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I think I can, I think I can
I think I can, I think I can
John Mad Dog Churan
Published by John C.
01-01-2008
I think I can, I think I can

FT LAUDERDALE (FL) -- As Flyer fan, I’m sure you keep pinching yourself wondering when you will wake up. Currently ranked 20/23 in the two polls in a season that most would have been happy with a bid to the NIT. You can go back a couple of generations to find a team that has accomplished what this team has done. Pull out your old media guides and take a look. You would be hard pressed to find a team that has been this successful on the road against quality teams. Between 1970 and 1999, not one team had a winning road record. Add to that a 25-point victory against a top 10 team and you have to wonder if Brian Gregory has stolen North Carolina’s players and put them in a UD uniform.

The question we have all tried to answer is what is different this year? Remember, this team was 10-1 last year before the wheels fell off at North Carolina and Pittsburgh. There were several of the same teams with the same results: Miami, Holy Cross and Louisville. Yet, we all feel it, there IS a difference.

Obviously, there are a number of reasons that this team is different. When Ohio State took off last year, it was easy to understand the difference. In Dayton, however, it is more touchy, feely. Here, you put a whole lot of little plusses together and find a big plus.

If I were forced to put my finger on one contributor it would have to be a newfound level of confidence. In all likelihood, that confidence can be traced back to about 10 minutes of basketball in Oxford. How many of us logged on to the internet only to see the Flyers fall behind by 30-9. If I had a television, I probably would have turned it off. As a Flyer fan of more years than I care to admit, I can count on about two fingers how many times the Flyers have come back from that type of deficit and actually won the game.

Yet this game was on the road in a place the Flyers have a history of rolling over at the first sign of difficulty. Brian Roberts had been there before and knew what it was like to get blown out by the Red Hawks. He looked at the scoreboard and somehow decided that it wasn’t going to happen again. Single-handedly he put the team on his back and rode some unbelievable shooting to a rather improbable victory. None of us realized it at the time, but the team, the season and maybe the program had reached a turning point. No longer afraid of their own shadow, they were ready to take on the world.

Brian Gregory has taken his fair share of grief during his stay at UD. He took over a team that had been a number four seed in the NCAA the previous year, brought everyone back and has won a total of zero NCAA games in his first four years. During that time, the fans have continued to show up despite another increase in ticket costs. Yet, a lack of fulfillment continued to fester among the Flyer Faithful. His bench coaching, substitution patterns, recruiting and even his relationship with his players have been put under a microscope.

Has he gotten suddenly brilliant and more feeling? Could it be that he finally has the players in place to play his style of game? Does he finally have a senior in place that is willing to lead the team? Have the players finally bought into his system? Are the players just flat out better? Is Chris Wright the final piece of the puzzle?

I’d have to say yes.

If you just look at the overall statistics for this year verses last year, you find something that really jumps out. That something is nothing really major. It’s little tweaks here and there. UD is shooting about 3% better than last year both from the field and the 3-point line. However, to make up for that they are making 4% less on their free throws. Their rebounds are up 2 per game but their assist to turnover ratio is not significantly different. If you look at the offense, it is slightly better, but there is nothing that screams out more wins.

When you look at the defensive side of the ball, things begin to clear up. Teams are shooting 3% less than last year, their assist to turnover ratio is decidedly down and their rebounding is down two per game. Add this all together and the points per game is down 10%.

Aside from the points given up per game, most of the changes are subtle. Little changes on both sides of the ball have made a big difference. Only 3 teams have scored 70 points this season and the Flyers are 5-0 in games decided by 6 or less points. Simply, they know how to win.

Sometimes it is easy to overlook slight improvements from year to year. If you look at Kurt Huelsman’s numbers from last year versus this year the differences are slight. He is averaging about 1.5 more points and rebounds per game, but wow, what a different player. It is like something changed against Miami. In the first four games he averaged less than one point and three rebounds per game. Since then he has averaged 8.5 points and over 6 rebounds. He now REALLY wants the ball and isn’t afraid to go to the basket. He even dunked the ball!

Andes Sandoval would have to be one of the biggest disappointments of last year. He was not the leader UD needed and he couldn’t find the bottom of the basket no matter where he shot the ball. This year, he is a different player. Although his shooting percentages are not markedly different, there is just a different feeling when he enters the game. He plays defense with a new purpose and seems to feel comfortable with his new role as a wing player.

Certainly adding Chris Wright has made a huge difference in the level of talent on the team, but his attitude and hustle seems to have made more of a difference. He is the first guy to hit the floor on a loose ball yet is the guy that walks with a swagger. He knows he is good, but never puts himself above the team. He knows how to win and plays that way.

What can you say about Brian Roberts other than he is the best player in the A-10 and one of the best in America. He is ready to take over a game whenever he is needed. He is unselfish to a fault. He averages 19 points a game on less than 13 shots. He has personally taken over the two biggest games of the year by averaging nearly 30 points. He did the impossible by scoring 12 points in the last minute of the Miami game. He just does what is needed to win.

Every player on this team deserves their own paragraph. There have been seven different players lead the team in rebounds for a particular game. They all want to play, but they seem happy to do whatever is needed in a particular game. Nine different players average over 10 minutes per game. There is no off the court distractions or locker room fights. They are truly a team. And as a team they are putting themselves in a position to make noise and not just during the first dozen games of the season.

Brian Gregory has been able to silence many of his critics during the first two months of the season. He has show that his system works when followed with the right tools in place. His job isn’t done just yet, however. There have been many teams that have been world-beaters in November and December and sitting at home in March. This season will be no different than his first four if the Flyers don’t add some wins during the big dance. Everyone talks about the next level; it is his turn to take the program there.

Belief in one’s self can change a person’s life. This team suddenly has that confidence. They are ready when they take the court and are not wondering if they are the better team. They know they don’t have to be the star that day, because if they are not, someone else will be. This is a team that is fun to watch. I suggest you sit back and enjoy the ride.
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