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Home > Blogs > Flyer Connection: University of Dayton sports > Archives > 2009 > February > 04 > Entry
Flyers keeping cool in crunch time.
I hate to make blanket statements about a team — I’d be a pathetic at sports-talk radio because I don’t have that cocksure attitude that convinces me I’m always right and everyone else is a dolt — but I’ll inch out of my comfort zone a bit and say this about the Dayton basketball team: These guys are winners.
The Flyers don’t shoot with any consistency. There probably are some middle-school teams out there more accurate at the free-throw line. But they play with as much fight as any team in the nation. They also have more athleticism than all but a handful of teams. And that’s a pretty lethal combination.
They proved that again with a 63-61 road win over La Salle on Wednesday. They don’t panic. They play as loose as if they’re squaring off in some shirts-and-skins game during summer workouts.
The Flyers led by 17 with 4:55 to go in the first half after an ally-oop dunk by Chris Wright, but they committed three straight turnovers after that (they had 19 in all) to trigger a comeback from the Explorers, who hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer and took that momentum into the second session, cranking out a 14-1 run.
UD had no answer for bulky guard Rodney Green, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound junior who had 25 points.
“It’s a different system that you don’t see anywhere else. Their guards post up, and those guards can score,” UD coach Brian Gregory said.
The Flyers (21-2, 7-1 Atlantic 10) never trailed in the game and still had a 60-54 lead with 3:32 to go, but the Explorers got a 3-pointer from Green and, after a Rob Lowery turnover, two free throws from Green.
Wright hit one of two foul shots for a 61-59 lead, and the Flyers got a defensive stop. But London Warren committed a palming violation as the shot clock was winding down with 1:00 to go.
Green then hit a turnaround eight-footer on the baseline with 46.4 seconds left. But the Flyers turned one possession into two, forcing a jump ball with 14 seconds left and setting up a play for Wright.
“We just wanted to spread the court and try to let Chris get to the basket to make a play,” Gregory said.
Wright missed another off-balance drive, but Marcus Johnson soared in for a monster tip-dunk with 1.2 seconds to go.
“If you look at it, everybody kind of stretched out and created a driving area for Chris, and the guy, (Yves Mekongo) Mbala, did a good job on him.” Gregory said. “But with everyone stretched out, it gives you rebounding avenues, and Marcus went right down the gap.”
The Flyers keep doing what winners are supposed to do — prevail on the road. They’re 5-2 on foreign courts and 7-2 in all games away from UD Arena.
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Comments
By FaithfulFlyer65
February 4, 2009 11:26 PM | Link to this
I’m glad these players had the heart and guts to win this one despite the bone-headed strategy by their coach. Getting the ball in no one but KH’s hands for offense for the first 3 minutes of the second half that resulted in 0 points and blew an 11 point halftime lead. Then holding the ball and getting a clock violation with a 2 point lead with 1:30 left in the game. What is Coach Gregory thinking about? His players are winners, and they win in spite of poor coaching decisions that nearly cost this team 3 or 4 wins that they managed to gut out and win. Keep it up Flyers!By BG
February 4, 2009 11:37 PM | Link to this
I heard Doug Harris is transfering to Flyer News…mabye someone can publish an article on thisBy Kurt
February 5, 2009 12:07 AM | Link to this
I had hoped to get in here before all the “downers” but it appears I am too late. Don’t know what more people want? When you looked at this team before the season with their lack of experience, and watched their first few games and noticed the difficulty scoring consistently, even the biggest homers (like me) had to acknowledge that this may be a tough year. Well guess what, they’re 21-2 and have put themselves in a great position for an NCAA bid and a winnable first round game even if we can’t beat X. After that, all bets are off but who cares? Going back to my earlier point, did you really expect more? This team doesn’t always look pretty, but they play their butts off and they are winning games that we lost last year (and in years previous). At a time when the city of Dayton needs something positive, is it so hard to just enjoy this without always being hung up on the coach, the schedule, they’re not Xavier, etc? Because yes, we’re not X and have a way to go, but 21-2 regardless of schedule and a chance to play in the Big Dance is how you start. I, for one, am enjoying the ride even if I can only see the games in nervewracking fashion over the Internet more than 15 years after graduating from UD. And I also don’t want to hear from the long suffering fans who says it has already been too long. I was there during the O’Brien years and waited patiently for OP to pick things up, and now BG to get things back on the right track. Keep going Flyers, I’ll take an ugly win anyday!By FaithfulFlyer65isaMoron
