UDPride Discussion Forums    
     

Go Back   UDPride Discussion Forums > LATEST ARTICLES > UDPride Articles

UDPride Articles Published content from your UDPride staff

» Log in
User Name:

Password:

Not a member yet?
Register Now!
» Advertisement
Comment
 
Article Tools Display Modes
Dayton Still Second Fiddle to the School Down South
Dayton Still Second Fiddle to the School Down South
Christopher Rieman
Published by Chris R
02-22-2008
Smile Dayton Still Second Fiddle to the School Down South

DAYTON (OH) -- Here’s what we know: at the current pace, it’s only a matter of time before Xavier University overtakes the Dayton Flyers for possession of the all-time series lead that dates back to the pioneering days of peach baskets and hand-stitched leather balls. What’s unclear is whether Dayton can turn things around and one day re-claim the bully mentality they grew accustomed to prior to the arrival of Pete Gillen at the school down south. With Sunday’s contest quickly approaching and Thursday’s collapse still smoldering, the Flyers are looking for anything positive at this point.

It’s hard to imagine, but UD once had a series lead so seemingly untouchable that during a 69-game stretch from 1950 to 1982, Xavier took it on the chin 58 times. Times have changed and so have the roles. Entering Sunday’s contest against the Jesuits, Dayton has dropped 13 of the prior 16 matchups – most of them with personnel considered underdogs by the oddsmakers. But why stop there. Dayton hasn’t earned a road victory in the series since Jimmy Carter was cleaning out the Oval Office.

To say the times have been bad for the Flyer Faithul is like telling Captain Smith the Titanic has sprung a leak. While we’re piling on, Thursday’s collapse at LaSalle gave the Flyers seven losses in the last 10 games and a chair alongside other programs on the outside of the NCAA bubble looking in. Dayton must play their way back into the NCAA tournament with an improbable string of victories to close out the regular season, nevermind a couple extra in Atlantic City.

All that matters right now however is Dayton’s fortunes against a nemesis that refuses to loosen a stranglehold on SW Ohio supremacy. The best rivalries bring together two programs equally matched in talent and substance, but that hasn’t been the case for over two decades. Since 1984, Dayton has gone an unimpressive 14-33. Nearly all of Dayton’s victories were upsets over more highly-regarded Muskie teams inside the friendly confines of UD Arena. The numerous losses were forecasted by most outsiders. The Flyers aren’t keeping pace and the series has lost its’ edge.

There’s no better indication of this than to talk to fans on both sides of the fencepost. Xavier fans expect to win – on any court. Dayton fans hope to win – only at home. It may not seem like a lot, but attitudes reflect altitudes and UD continues to search for a pocket of air that never materializes. Down south, Xavier’s jet stream efficiency only makes things harder to swallow. The game still means something, but not as much to our opponent as we’d like to believe. That happens when the outcome feels like a formality rather than a possibility. Unfortunately, the X Factor – Chris Wright not Xavier’s #10 national ranking – is still unavailable and Brian Gregory’s squad must continue to find answers without their frontcourt difference-maker.

Dayton’s NCAA chances officially flatline for the last time with a loss to the Musketeers on Sunday. With such a poor showing late in the season, UD desperately needs another headline win to counter the bad losses. But the work won’t end there. Dayton needs at least three wins in the final four contests and that means at least another road victory over St. Bonaventure or Fordham. On paper, Dayton seems capable, but the last six weeks have suggested otherwise. As narrow as recent losses have been, the Flyers squeaked by Louisville, Rhode Island, Holy Cross, St. Louis, Miami, and Akron. Had Dayton dropped half of those and held on during recent losses to George Washington, LaSalle, and Duquesne, we’d still be having this discussion. At 17-8 (5-7), the record is an accurate reflection of overall play. A healthy Wright would have turned at least two of those games around, making 19-7 (7-5) squarely off the bubble and into the Big Dance as a #9 seed.

For now, fans can only hope Dayton takes care of business against the one opponent they can’t afford to get swept by. UD’s inability to perform in the biggest series on the schedule is like Groundhog Day and the ghost of John Cooper rolled into one giant Greek tragedy. The only difference is Dayton’s misery spans several coaching staffs. Until Dayton gets Jim Tressel-ized – injected with a serum by a leader who knows, understands, embraces, and demands absolute supremacy in the game that matters most, the habit of finishing second-best in a two-horse race is here to stay.
__________________

Hot shooting hides a multitude of sins.
Make everyone else's "one day" your "day one".
Article Tools
  #1  
By P-Lotter on 02-23-2008, 01:47 AM
"Until Dayton gets ...a leader who knows, understands, embraces, and demands absolute supremacy in the game that matters most, the habit of finishing second-best in a two-horse race is here to stay."

