We Looked Like Giants
March 20, 2009 
Is it possible for this team to join the Big East anytime soon? The Flyers seem to identify with the rough and tumble style often associated with Mike Traghese's baby. Everything had to break right for the Flyers to win this one, and thankfully, everything did. When the Mounties cut it to one on a Truck Bryant three with 10 minutes left, I fully expected UD to fold it up like Peter North in some short shorts. But it didn't happen. Chris Wright kept dunking and Charles Little was reminding people why he was the Sorority Slayer. Time ticked by, Dayton made some stops, converted a few foul shots, grabbed a couple of offensive boards, and before you knew it--it was over. 68-60. UD took a 4-3 lead with 17 minutes and never looked back.
Brian Gregory just earned yet another bargaining chip. If I was AD Tim Wabler I would take BG to dinner tonight, get him plastered, take him back to my room for some champagne and tomfoolery, and just when things were going towards the point of no return--whip it out. All 11 inches. All 11 by 8.5 inches of embossed papyrus. Make him sign that fucker right on the spot. Let's break it down like the old days:
- Player of the Game? I'm sure that most people are going to remember Chris Wright's performance, and rightly so, but I would give the game ball to the lone senior on this squad (how good does that sound right about now?), Chaz Little. Little was HUGE down the stretch, scored six straight points when shit was getting iffy around the two and a half minute mark by hitting a few of his patented runners to keep the game out of reach. White girls of the Twin Cities...beware. However, please be advised--Chaz deserves to be serviced.
- Speaking of Kountry Chris, I got a text that said, "You said to watch Wright. I'm watching and all he can do is dunk." (I got KC marked down for 6 dunks against the Mounties) This would be the equivalent of saying all Picasso did was paint, that all Shakespeare did was write, and that all Corey Haim did was act. While certainly the preceding statements are true, it is still an affront to their both their accomplishments and legacy. I have been on record as saying Wright is little more than a freakish athlete in baggy shorts and a XXXL jockstrap, and I stand by that. But when other teams sleep on him, like I think WVU did today, he has the ability to make mere mortals look silly. Be honest, when Wright hit that three near the end of the first half you knew Dayton had more than a puncher's chance in this one, didn't you? You're fucking right you did. I'm not going to look it up, but I bet UD is undefeated in games in which Kountry Chris hit a long-ranger. Ruoff picking up his fourth foul with 18 minutes to go didn't hurt either.
- During the broadcast Gus Johnson recounted a story about Chris' mom. Ap
parently, she texts a spiritual message to BG and the coaching staff everyday at like 6 in the morning. Luckily, Gregory is usually just rolling home from a party that would make the shit going on in Eyes Wide Shut look down right pedestrian, so the text doesn't wake him from a pain-killer induced slumber like the rest of us. Still, if you were BG wouldn't you take Wright aside and politely advise him to tell his mom to cut that shit out? I guess when you have a player who spends half the game with his sack above eye level you don't ask questions. That's one thing I learned during my one long night in prison--when there are a pair of nuts at eye level, remain quiet and alert at all times. The other thing I learned? Prison guards respond to screams with laughter. Boisterous laughter.
- Haven't said much lately about London Warren's play recently, so here it is. The Jet has been fantasmic. Can't ask the kid for much more than his performance today. 9 assists in 25 minutes for the junior point guard. Didn't look that great defending Bryant, but the Truck is going to be one of those special ones--so it's excused. If London can continue this form the Flyers may have a few more gallons left in the tank.
- Couldn't help but notice that Luke Fabrizius played as much as I did. One, I commend Brian Gregory for realizing that the key to beating a team like WVU is with non-stop hands-in-pants defense, not through rolling the dice and hoping a 35% three-point shooter hits a bushel of threes to keep us in the game. If I'm Mr. Fabrizius, what's going through my mind right now? First, I'm probably wondering why I couldn't get a sniff of the court today. Is my defense that bad? (Yes.) Then, I'm thinking--what does this mean for my long-term future when I'm not even an option in Dayton's biggest games? (No clue, but it probably ain't good.) Lastly, does anyone on the bench realize how fucking high I am? I dressed out in our light blue throwbacks for christsakes.