February 5, 2009 1:13 AM | Link to this
First off Faithful65, you obviously know NOTHING about the game of basketball. BG has led this team to 21-2. If you think the players are doing this themselves, you are dumber than I thought. The players are making stupid mistakes, especially the guards, but they make up for it by playing unbelievably hard. Kurt battled inside all night at tonights game. No, he didn’t have a great game offensively, but neither did their big guy. Kurt eliminated their inside game. Brian Gregory recruited these players, and he’s coached them to a 21-2 season. WHAT ARE YOU BITC*ING ABOUT? GO crawl under your rock with Negative Nancy.By MatthewCT
February 5, 2009 5:54 AM | Link to this
If the Flyers go 5-3 in their remaining regular season game with at least 1 win in the conf. tourney, they’ll be dancing. 4-4 with a win over Xavier, 1 win in conf. tourney…dancing. Lose in the first round of their conference tourney in either case and their current RPI of #33 and performance in last 12 games (one of the NCAA selection committe criteria) and they could be excluded. Let’s see the Flyers win at Charlotte so they can crack the top 25 for our upcoming gave vs. Xavier!By Greg E
February 5, 2009 5:56 AM | Link to this
More so than being winners,these guys play like they hate to lose. How can you not like a team that puts out that type of effort, or a coach that can get it out of them?By Rich
February 5, 2009 7:14 AM | Link to this
I was able to travel with the team to LaSalle. I believe Harris’ comments right on. I would just add that they are a “team”, and it is obvious that they enjoy playing with each other. Not only has BG recruited some very talented athletes, buy just from my observation, men that are unselfish, possess great senses of humor, and who are able to bond with others. They also seem to be able to pick each other up. Guys are stepping up, when others are having an off-night. Bodes well for the next several weeks (and years)By Glen
February 5, 2009 7:21 AM | Link to this
We need to keep this in perspective. LaSalle is god awful. When LaSalle played one of the worst teams in the Horizon League, Valpo, LaSalle won the game in OT. I’ll take the win, but that is just plain UGLY.By David Dixon
February 5, 2009 7:21 AM | Link to this
Go Flyers!! They are 21-2, how in the world can anyone scoff at that? This is one of the best season’s we have had in a long time. regardless of what they do from here out, this team as over achieved and far surpassed any expectations I had for this season.By Amy
February 5, 2009 7:23 AM | Link to this
What an exciting time to be a FlyerFan. I agree with Kurt. At the start of the season, which such a young team, we didn’t expect much from this year, and now look at us. Fantastic! I’m 42 and grew up going to the games, still attend with my Dad, and we get so tired of the loud negative comments from the “fans” who sit behind us.By Oh Yeah
February 5, 2009 7:29 AM | Link to this
Glen, I’ll take 30 ugly wins over 15 pretty wins every single season. We have beat good teams, we have beat bad teams. All I care about is that we beat them!By FlyBoy
February 5, 2009 7:43 AM | Link to this
Glen, Valpo may be second to last in the Horizon League, but they are a quality team. LaSalle won in OT and that was a good win for LaSalle. If we played Valpo, we might lose. Let’s quit bashing teams in our league. We were lucky to come out with a win.By Jerseyflyer
February 5, 2009 8:00 AM | Link to this
Jerseyflyer started this game off right. Got 3 free ducats from unknown LaSalle grad at ticket window.In Free thank you! Here’s what I witnessed.1)Kurt, you’re 6-10. STOP squatting down when you get the rock in the low block.You can’t teach height. Stay tall brother so other teams can’t grab the ball so much.2) MJ has talent big time. 3)CDub. You’re still raw bro. You’ll need another year before pros or you’re NBA develop league only. 4)Flyers are hard to watch. Not pretty. But a win is a win. 5)LaSalle crowd was totally stunned by the put back dunk by Marcus. Beautiful!!! Oh, one more thing. Jerseyflyer beat everyone out of the parking lot too. Yeah baby!!!Go UD. See you in ACBy FaithfulFlyer65
February 5, 2009 8:11 AM | Link to this
In resonse to Kurt. I don’t blame Kurt Hueslman for anything. He contributes to this teams success with his defense, rebounding, and shot blocking. However, the coach puts him in situations on the floor where he is not effective and it hurts more than helps the team. It’s not KH’s fault, he is only doing what he is told to do. My point is that BG should coach to his players strenghts, not their weaknesses. Continuing to have them force the ball into KH in the low post and have him put it on the floor is not good offense.By ED
February 5, 2009 8:25 AM | Link to this