Amen, and add to that, is able to inject that understanding, embracing, and demaning supremacy into his players, which I haven't seen since 2001.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
By Viperstick on 02-23-2008, 10:35 AM
Bravo Chris!

I too have been wondering when we're going to treat this series like the OSU-Michigan rivalry. I looked at the annual media guide last night and was floored that not only have we failed to win, but we've been poster-ized in many of the losses. Excellent anology with Tressel -- he instilled in his players a mindset that the biggest game of the year is vs. the maize & blue and they'd better treat it as such.

I don't care about Pitt, Louisville, Miami, Duquesne, URI, or any of the other teams on the schedule, I want to beat Xavier, and I want to start doing that on a regular basis.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
By Avid Flyer on 02-23-2008, 12:00 PM
No question about it, this was the year Dayton would be able to stop the X bleeding and even stop the skid in Cincy. But we have a tale of two seasons and two teams.

The first season was the non conference where the flyers played with confidence, confidence in themselves, confidence in each other and confidence in their their coaches. Each knew, understood and embraced their roles. They dug deep within themselves and gutted it out in crunch time refusing to loose. This team went 12-1 with a national 14 ranking and rpi of 7.

The second season started with the A-10 regular season getting two victories without CW. Players stepped up even as BRob was being double and triple teamed. Then as UMass emerged with a victory at the arena all the confidence in themselves, each other and their coaches has vanished. The improbable has happened. A team poised for a NCAA top seed, a team poised for a possible sweep of X, a team poised for a top finish in the A-10 has lost its poise bball id and bball iq. This team is no longer in a fight for the NCAA or even the NIT, they are in a fight to even make their own A-10 tourney.

How bad is it. I haven't been available to watch or listen live to the games due to a project I've been working on and not the heart to watch or listen to any recordings of the games. A good friend who is a UD season ticket holder stated in a phone conversation that he wasn't going to another UD game till the team also decides to attend. "Why should I be at the game if the team isn't going to show up". Wow I said, wish you told me sooner, I'd take your tickets in a heartbeat". Noway he said, no one will use these tickets, those (4) empty seats will send a message.

As the conversation went on we talked about the JOB years, and while he was a season ticket holder then he said things were alot different. JOB just wasn't that good a coach and his players lacked talent so losing was expected. But with the hype of this coach and the talent this team had and showed in the beginning of the year this is just unexpected and unacceptabe.

Whether he was serious or not about not using his tickets or just venting I don't know but what I do know is the feeling is this team has mailed it in so why should the fans care. A 20 point blowout against X would not be a surprise. Leadership from top to bottom is lacking, except for a walkon who gets it. Too bad the others don't. And while it will be a shame if BRob won't see post season play during his time at UD he too held victory and post season play in his own hands. As many have said, its not how you play the game its how you finish and Dayton has lost the edge it had in finishing games.

It is so sad as this team has the talent the JOB teams lacked and is struggling to makes its own tourney.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
By Fairborn Fan on 02-23-2008, 01:52 PM
Chris, I totally agree. I believe that we are second fiddle to at least 5 other A10 teams as well as Xavier. We failed to go to the NIT last year with 19 wins. Everyone said we needed one more win to get in. That means we must win 3 of our remaining games. I don't think it will happen. I can't list 3 A10 teams that I think we can beat at this time. We may make the new tournament if we are lucky. Can you imagine the meltdown that will happen on the other board if this happens? Regrettably I fear that we are faced with another "wait till next year" situation and that may not be all bad. A situation where London and Stephen know that they are the point guards may stabilize the position and their quickness will allow us to become the up tempo team that many of us want to see.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
By UACFlyer on 02-24-2008, 11:28 AM
Chris is correct!

Chris is absolutely correct. TK has clearly articulated the goals of the UD men's basketball program;....and Xavier has been achieving those goals consistently. We have not.

Since Xavier is the perfect comparative opponent for UD,....compete well against Xavier and the rest takes care of itself.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
By San Diego Flyer on 02-25-2008, 10:42 AM
Certainly no secret that we continue to be Xavier's mule. But we may have gotten to the point this year, that with good health, our SEASON would not have rested on W's from the X matchups. It may not be pleasant losing to them, but when UD is # 15 in the nation and an RPI in the teens, and X is number ten and still taking us to task, I can sleep a lot better after the losses.

We really did get to a point this season where Xavier losses would not have sealed the fate of our season. I think we were poised to take a bigger bite of the elephant than in any previous season that I can remember.
Reply With Quote
Comment

Article Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.1

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement System V2.6 By   Branden

Article powered by GARS 2.1.8m ©2005-2006

     
 
Copyright 1996-2012 UDPride.com. All Rights Reserved.