UD is a joke

[Muskie73]

Dayton leads Fordham by 3 at the half after trailing most of the first half. Even the announcers think this is a below average performance.

[powerofX]

Dayton leads Fordham by 3 at the half after trailing most of the first half. Even the announcers think this is a below average performance.

ANd are getting outrebounded by Fordham. I think we outrebounded Fordham almost 3 -1.

[xubball93]

So's UC - having a tough time with another Big East cellar-dweller.

For the UC fans still crying about Thuggins dismissal, did it occur to any of them that he likely would have left UC for WVA anyway? If memory serves, he passed on WVA once; I don't think he would have a second time.

[X Factor]

Dayton took an 11 point lead at one point in the 2nd half, but Fordham has stormed back to take a 1 point lead with 7:48 left.

Dayton can't hit a shot, what's new.

[X Factor]

Fordham on a 16-3 run, up 2.

[X Factor]

Fordham up 2, five minutes left.

[jdm2000]

Unbelievable.

I say this with all sincerity...the A10 needs Dayton to win this game. They are potentially one of the top 4 teams in the league...they cannot lose to a Fordham team that may be the worst team they've had since they went 2-25.

This would be a disaster for the league.

[kyxu]

I refuse to believe UD will lose this game, for the simple reason that they are less terrible than Fordham. But UD is in trouble. Whatever power they harnessed in late November is in its throes. They are not a great offensive team, and are even having trouble preventing Fordham from scoring when the game is close. I don't think UD's opponents' low-scoring average is a function of UD's "tight defense" as much as it has been a reflection of their level of competition.

There is no reason a team like Fordham, with two wins, should be within 15 points of Dayton.

[X Factor]

Looks like UD will escape with a win.

[XU 87]

I say this with all sincerity...the A10 needs Dayton to win this game. They are potentially one of the top 4 teams in the league...they cannot lose to a Fordham team that may be the worst team they've had since they went 2-25.



My head agrees with you and hopes for a UD win.

But heart disagrees with you and hopes for a UD loss.

[danaandvictory]

The bottom line with Dayton is this--like a lot of other A-10 teams, they can be dangerous on their night or on the road. But the only thing separating Dayton from Temple, Massachusetts, and Rhody is that Dayton assembled an absolutely embarrassing non-conference schedule and succeeded in dispatching the pablum they played. From my perspective I see no reason why X should lose to the Flyers home or away, especially if we continue our excellent efforts on the defensive glass.

[X Factor]

Tie ballgame! Fordham at the line for 1 shot...10 seconds left!

[X Factor]

Flyers win by 1....UD stinks!!!!

[stophorseabuse]

gutsy win. lol. unbelievable...
________
Triumph Bonneville T100 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Triumph_Bonneville_T100)

[XURunner85]

they are going to struggle with every A10 team...they are just not a good team with real competition...they can beat the lower teams from not good conferences....

[XUOWNSUC]

gutsy win. lol. unbelievable...

Gutsy win - that cracked me up.

[kyxu]

gutsy win. lol. unbelievable...

Because, as Seth Davis said, UD knows how to win the gritty games, right? Just play even with a 2-12 team (now 2-13) the entire game and win at the last second.

[wkrq59]

Because, as Seth Davis said, UD knows how to win the gritty games, right? Just play even with a 2-12 team (now 2-13) the entire game and win at the last second.

Wasn't that game at Dayton???????:D

[X Factor]

they are just not a good team with real competition...


Is Fordham considered "real competition"?

Dayton will get beat at Duquesne Saturday.

[XU05and07]

Wasn't that game at Dayton???????:D

That is was, Q...that's another reason that it is so bad

Duquesne struggled at home with GW

[drudy23]

Did Wright get hurt...box score says he was only 0-2 from the field???

[jdm2000]

He had the flu.

[Xman95]

I wouldn't have said this at the beginning of the season, and probably not even two weeks ago. But...there's absolutely no reason that we shouldn't blitz the A-10 this season. Maybe a loss to someone like Temple if Christmas goes nuts, but we seem to be in a class all our own. I actually thought UD would be a pretty good team this year, but they haven't proven it yet. This league sucks.