I’m old enough to have watched Doug Harris play at UD, and he would have fit right in on this team. He played with the same zest, passion, and scrapiness. I believe that’s why he likes this team so much. So do I. This team could also use Doug’s outside shooting, as he could knock down 3 pointers. Jerseyflyer and FaithfulFlyer65 made some interesting points about this team. I would ask BG, if the flyers are going to force the ball into the low block, why not rotate CW in there and get the ball to him?By Joe
February 5, 2009 8:29 AM | Link to this
Final A-10 standing: XU 14-2 UD 13-3 SJ 12-4 RI 11-5 TU 10-6 SJ and RI might still be able to get some bubble consideration but I think Temple is done unless they pick up a surprise win at XU or at UD.By rah rah rah
February 5, 2009 8:31 AM | Link to this
Doug, What are the chances this LaSalle team make the big dance? Is Ed really your mother?By sec 312
February 5, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
Flyerfaithful…you are right. Gosh darn that BG he can’t coach a lick. 9-0 in games decided by 5 points 21-2, top 20 last year, will be in top 25 this year..maybe we should get rid of him.. might add watching on gametracker is almost as frustating as reading some of this comments. And by the way Doug can play on my team anytime..also agree with blog 100%By Jerseyflyer
February 5, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this
In follow up to Ed, if Greg’s would continue floor set pattern he employed towards end of LaSalle game(swing Kurt up top of key and switch CDub down to pivot) teams will have hard time stopping us. CDub is a beast. No two ways about it. He has so much talent it’s flat out scary.To win against X, Gregs should go back to this scenario.Rotate Kurt up and get the rock down to Wright so he can use his major hops to just plain crush opponents. UD brings it every night and I like this team. Guard play is a tad shaky but they hustle all freaking night. Lowery should launch more shots too. He has a good Jumper and we should look to him more to open up low block play. Think our in yer face defense, 12 man rotation is paying big dividends. Note to BG: Leave Wright in more. He needs minimum of 34 mins per game.5 Star Players don’t sit. Jersey knows his hoops.By PLANETud
February 5, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this
What game was flyerfaithful watching? The 1st half defense was sagging, so we hit from outside. 2nd half D was extended so you get the ball inside. That’s basic bball where I’m from. If the player can’t convert shame on him. Also, there was no clock violation. LW was called for “palming”. What BG expects is fundamentals. Players sometimes can’t deliver in one area of the game, but can make up with grit, hustle, following the shot, and rebounding. I think that’s how BG draws it up and that was how UD won. You get the record you earn and were 21-2. Most schools would fire thier coach to get what we got. So everyone relax and enjoy a great season!By DCBuck
February 5, 2009 9:14 AM | Link to this
BG has done a great job, and no serious person can complain about 21-2 at this point. That said, the stretches where the Flyers try to force the ball to KH for low post offense mystify me. KH contributs mightly on defense and has proved his value in that area of the game. But, BG has all the information he needs to reasonably conclude that KH will emerge as an offense threat. He should game plan accordingly. Forcing a kid that can’t (and probably doesn’t want to) shoulder any offensive responsibility hurts the team.By chris
February 5, 2009 9:15 AM | Link to this
Weaker than usual non-con schedule notwithstanding, if anyone had said at the beginning of the year that this team would start 21-2 I dont think anyone would have taken them seriously. The youth that this team has, combined with losing BRob meant that everyone was expecting an average-at-best season with no legitimate NCAA tourney hopes. Now at 21-2, on the verge of breaking into the top 25 with wins over Marquette and Auburn, this team is definitely looking at dancing. I think UD fans cannot help but be excited because the only player we lose after this year is Little (small loss there, no pun intended), and this team only looks to go up and up in the years to come. I have watched a lot of basketball this year, and I will be the first to admit this is not the most talented team around, but there are few (if any) other teams that play with the same intensity that UD displays night in and night out. It was that intensity that allowed us not just to beat - but to dominate - a much more “talented” Marquette team. Ultimately, the fact is this team is 21-2, few teams can claim a record even close to that good. I am very proud of this team, they have grown and matured a lot, sure they have a lot more they need to do still, but overall not bad at all for a “rebuilding” season!!By FaithfulFlyer65
February 5, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
In response to sec 312 and PLANETud: I’m as big a flyer fan as either of you. I love this team, they are winners, I’ve never said a bad thing about the team, but they are not playing up to their potential and some of it has to do with coaching strategy. My observation is that many of those wins by 5 points or less were against inferior teams that they should have beaten by 10 or more points. When they need to get the ball inside, they should do it, but not to KH. His strengths are not offense, they are defense. LaSalle rotated their guards underneath to score points and they did. Dayton could do the same. They could rotate CW, MJ, and CJ inside and get the ball to them. They will do more with in inside than KH will!By Jim O'Hora
