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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2010 > March > 07 > Entry
WSU closer to NCAA Tournament than reeling UD
So now Wright State is one game away from the NCAA Tournament, while UD is in a free fall toward the NIT.
Early in the season, who would have guessed that?
The Raiders started out 6-4, while UD jumped out of the blocks 12-2.
Now the 20-11 Raiders have a better record than the Flyers and — should they upset Butler in the title game of the Horizon League Tournament Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse — they’re in the Bracket of 64.
Meanwhile the Flyers, who were the preseason favorites to win the Atlantic 10 this year, have instead tumbled to 8-8 in the league and a No. 7 seed in tyhe A-10 Tournament. They’ll have to run the table — four wins in six days — to get an NCAA bid.
After what happened to them Saturday night that’s pretty unimaginable.
“We’ve got to find a way to pick ourselves up off the mat,” Chris Wright said after UD suffered a stunning 71-66 loss to Saint Louis at UD Arena. And it’s a game where the final score is deceiving.
The Billikens — who came into this game as 12 point underdogs, who dress eight freshman and four sophomores and don’t have a senior — controlled this one most of the way, leading by as a many as 17 in the first half and still by 10 with just 14 seconds left.
So what has happened?
How could a team with so much promise — a team that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year and had everybody back but one player, Charles Little — fall through a trap door at the end of their regular season?
I’ll tell you one thing, I have to go way back to the Jim O’Brien days - back when UD won just four games that season — to remember a crowd as disgusted as this one became Saturday night.
Here it was Senior Night — a big lovefest on the court before the game — and by halftime some folks were booing the team.
Things got a little better in the second half, but Saint Louis pretty much had an answer for everything the Flyers did. Midway through the second half there were some irritated folks behind the south basket who were yelling their criticisms of coach Brian Gregory, who worked the team’s sidelines some 40 feet away.
I’m not sure what’s happened:
Senior Marcus Johnson’s season got derailed early and now Chris Johnson — who for a long stretch was the best player on the team — is in a swoon. And Luke Fabrizius is now hobbled with a bum back and become a non factor. And as the season has gone on, several of the other players have had their flaws exposed.
What makes it so hard to swallow though is that this team looked like world beaters several times this season — beating Georgia Tech in Puerto Rico, running Xavier and Charlotte out of the gym in back to back games in early February and then running roughshod over UMass just a week ago.
“I know we’re not going to quit,” said Wright, “but you have to have faith. Work without faith is dead.”
And right now, this team that once had a Top 25 ranking and visions of building on last season’s NCAA Tournament breakthrough, is in dire need of some of those heart paddles with the juice turned up full bore.
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By StillFlying
March 15, 2010 8:40 PM | Link to this
Can someone email me the brackets? My computer must be on the fritz, can’t seem to find which regional WSU is in. Nice article Arch, ponce again your all Wrong (State).
By Keep Brad
March 9, 2010 7:31 AM | Link to this
A note to Fire Brad and his Arena basketball IQ. Yes Brad has no NIT appearances at WSU, but does have one NCAA appearance in three complete seasons and is playing for another tonight. Could be 2 out of 4. Fire Brad?
By Keep Brad
March 9, 2010 7:01 AM | Link to this
Brad Brownell has done an outstanding job at Wright State. His teams have over-achieved each year. We’ll keep him as long as we can. On the other hand BG will hang around UD until he’s fired. Quit drinking the kool-aid. BG’s gotta go.
By Fire Brad
March 8, 2010 8:10 PM | Link to this
When Wright St loses to Butler Brad needs to be fired. Winning 20 games but not even an NIT bid means nothing. 3 years of failure is enough. Time to turn the page on Brad.
By Raider Nation
March 8, 2010 2:56 PM | Link to this
Tom is 100% correct: Wright State has a legitimate shot at the NCAA tourney. Dayton might as well start printing NIT tickets for a game at UDump Arena. Does anyone seriously believe that the Cryers will win 3 games in a row away from home? Not gonna happen. What a disastrous freefall by the “Faltering Flyers.” It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of “fans.”
By Bill in the Burg
March 8, 2010 10:50 AM | Link to this
I can’t think of a situation where it would be ok to boo your own team, let alone on Senior night? Is that what is filling the Arena each night is a bunch of fair-weather fans? Shame on you, Flyer fans.
By StevefromWSU
March 8, 2010 10:16 AM | Link to this
If UD would play WSU in a home for home, year in and year out, I would very much support UD like i did in the 90’s and before when they DID play the “Jam”. Also, if UD would schedule a NON-Conf schedule where they played more games on the road, they might not nosedive when HAVING to play away from the arena. You don’t play well away from home by NOT playing anyone, away from home. It takes practice. And cupcakes/buy games don’t get it done.
By StevefromWSU
March 8, 2010 10:14 AM | Link to this
If UD would play WSU in a home for home, year in and year out, I would very much support UD like i did in the 90’s and before when they DID play the “Jam”. Also, if UD would schedule a NON-Conf schedule where they played more games on the road, they might not nosedive when HAVING to play away from the arena. You don’t play well away from home by NOT playing anyone, away from home. It takes practice. And cupcakes/buy games don’t get it done.
By Rudy Flyer 69
March 7, 2010 9:05 AM | Link to this
The sad thing is that if UD and WSU played on a neutral court and I had to wager a bet, I’d pick WSU to win. Sad but true. This team is just a bunch of good athletes, but good basketball players.
By Larry
March 7, 2010 7:36 AM | Link to this
If you think they didn’t like the teams in their POD before…well, they didn’t mind playing them at home because they never lose there, oops….
By Dwight
March 7, 2010 6:44 AM | Link to this
Do you think if UD asked real nice, Wright State might agree to a schedule a home and home basketball series with Wright State? Naw, after all they are trying to beef up their schedule as opposed to watering it down with push overs like UD. After all, what would be the benefit to WSU? Hey BG, how is your past arrogant approach to dodging a renewal of the Gem City Jam working out for you? What comes around, goes around.
By bub
March 7, 2010 5:52 AM | Link to this
Coach deserved to be yelled at. The obligatory subbing of 5 new players was the turning point in the game… we had tied it, the guys were fired up, then BAM… he single handedly sucked the life out of the team, and the arena… Insanity!! That showed the inability to adjust the game plan on the fly… and they just never recovered. Sad. Poor coaching is what set these guys up for such offensive inconsistency. No shooter gets going with 2 minute spurts on the floor. Make a shot, give him a rest?? WHAT? Huelsman was hustling and scoring towards the end, and BAM, to the bench. IGNORANCE and stubbornness are the causes - coaching staff needs to take a deep look at how they sabotaged this team. It started with benching MJ, then with the “we’re going to ride these seniors out” switch up to the starting 5 @ Temple. What in the world did Lowery do to deserve a spot over Chris Johnson? Applaud the guy for making such a determined physical recovery-kudos! BUT, the game is the game and should be played to win, with your best players given a chance to gel and gain momentum. Next year, maybe coach should work on basketball instead of boxing?