[kyxu]

He had the flu.

Oh, Dayton always has the fucking flu. Or their best rebounder has malaria. Or their best shooter has typhoid. Do these players not take vitamins? Do they not eat? Are they just naturally sickly?

Excuses abound from UD Arena.

[BBC 08]

It's the sewage that is at ud Arena, makes everyone exposed to it sick.

[jdm2000]

Oh, Dayton always has the fucking flu. Or their best rebounder has malaria. Or their best shooter has typhoid. Do these players not take vitamins? Do they not eat? Are they just naturally sickly?

Excuses abound from UD Arena.

I know it sounds like a joke, but that's what the word is--he and someone else (Warren?) had the flu.

Maybe they have a really strong virus somewhere up there. Not unprecedented...

[AdamtheFlyer]

Wright and London had the flu...it was reported yesterday that they hadn't practiced all week.Neither started and neither looked like they were themselves. London looked like he was going to puke in the middle of the floor. Lowery supposedly left practice yesterday with an ailment, and Paul Williams didn't even dress because of some kind of viral infection.

There is definitely a flu bug going around the team and campus. That's no excuse for the poor play, though. Thank goodness they won.

[BBC 08]

Adam, this is two years in a row now that ud has had some type of flu, any idea why this seems to keep happening?

[muskieindent]

Unbelievable.

I say this with all sincerity...the A10 needs Dayton to win this game. They are potentially one of the top 4 teams in the league...they cannot lose to a Fordham team that may be the worst team they've had since they went 2-25.

This would be a disaster for the league.

Absolutely right as much as I'd like to see UD lose

[The Artist]

Did the students rush the floor? I hope so.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Unfortunately when you're in such close contact with a group of people on and off the floor (every non-Freshmen or walk-on lives with other players I believe), one person getting it turns to 5 in a day. I don't think it's as much about preventing it as it is blind luck in avoiding it altogether. I think most of us can tell stories of our families passing it to each other at times. It just happens.

If it does hit you, you have to fight through it. It was ugly, but UD was able to win tonight. That's all that matters in the end. I don't know how good UD is, but I know we're much better than we showed tonight. Hopefully it can run its course within a day and everyone's antibodies build up and they can stay healthy from here on out. We all know the horrors that can happen at Duquesne when healthy. Sick or not, UD loses by 20 out there on Saturday with tonight's effort.

UD is a small campus where 95% of the students live within close quarters with each other. Any type of virus that get loose runs rampant, and there's not much you can do about it. That's why meningitis and MRSA are such worries.

[Flyer1407]

I don't know how many Dayton fans will admit it, but this team really is just not very good. Marcus Johnson is a very good player and Chris Johnson is going to be very good....that is it as far as real basketball talent is concerned.

Wright is a great athlete who is very good on the break and in transition. Average in the half court.

Dayton has no inside presence and very little good guard play this year, we have beaten one team of note; Marquette. Which looking back on it is unbelievable.

The last 3 games we have beat Miami by 5 (scored 45 points) got drilled by Umass and should have lost tonight to one of the worst teams in college basketball. Flu no flu, this team has a lot of flaws that wont be fixed overnight. Again Dayton will be .500 (or worse) in the A10 and be a 4 or 5 seed in the NIT.

I have always supported Gregory but it's beginning to look like a change is needed.

[xavbball]

Anybody who thinks we will lose at Dayton needs to seriously reconsider.

[XU05and07]

Oh, Dayton always has the fucking flu. Or their best rebounder has malaria. Or their best shooter has typhoid. Do these players not take vitamins? Do they not eat? Are they just naturally sickly?

Excuses abound from UD Arena.

Typhoid Fever always got me on the Oregon Trail

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

Typhoid Fever always got me on the Oregon Trail

Dysentary always rocked the people I was rolling with in that game. That and Indians stealing my ox/Wheel Axle/Clothes!!

[XU '03]

How come people didn't tell me about this flu thing before tip off so I could have bet against Dayton? They were laying like 18 points to Fordham. Please advise 30 mins prior to tip this weekend if the team has the flu bug again...

