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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 > 2012 > January > 15 > Entry
A sneak peek for Xavier
Sitting in the front row for Saturday night’s Flyin’ To The Hoop action was Xavier coach Chris Mack, whose heavily-braced left leg - protecting the patella tendon he’d torn in practice a little over a week ago - was d on a chair in front of him.
He came into Trent Arena on crutches, but it’s safe to say he left feeling a little more pain than he had at the start of the night
For that he can thank Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott, the stand-out pair of 6-foot-8 seniors who helped lead Columbus Northland, Ohio’s top-ranked Division I team, to a 70-62 victory over ninth-ranked Garfield Heights in one of the tournament’s showcase games.
Both Vikings players have signed national letters of intent to play for the Dayton Flyers next season.
The pair said they are making their “official” visit to Dayton next Saturday - the day the Flyers host arch-rival Xavier - but they wanted to make sure they first gave the Musketeers a real sneak peek.
Robinson and Scott both admitted they hoped they gave Mack a little show Saturday night.
“I met him my freshman year,” said Scott, who wore a new red UD cap beneath his sweatshirt hood after the game. “I had to let him know I’m coming. I wanted to give him a little something to look at tonight.”
Robinson, who’s a little more reserved than Scott both in his comments and his play, felt the same way: “I can’t wait to play against Xavier. I can’t wait to play in that game.”
The pair will be good additions to the Flyers, especially Scott, who brings a physicality and some moxie with his inside play.
Saturday night he often was matched up against the LaSalle-bound Jermaine Davis, who stood an inch taller and had him by a good 50 pounds. The Bulldogs big man finished with nine points and four rebounds.
Scott had 23 points, eights rebounds, five assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Robinson, plagued by foul trouble, finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
“I feel I can overwork most players,” Scott said. “Mike Brown is a good basketball player for them (the guard finished with 28 points and Jermaine is a big body, but hard work prevails and I think I outworked them in the post, created my shots and looked for Jalen on the high-low.”
Sean Taylor, the Northland coach who played at Meadowdale High, couldn’t say enough good things about the two big men he’s sending back to his hometown:
“I grew up here so I know all about Dayton basketball. I can’t remember a time when they got such athletic big men. Devon and Jalen are true athletes. They can guard all over, they can finish inside. They’re going to do some special things over here.”
While Dayton is getting two promising players, the pair do have different games, personalities and even hairstyles.
Robinson, a smoother player who needs a little more time in the weigtht room, wears his hair in a small thatch of braids,. Robinson has a pointed beard and a close shaved head with enough intricate designs cut in the back that they remind you of those mysterious crop circles that end up in wheat fields every year.
“I usually wear a Mohawk with designs in it,” Scott laughed. “I just cut it off, but I figured there was no use to stop the trend of all those designs.”
On the court the pair complement each other and that is one of the reasons they both committed to UD after decommitting from Big East schools.
Robinson originally had given a verbal commitment to West Virginia and Scott later did the same with Cincinnati.
Robinson said he changed his mind and Scott said the Bearcats changed his for him.
“There were some issues with my grades and they didn’t have faith in me,” Scott said. “At the end of the day faith is what a relationship is built on. And they didn’t have it with me.
“But from day one, Archie Miller believed I could do it in the classroom and you know what? I did do it. And a guy like that makes you believe you can do it on the court too.”
Robinson jumped on board first with UD and then he began putting the hard sell on Scott:
“He was in my ear every day,” Scott said. “It was ‘Think UD…Think UD’.. My recruitment went pretty quick after that. The one thing I did do though was to make sure he was OK with me coming. Not everybody wants me to follow them. Maybe he wanted it to be his show.”
Robinson shook his head: “I said it was fine…We’re like brothers. I think we’ll be good together.”
Taylor agreed wholeheartedly:
“They’re gonna be scary in the A-10 for years to come. People will know about these two kids.”
Chris Mack - wincing a bit as he straightened himself back up onto his crutcher after the game - already did.
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By Seriuosly
January 17, 2012 5:10 PM | Link to this
So Dayton is excited about a player that didn’t have the grades to get into University of Cincinnati?
By amazing
January 17, 2012 3:44 PM | Link to this
How X fans keep coming onto this site to bash the flyers. X ep looking over your shoulder X its coming. So tell me X how do you like all the publicity you’eve gotten from the way you handled the post brawl saga. And now you have a Federal Probe into the way X handled the sex allegations. Yep X the gift that keeps on giving.
By UD FOREVA
January 16, 2012 4:02 PM | Link to this
As a dayton fan I can’t believe how far this program has fallen that now our recruiting stories are focused on Xavier’s coach who never offered these kids. Are we really that pathetic now? I just checked Rivals and these kids aren’t even ranked??? Xavier per rivals has 3 ranked guys coming in next year, does Arch think Mack would trade? What a cluster of an article.
By Big Fat flyer
January 16, 2012 12:43 PM | Link to this
maybe they can win at Xavier because we haven’t done that since these two kids were in their grandpa’s ballsack
By BDubs
January 16, 2012 11:20 AM | Link to this
Both kids are great individual players but when I saw them on a team last year at the ohio hs state finals they collapsed. They were undisciplined and were run up and down the floor by a smaller, less talented LaSalle team. Best of luck to archie miller to turn these two kids into a well tuned team. I wish them the best.
By carter
January 15, 2012 11:32 PM | Link to this
Lets be real here, Semaj is considered to be an elite point guard worthy of starting for the likes of OSU and PITT. Myles davis has Fabs or Redfords shooting touch but has real ball handling skills to go with it. Reynolds is the most talented forward since D Brown. UD’s recruits can do all the talking they want. X’s recruits will show ya what real skill is
By Logic
January 15, 2012 7:51 PM | Link to this
Xavier player: “I can’t wait to play in the Sweet 16.” Dayton player: “I can’t wait to play Xavier.”
By Swampy
January 15, 2012 2:58 PM | Link to this
Please Arch….you are starting to sound like Doug….yeah I am sure Mack and company are shaking in their boots….considering neither player was higky ranked or had high offers…Xavier sucks but be realistic