February 5, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this
HEART, It all boils down to our Dayton Flyers having more HEART. Sure they look ugly at times, make mistakes, but they never stop BELIEVING they are going to win and they do. As Dick Vitale would say “AWESOME BABY”. KEEP IT UP FLYERS! UD62By Kevin
February 5, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this
Brian Gregory has done a remarkable job coaching this team ,and recruiting players with the right combination of athletcism and heart.GO FLYERS!!!By Fed Up
February 5, 2009 10:33 AM | Link to this
Hey “Flyer Faithful” and everyone else who I have to listen to that sits in Section 203. All I ever hear from any of you is criticism towards Brian Gregory’s decision making and his method of substitutions. I have a couple of questions for all of you; Have you seen the standings? the national polls? They are 21-2 and ranked in the top 30. With a win over Charlotte on Sunday, they can break into the top 25 and I believe they can knock of Xavier at home. Give it a rest, PLEASE. Enjoy the games and thier success.By WSU Fan
February 5, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this
21-2. IMPRESSIVE. That is an accomplishment in Div-I by any standard. Represent!By Patrick
February 5, 2009 10:39 AM | Link to this
I see OSU, Xavier, and WSU fans along with negative FLYER (supposid) fans talking trash about this team. To all of you, I have to question why you feel it fit to criticize this team. The players are more of a team than they ever were with B-Rob. Who thought they’d be 21-2 after his departure? They want to win games. They have balls, no pun intended, in crunch time. They play with intensity. They are the most slam-dunkin’ group of Flyers ever. They are off to their best start ever. They are young, they are growing, and they are winning. Keep grinding it out, Flyers! A 50 point win and a 1 point win look the same in the W column, and going by the arena every game, you still have thousands of fans behind you. Go Flyers!By Mongoose
February 5, 2009 10:43 AM | Link to this
We’ve been waitin on this kind of season for a long time. Last year was the start of great things to come. And just think, we’re lookin awful good down the road for a few years too. Go Flyers, we love ya!!By Flyer MBA
February 5, 2009 10:51 AM | Link to this
Smells like a NCAA Tourney Bid coming our way! This may be too soon…but I cannot WAIT until next year.By CT Flyer
February 5, 2009 11:05 AM | Link to this
I am a BG supporter and I think he has done some great things with this team. But there is one thing that he does (or actually doesn’t do) that perplexes me. It is apparent that the one thing this team truly does not have is a legitimate scorer who can be counted on in the clutch when you need to score on a certain possession (ala Brian Roberts). It looks as though Chris Johnson could be the one to develop into this type of legitimate scorer. BG himself has said that he has told CJ that he needs to shoot more for this team to continue to win. So how does he expect CJ to develop into this type of scorer if he only plays him 18 minutes a game, and in stretches of only 2-3 minutes at a time. BG needs to take the harness off of CJ and let him show us what he can really do. With a legitimate scorer in the mix the sky would be the limit for this team the rest of this year and next year.By Joe
February 5, 2009 11:30 AM | Link to this
I don’t understand the comments saying that this is suppose to be rebuilding year for the Flyers. They only lost one player (granted he was their top scorer, but alot of teams lose their top scorer) form a team that last year won over 20 games, and they have a player coming back (Chris Wtight) who was one of the most heavily recruited high school players two years ago. This should have been a good season for UD, and next season should be greater, as long as they stop trying to force the ball to KW in the low post.By Scott
February 5, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
Let’s face it. This is a good team. It’s not pretty at times but there are no style points in basketball. Good teams find ways to win games, it’s that simple. I know the A-10 is not the ACC but if UNC was winning road games by 2 points nobody would say anything. Doesn’t matter what league teams are in. If they can win close games, they can go far in March. Dayton is a legit 6 seed and could knock off the No. 3 seed in the second round.By Scott
February 5, 2009 11:38 AM | Link to this
Let’s face it. This is a good team. It’s not pretty at times but there are no style points in basketball. Good teams find ways to win games, it’s that simple. I know the A-10 is not the ACC but if UNC was winning road games by 2 points nobody would say anything. Doesn’t matter what league teams are in. If they can win close games, they can go far in March. Dayton is a legit 6 seed and could knock off the No. 3 seed in the second round.By Sam