[AdamtheFlyer]

I don't know how many Dayton fans will admit it, but this team really is just not very good. Marcus Johnson is a very good player and Chris Johnson is going to be very good....that is it as far as real basketball talent is concerned.

Wright is a great athlete who is very good on the break and in transition. Average in the half court.

Dayton has no inside presence and very little good guard play this year, we have beaten one team of note; Marquette. Which looking back on it is unbelievable.

The last 3 games we have beat Miami by 5 (scored 45 points) got drilled by Umass and should have lost tonight to one of the worst teams in college basketball. Flu no flu, this team has a lot of flaws that wont be fixed overnight. Again Dayton will be .500 (or worse) in the A10 and be a 4 or 5 seed in the NIT.

I have always supported Gregory but it's beginning to look like a change is needed.

I can understand the "half-empty" approach. The last few games have been tough to watch.

That said, you can fix many things overnight. Effort, intensity, and desire are "slump proof" attributes. Dayton has lacked those the last two games. The Flyers are a good team, with flaws.

We don't have to be great, we just have to be slightly better than the opponent about 10-11 more times this year. That can be done with this team, look no further than the schedule. It's not a matter of "how", just a matter of "did or did not". 25-26 wins puts them in the promised land, without a doubt.

[GuyFawkes38]

I can understand the "half-empty" approach. The last few games have been tough to watch.

That said, you can fix many things overnight. Effort, intensity, and desire are "slump proof" attributes. Dayton has lacked those the last two games. The Flyers are a good team, with flaws.

We don't have to be great, we just have to be slightly better than the opponent about 10-11 more times this year. That can be done with this team, look no further than the schedule. It's not a matter of "how", just a matter of "did or did not". 25-26 wins puts them in the promised land, without a doubt.

Adam, I'm beginning to be carious if Gregory will receive some pressure at the end of the year.

It looks like UD will receive a 10-13 seed and likely lose their first game of the tourney. Would the UD fans and administrators be content with that?

I know Gregory has been recruiting well for the past couple years. Do solid upcoming recruits help shield any heat Gregory might receive after the season ends?

[Fred Garvin]

It's the sewage that is at ud Arena, makes everyone exposed to it sick.

UD Arena is now a Superfund site.

[jcubspoe]

Adam, I'm beginning to be carious if Gregory will receive some pressure at the end of the year.

It looks like UD will receive a 10-13 seed and likely lose their first game of the tourney. Would the UD fans and administrators be content with that?

I know Gregory has been recruiting well for the past couple years. Do solid upcoming recruits help shield any heat Gregory might receive after the season ends?

I think that would buy BG more time...unfortunately. Right now us even making the tournament is a huge quesion mark.

Back to Adam, also unfortunately Adam, BG can't fix this over night. He's no Miller and doesn't have the sack to bench the players that need benching. He's a terrible coach.

[X-band '01]

Dysentary always rocked the people I was rolling with in that game. That and Indians stealing my ox/Wheel Axle/Clothes!!

Cholera was my favorite symptom in that game.

[jdm2000]

I don't understand how Huelsman is still starting for UD. In the last three games he has had 0, 2, and 0 rebounds. How can you live with such non-production from your starting center? And it's not like he's making up for it on the offensive end, he's a defense and rebounidng type. That boggles my mind.

[Smails]

Although it would have been a blast today at work if UD had lost at home for Fordham (work with 2 UD grads) it's a damn good thing for this league that they didn't. Like it ot not, UD might be the only chance this league has at getting a couple at large bids. I didn't see the game but anytime you have 2 starters and one key reserve out with the flu it's going to be difficult to beat anyone.

They are going to have their hands full on Saturday...just like we will tonight.

[gladdenguy]

I agree smails. I did not want Dayton to lose that game. With the constant scrutiny about the A-10 being around UC blowhards, I at least want 2 teams in the tourney. I know Temple could get in with a solid conference record, but I think Dayton is the next best chance. We need 2 teams in the tourney.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Adam, I'm beginning to be carious if Gregory will receive some pressure at the end of the year.

It looks like UD will receive a 10-13 seed and likely lose their first game of the tourney. Would the UD fans and administrators be content with that?