- What are you going to say about UD's defense that hasn't been said already? West Virginia never looked comfortable against the young Afro-American men in red and blue. Ruoff was frustrated on both ends of the floor. Butler was never able to get a good look, instead he opted to throw prayers from 21 feet--going 0-6 in the process. Wellington Smith played like a hedge fund manager who did too many rails before a pickup game. Only future lottery pick Devin Ebanks showed the Minneapolis crowd why WVU was there in the first place. 36% from the floor, 25% from three. Those type of numbers are basically begging Dayton to eat your lunch.
- Although Marcus Johnson didn't have his best game today, his two early threes gave UD some breathing room and helped build some confidence early on. He was relaxed when the rest of the squad looked too amped early on.
- Wright - 34 minutes, Little - 31 minutes, Marcus Johnson - 36 minutes. Look for the Big Three to play as much, if not more, Sunday against KU. Gregory and his staff obviously took a big picture look at the team and decided to go 10 deep and maximize their talent. For those of us who were never quite on board with Gregory's substitution patterns, hopefully this is how we play the rest of the way.
I really like UD's chances against Kansas in the second round. The Flyers match up much better with the Jayhawks than they did against West Virginia. Outside of Sherron Collins and the Mongloid in the middle, KU offers little in the way of offensive firepower. I'm as pragmatic as you can get, so I offer the following with considerable pause: Dayton matches up even better against Michigan State. Don't look at me like I just shit in your hat, I'm just sayin'. The lesson we have learned this year is to never count this team out. Just when you think they are teetering on the brink of oblivion, they pull out a performance like this afternoon against WVU. Best part? Dayton has fuck all to lose at this point. Kansas awaits, Sunday 2:30 p.m.
Reader Comments (9)
Regarding the minutes: Today was one of the few times all year Wright, Johnson, and Warren all stayed out of foul trouble in the first half.
BG loves to play a lot of guys, but in certain games you can tell he'd like to ride the top horses. But to often we get in foul trouble forcing the constant substitutions.
pick kansas to win, your traditional dayton debbie downer outlook has worked all season, you could jinx this shit
i'm still laughing after that post...but Adam is right staying out of foul trouble was huge for the big 3 tonight!
I also love the decision by BG to put Mickey (Saved by zero) at the point instead of Steven "fucking" Thomas. Although not as productive as London or Rob I still felt like he got the job done tonight.
GOOOOOOOOOO DAYTON FLYERS!
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11529187
Look at Pistol Pete Prisco jumping on the Dayton bandwagon, even better he is on board with Chris Wright as well... "Let's put it this way: He's an NBA player in waiting."
Is it just me or did Top Flight seem to play better because he knew the whole nation was watching? or was it because West Virginia's defense was that bad... I mean this team has been a solid defensive team all year especially considering the team's they've played down the stretch.
Dayton Dayton Dayton. We're officially one of the top 32 teams in the country. This team is hungry.
A quick comment on BG, watched the game with some people and a Dayton fan was telling that BG was "terrible." I agree that maybe he's not the best X's and O's coach, especially offensively, but its becoming more and more obvious that BG knows how to do a few things. He knows this team isn't built for the half court so doesn't bother with the pick and roll or traditional motion offense. He has tailored this team to get the absolute most out of their unique talent. Its not easy to get a bunch of young college kids to buy into giving their all on defense when all they want to think about is scoring 25 points a game. As much as this was Flyer Jesus's coming out party, I think this was also Gregory's coming out party. He just proved to all of us that with his players and his style, he can win in March. Feel free to complain that he isn't a great coach or a even a good one. But for a A-10 squad, we gotta be happy with his results cause its not easy to roll the dice on a young coach and get lucky.
rant over.
Tom, I have to agree with you that Chaz Little was the game's MVP for Dayton. Yeah Wright played outstanding and there's no doubt about that, but Little hit some big buckets when we needed it. You could tell he didn't want this to be his last game in a Flyer uniform.
This line from London Warren kills me:
"Mick said I was dropping dimes (assists) like a bank teller," Warren said.
I love it.
At this point, I think the mentality for the team is that they've got this far, so what else do they have to lose? I see them coming out huge on Sunday and feeding off the intensity from yesterday. Besides, we've shown the nation what we're capable of doing, so I think gonna come out running and not look back.
@DiSab
Agreed, they've already done more than what was expected of them, so that mentality that the team has now really has me feeling comfortable coming into this game, as we have everything to gain, nothing to lose, with Kansas being the defending champs, they have absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Is it possible that the Dayton Flyers could save Gregg Doyel's job?
http://flyerscavsredsbengalsbuckeyesbearcats.blogspot.com/