Dez’s part when it comes to rebounding? Seems like he’s been really good the last couple games.

CM: He’s been great defensive rebounding. He still has to make sure he gets his man off the glass. That’s something that all freshmen have to go through, and all players. It’s a fine line - not a fine line - but when summer basketball ends and structured basketball begins, now you’re accountable when a shot goes up to block your man off. Dez is no different from anybody else.

Do see shades of (former Xavier coach) Sean (Miller) in what (brother) Archie does on the court?

CM: If you mean how his team plays, yes. He’s taken a lot of what probably each of the three coaches or four coaches that he’s been under at some point in his career and put that out in his system of play. I can definitely see how they defend, the things that they do offensively, are eerily similar to things that Sean instilled in this program and me and obviously Arch.

You’ve obviously played in a lot of rivalry games. Where does this rivalry stack up?

CM: I don’t know where I’d peg it when it comes to where it would stack up with the other ones, but it’s a great game. It’s a great rivalry. Both fan bases are really into the game. It’s got a history. We’ve played Dayton for so long, for so many years. I’ve got a lot of great memories, I’ve got a lot of bitter memories. It’s just what college basketball is about. I don’t think the rest of the country truly appreciates the rivalry that it is.

Archie Miller has said that Kevin Dillard means more to Dayton than any player means to another A-10 team. From watching him on film, what does he bring to their team and how important is limiting him?

CM: I think Archie’s right. When they beat Saint Louis, he single-handedly did whatever he wanted. He got in the lane, he scored, he found guys, he’s a phenomenal passer. And I think Archie’s right. I think how Dillard goes is how Dayton goes. That’s not to say that their other players aren’t really, really talented. But they put the ball in his hands a lot. They ask him to do a whole lot. It’s really important that you contain him as best you can and keep him out of the lane.

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More on the Red Scare

By Doug Harris | Friday, January 20, 2012, 01:27 PM

Because of space limitations, the story on the Red Scare had to be cut in today’s print editions. Here’s the rest of the story:

Even if the UD students weren’t back in school, most probably wouldn’t miss the showdown with the team’s arch-rival.

“We’re jacked. We’re real fired up,” said Dan Cox, a Sports Management major and one of the most active members in the Red Scare.

The group, which has about 1,800 members overall and 1,200 regulars, has a tradition for Xavier of meeting at the Frericks Center on campus for food and a pep rally and then marching en masse to UD Arena.

“Actually, it’s almost a half-jog to the arena,” Cox said. “We’ll all be chanting. It’s a great time.”

The students and prep band are allotted 1,269 tickets for each game. Some of those are in the upper corner of the arena, but those ticket-holders almost always end up standing with their classmates behind the basket near the visitors’ bench.

UD also provides the group with some funds to create signs, which have been allowed in the arena for the first time this season. Poster-sized heads shots of coach Archie Miller, former coach Tom Blackburn, school president Dan Curran and Super Bowl-winning coach and UD grad Jon Gruden have popped up, along with signs saying, “Archie’s Army.”

“Most students don’t come to Dayton for the sports,” said Red Scare president Bill Kingsolver, a senior from Mason. “But once you become proud of your school and figure out Dayton has a huge presence on the national scene, it’s easy to be involved.”

Miller, the first-year coach, knows how important the Red Scare is to the ambiance at the arena and said they really made their presence felt during the Alabama upset.

“We kind of battled through the (Christmas) break without them. We still had the crowds and the great environment, but I know, for this one, it will be raised up another level.”

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