I know Gregory has been recruiting well for the past couple years. Do solid upcoming recruits help shield any heat Gregory might receive after the season ends?

Getting to the dance will be mission accomplished for this year. Any advancement would be icing on the cake. Content is subjective and everyone has their own opinions, but I think every Flyer fan/admin would be satisfied with simply getting to the dance. It's been 5 years, we won't care that the hot chick from the bar turned out to be 240 lbs with cold sores everywhere when we sobered up. This slump has to be busted, by any means necessary.

Missing the dance would put a ton of heat on Gregory, especially with a new AD in place. He wouldn't be fired in all likelihood, but he would push himself close enough to the edge.

[DC Muskie]

I think Dayton needs to put everyone of their players in a bubble.

One to avoid human contact because it sounds like Dayton students are the most unhealthy people in the world, and two, it might help them avoid injury as well.

Seems like Kurt is already taking leadership with this idea. The last few games he looks like he has played in a bubble.

Great win Flyers. You beat two opponnents last night. Fordham and Excuses.

[xuwillie]

at least the refs were on their side or they would have had 3 excuses...jeez they are bad

[Flyer1407]

Getting to the dance will be mission accomplished for this year. Any advancement would be icing on the cake. Content is subjective and everyone has their own opinions, but I think every Flyer fan/admin would be satisfied with simply getting to the dance. It's been 5 years, we won't care that the hot chick from the bar turned out to be 240 lbs with cold sores everywhere when we sobered up. This slump has to be busted, by any means necessary.

Missing the dance would put a ton of heat on Gregory, especially with a new AD in place. He wouldn't be fired in all likelihood, but he would push himself close enough to the edge.

Personally I don't see Dayton making the NCAA tourny. Another NIT after 14-1 for the 2nd straight season with a new AD tells me BG is gone.

Just for comparison, Purnell took over a team that was horrid and by his 6th year had taken them to the NCAA tournament. This will be Gregory's 6th season. His sole NCAA trip was with Purnell's players.

No NCAA = BG looking for a new gig.

[PM Thor]

I don't understand how Huelsman is still starting for UD. In the last three games he has had 0, 2, and 0 rebounds. How can you live with such non-production from your starting center? And it's not like he's making up for it on the offensive end, he's a defense and rebounidng type. That boggles my mind.

I can't believe I am typing this, but Huelsman is actually identical in his game from his frosh year. Just compare his numbers, they are virtually the same. He started to improve (minimally) last year, but this year? He has gotten WORSE, and I didn't think that was possible.

Gregory cannot coach players up at all. Not at all.

I HATE dayton.

[blobfan]

Getting to the dance will be mission accomplished for this year. ...
Is that mission accomplished as in you think it's a foregone conclusion or as in 'we're going to announce to the world the mission is accomplished but it's really going to take us another 3 years to get there?'

[DC Muskie]

Personally I don't see Dayton making the NCAA tourny. Another NIT after 14-1 for the 2nd straight season with a new AD tells me BG is gone.

Just for comparison, Purnell took over a team that was horrid and by his 6th year had taken them to the NCAA tournament. This will be Gregory's 6th season. His sole NCAA trip was with Purnell's players.

No NCAA = BG looking for a new gig.

This is the type of thinking I like 1407. Doubt. Let it creep into to your soul. Beware the Ides of January and throw this team off the boat.

Just make sure you keep BG though. He's my favorite.

[Muskie1000]

then I suggest we immediately start a "Save BG fund"

[dc_x]

then I suggest we immediately start a "Save BG fund"

Good idea. BG is going to be uneployed in a few months and in these tought economic times, he will need our help. I can donate the 12 cents in my pocket.

[DC Muskie]

Remember when that one guy who played for Dayton and he told everyone he got kidnapped, expcept we found out he wasn't? Nobody would ever kidnap a Dayton player...what are you going to get for him, some beef jerky and a moonpie?

That was awesome. He said he was kidnapped. Whoops, no I wasn't. Really. Sorry, I play for Dayton...dum,de,dum,de, dillte dee.

[danaandvictory]

Personally I don't see Dayton making the NCAA tourny. Another NIT after 14-1 for the 2nd straight season with a new AD tells me BG is gone.

