Everybody Take A Deep Breath

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) – “From the Swamp” wisely avoided the UDPride message board last night after the latest humbling Flyer defeat at the hands of Archie Miller and the Rhody Rams. Upon awakening, the response was as bad as expected, with the torch and pitchfork crowd’s voices getting all the louder to “Fire AG!”

That ain’t gonna happen, kids.

Let’s think back to 2014, the year that Archie led the Red and Chapel Blue to the Elite 8. Those with short memories probably do not recall the fact that UD started the month of January with a stellar 1-5 conference record.

What if Archie had been jettisoned then, hmmm? That’s right–the Elite 8 run never woulda happened.

I don’t always agree with what Sully has to say, but he was 100% spot-on when he tweeted:

Anthony Grant isn't on the hot, warm or mild seat. No one is discussing his departure at the University of Dayton this morning. No one that matters, at least.

Temporary setbacks are not the time for rash and irrational decisions. It is, however, the occasion for rededicated leadership, both on the court and from the coaching staff.

And then there is this:

Here are current standings in the Atlantic 15:

VCU 7-1
SLU 6-1
GW 5-2
UD 5-3
FU 4-3
Duq 4-4
GM 4-4
Rich 4-4
SBU 4-4
UMass 3-5
Dav 3-5
SJU 3-5
URI 3-5
Las 2-5
LUC 1-7

What can we infer from this chart, other than the Atlantic 10 Conference sucks? If the season ended today, UD would still get a double-bye going into the Conference Tournament in Brooklyn.

Put in statistical terms, UDPride MB Poster LIBob’s 2023 Atlantic 10 Tournament Seeding Probabilities still have Dayton with an 85% chance of finishing in the top four:

http://www.udpride.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36369

UD returns home for two (hopefully) very winnable tilts vs. Richmond and Loyola. Kick butt, take names and get better every time out, from here all the way to Brooklyn.

Elsewhere in Flyerland:

– One encouraging thing I saw during the URI urination was Deuce fistbumping a ref and obviously apologizing for biatching to him about a call. This was smart on DaRon’s part because he ain’t gonna get any calls if he’s constantly complaining.

– UD’s Mongolian fanbase has now grown to over 28,000 in just 6 months:

https://twitter.com/baikap/status/16...DR-fiQqu8sAAAA

– AG wisely offered Kyle Greene, a 6’2” 2024 PG from Pace Academy (GA) after he tore up the Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Kettering. Here is his Verbal Commits page:

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/kyle-greene-jr

– This from NYK expert Tommy Beer says it all: “Toppin's Last Chance to Shine? Let Obi Eat”:

https://tommybeer.substack.com/p/top...e-to-shine-let

– If DaRon Holmes wants to know what kind of dedication to one’s craft is necessary to succeed in the NBA, he only has to read this piece from Heavy.com on Steph Curry, written by UD grad Steve Bulpett:

https://heavy.com/sports/golden-stat...urry-practice/

Just to prove his point, Steph made this buzzer beating halfcourt three recently vs. the Celtics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXEc3Qhcjic

– It appears that the Door Dash dude who wandered onto the court in the middle of a Duquesne game was a prankster:

https://twitter.com/AustinHansenTV/s...DUvca9gfYsAAAA

– Iconic musician David Crosby passed away this week at the age of 81. These remembrances of Crosby read like a history of the Laurel Canyon music revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s:

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/...sh-1235495467/

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...-person-i-know

Crosby was a huge fan of Steely Dan. Here he is appearing with them and performing his signature CSN&Y hit Wooden Ships:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoebEunmPZ8

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: swampy@udpride.com

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	St Bonaventure SAINT BONAVENTURE Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.