February 5, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this
In regard to CT Flyer’s comment: There is also one thing Coach Gregoey does that perplexes me. Like other comments on this blog, I don’t understand why he continues to force the ball to KH in the low post. Anyone who knows anything about basketball can see that this is a losing proposition. As pointed out by others, KH helps this team with his defense, rebounding, and shot blocking, but he is not a good low post offensive player. So why does the coach continue to place this good kid in a spot where he is likely to fail? In addition, it hurts the overall performance of the team.By curious fan/grad
February 5, 2009 12:27 PM | Link to this
When are the flyers going to bring in a “LEGITIMATE” point guard…one who takes care of the ball, show leadership, and most of all, knock down the outside shot…and big man. These have been problems for years. Huelsman is a DII player at best…he would have problems getting off the bench for Sinclair. Lowery and Warren force fans to hold their breath every time they touch the ball. Both play out of control. Gregory has done a lot, but he really needs to solve these two problems. Ones that have dogged UD for a long time.By chris
February 5, 2009 12:34 PM | Link to this
Re: this being a rebuilding year. The flyers lost 3 players from last year’s team, all were starters. THey were BRob, Sandoval and Binnie. I will be the first to admit that the only real loss there was BRob, Sandoval was sporadic at best and Binnie had no contribution other than the occassional 3, but still, losing 3 of your top players in terms of playing time is a significant blow to any team. Couple that with the fact that we have 4 freshman (5 if Benson wasnt hurt) who are logging serious minutes, and I have no idea how you can NOT argue this is a rebuilding year. And what a year it is.By Fed Up
February 5, 2009 12:37 PM | Link to this
Kurt Huelsman, low post. To Sam and allof you other nay sayers about this, yes, I do know somthing about basketball. Unlike football where you have differant players for offense and defense, in basketball the same person has to play both. There is no question about his abilities on the defensive side of the ball, it looks like everybody on this blog in in agreement about that. But while he is playing, he has to play on the offensive side of the ball too. What BG is doing is trying to work the “inside/Outside” game. This means he dumps it to the low post for a supposedly easy 2. When that does work, the defense drops down on the center, thereby opening up the outside shooters for three point shots, or driving down the lane. Problem is, this hasn’t worked because Kurt is not consistant in making the shots. BG is trying to develop him to be a better player at this and at times he has shown that he can do it. At St.Henry High School he played more of a forward position shooting from the outside. A team being 21-2 at the beginning of February doesn’t come by accident.By chris
February 5, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this
a correction to my previous post, we have 3 freshman, not 4, i was including Lowry, but he is of course actually a transfer. But I also forgot we lost a 4th player, Cordego, to transfer. Once again no real loss there, but I believe he recorded 10 minutes agame, so that is still a spot that needs to be filled.By Fed Up
February 5, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this
Let me repeat myself; A TEAM THAT IS 21-2 THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY DOESN”T COME BY ACCIDENT!By UD Hoops
February 5, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this
If you want to argue about part of last nights game. Focus on the turnovers instead of Huelsman. The TO’s are why Dayton could not maintain their edge. 19 TOs means wasted possessions and less shots, which are important for a team that shoots poorly. That is what is next for this team to fix. I believe they will fix it. Why? Because not many on this site want to focus on what this coaching staff HAS been fixing this year. 1: Winning A10 road games. 2: Winning close games, 3: MAKING FREE THROWS, 4: Aside from last night, winning the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half (Duquesne, St. Louis, St. Joes, GW). This team is improving and doing things that previous teams could not. They should continue to improve. One win at Charlotte and UD Arena will be an unbelieveable atmosphere for the X game. Keep it rolling.By Randy
February 5, 2009 12:47 PM | Link to this
We had to hear the same idiots say the same thing about OP when he was here. There are a lot of better coaches in the stands for some reason at Flyers games, no matter how well they are doing. I am pretty sure that Clemson is pretty happy with Oliver right now and Mike K. would agree that he can coach. These same nitwits ripping BG should appreciate what they have.By Fed Up
February 5, 2009 2:03 PM | Link to this
Well Said Randy!By Borges
February 5, 2009 3:05 PM | Link to this
Well, can anyone tell me if this is sucha a good team, why with a record of 21-2, are we not in the top 10 or 20 or 25? I can tell you…. the teams we are beating by such small margins, are less than mediocre. I would like us to go to the Big Dance, but with their kind of shooting, we might not make it passed the 1st round. Sorry Flyer Faithful. I want to be realistic! Adelante Flyers!!!By Borges
February 5, 2009 3:09 PM | Link to this
Can anyone tell me why, with a record of 21-2, we are not ranked in the top 20? I can tell you. These games we are winning by such small margins are against marginal teams!!!By John
February 5, 2009 3:11 PM | Link to this
Hey Borges, what a ridiculous statement to make. UD is not in the top 25 because of the public/AP love for BCS conference schools, look at the Big East. UD will cause problems in the NCAA Tournament mark it down!By John
February 5, 2009 3:15 PM | Link to this
Message to Glenn, Lasalle is not a horrible team. They lost to UConn, FSU, and Villanova by less than double digit points and are on the verge of cracking top 100 RPI. We need them to win more games.By Tom
February 5, 2009 3:37 PM | Link to this
It is crunch time now.Going into the last two weeks of the regular season the test of this group of players is having the ability to step up there offense of play to be competitve with the “X” group. WIN ! WIN ! WIN ! To acheive the level of greatness you must WIN ! Play the game and focus!By Mike
February 5, 2009 3:54 PM | Link to this
All we have to do is beat Xavier once and not lose more than 5 more games and we should be in. By the way check out ESPN for a nice article on Chris Wright!By Bhoops
February 5, 2009 4:06 PM | Link to this
I can assure you BG’s strategy to go inside was not primarily for Kurt to make a move and score. If it is there, GREAT! However, anybody that understands the game knows that it is critical to go inside/out to shift the D and open up lanes to the basket. Coach Gregory knows Kurt offense is not his strength. He is merely trying to utilize the inside/out game to create other opportunities. If the ball is not dumped into the post, teams have a tendency to become defensively perimeter oriented. This make it difficult for dribble penetration, which is the FLYERS strength. In the half court set, you need ball movement, and going inside/out creates scoring opportunities. I agree that Kurt is not an offensive threat from the post. In fact, he is terrible! However, he does have the potential to kickout, hit cutters, and skip passes.By FaithfulFlyer65
February 5, 2009 4:37 PM | Link to this
Okay Bhoops. I agree that KH has the ability to kick out, hit cutters. So why doesn’t BG instruct him to do that instead of putting the ball on the floor which turns into a turnover or missed shot. I like KH, but the coach should should not have him doing things that he is not capable of doing, because it’s bad for him and it’s bad for the team.By PalmBeachFlyer
February 5, 2009 5:15 PM | Link to this
Flyers are 21-2 Enjoy!!! SOme of you are to close to realize the accomplishment.By FlyerGuy
February 5, 2009 6:50 PM | Link to this
It is hard to get overly happy when we play a crappy schedule. To make matters worse, the A10 is on par with the Horizon League. We need to get into the Big East. S**t, LaSalle went to OT against one of the lower tier Horizon League schools.By borges
February 5, 2009 9:05 PM | Link to this
Ridiculous, John? How would U.D. and some of the other A10 teams fare in the Big East? YOU are ridiculous. If you don’t know that the Big East is the premier conference in the country, then you haven’t been following college hoops. There are no Bonaventures, Richmonds, Dukense, George Washingtons. How about U. Mass. vs. U.Conn, Pitt. Louisville, Syracuse??? Get on the reality train!By DCBuck
February 6, 2009 2:00 PM | Link to this
Borges, “There are no Bonaventures, Richmonds, Dukense, George Washingtons.” ah…but there are Rutgers, Depauls, St. John’s, South Floridas and Seton Halls. Put the lot of them in one conference and you’d have a group of .500 records. “How about U. Mass. vs. U.Conn, Pitt. Louisville, Syracuse” Umass might win one at home, but this comparison isn;t apples to apples. How about Dayton and Xavier vs. UConn, Pitt, Lousiville and Syracuse (shucks, lets throw in Big East leader Marquette). What happens then? Dayton is 3-0 over the last two years against Pitt, Lousiville and Marquette (UL on the road and Marquette in Chicago). How would Xavier fare? What about St. Joes, Rhode Island and Temple, which regularly beat there Big East rivals? Borges, the Big East is good conference, you should be proud of it. The A-10 is also a very good conference, and one which gets unfairly maligned. Take your comments for example. They sound reasonable, until held up against the facts.By Joe Pyne
February 6, 2009 3:40 PM | Link to this
borges…..Dukense???? What a douche bag! And borges, I believe St Boneventure would beat hell out of Seton Hall, St Johns, Rutgers and UC this year. Put that in your Big East pipe and smoke it.