I still expect UD to make the Tournament. They got very fortunate that a turd performance like last night's occurred against a 2-13 team. But their poor Pomeroy rating definitely indicates that they could face tough times in conference play.

I think UD wins 10 league games, which leaves them no worse than 24-7 entering the league tournament. RPI forecast puts them at 44 or thereabouts given those results. I really can't see an A-10 team with a mid-40s RPI and 25 wins being left out of the field.

[xnatic03]

Dayton needs to prove it can win on the road before I can honestly say they will get 10 wins in conference. I also could see us stealing a win from them at the UD Arena. I could see a finish to their season much like last years.

[waggy]

I think if they would change who the starters are and give those players most of the minutes, and reduce the player rotation overall they would improve. On the other hand, if a sick bug truly hit the team, then maybe things aren't as bad as they appear. Not a big deal, but in the end I'd like to see three teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

[Smails]

Dayton needs to prove it can win on the road before I can honestly say they will get 10 wins in conference. I also could see us stealing a win from them at the UD Arena. I could see a finish to their season much like last years.

We don't STEAL wins from UD at UD....we own that friggin place

[XU Fan]

I still expect UD to make the Tournament. They got very fortunate that a turd performance like last night's occurred against a 2-13 team. But their poor Pomeroy rating definitely indicates that they could face tough times in conference play.

I think UD wins 10 league games, which leaves them no worse than 24-7 entering the league tournament. RPI forecast puts them at 44 or thereabouts given those results. I really can't see an A-10 team with a mid-40s RPI and 25 wins being left out of the field.

You might be right Cheese, if Dayton wins 10 league games. That is going to be tough for them to do. I don't think they're an NCAA tournament caliber team, but they would have at least a decent enough look record-wise to support their hope to be in. The trouble for them, as I see it, is going to be if they finish 3rd or 4th in the conference. If they battle X and/or Rhode Island (it's not actually an island) for league supremacy then perhaps they would deserve a spot. But if they're 4th place in this league they're not going dancing unless they win the A10 tournament.

The committee will appreciate the win over Marquette, but they will not be impressed with the rest of the crap schedule that they faced. Creighton was a nice game on their schedule, except that Dayton got thumped. I could be wrong about Dayton making the big dance, but I don't know how they could be selected, record notwithstanding, if they are 4th or worse in this crap league. Even if they're 3rd, I don't think they make it. We'll see. One thing I know for sure is that Kurt Huelsman is a very bad (as in poor or not very good) basketball player.

[Masterofreality]

Any team that starts Kurt "Sean Finn Clone" Heulsman and London Warren are destinied to suckiness.

Huelsman is horrible, another in the long u dump line of skinny stiff beanpole farm hicks who unless they are playing on a court carved out of a cornfield with a backboard made from barn wood, couldn't find a basket.

And Warren is without a doubt the worst, repeat, the worst point guard I have ever seen. Not only can he not shoot, but he makes horrific decisions time after time.

Great recruiting by the midget.

[PM Thor]

I wouldn't even say it was bad recruiting MOR. I believe it's more that the midget cannot develop players at all. He can't coach guys up, they simply don't get better under his tutelage. I love it. BG is the greatest thing to happen to dayton since the scabies outbreak of 1880.

I HATE dayton.

[AdamtheFlyer]

I think it's wrong to say he can't develop players. Marcus Johnson has become a capable shooter and very good defender. Charles Little has gone from a dunk only player to a decent FT shooter, has a nice floater, and can even step out and hit the 15 footer now. London Warren has gotten a lot better, and is much better than any biased X fan would ever admit. He's all-defensive team worthy and has greatly improved his decision making and A/T ratio (over 2.0 on the year). Mickey Perry has become a lock down defender off the bench. Devin Searcy has improved ten fold in less than two years.

Gregory's problem lies with in game adjustments and distribution of minutes. I like the 12 man rotation, but the minutes alloted need to be tweaked. There's no logic in having Kurt playing twice as many minutes as Devin, or Chris Johnson playing fewer than 18-20 a game. Knock Kurt down to 16 minutes a game, bump Devin to 16 and give the rest to CJ. I think all three would be instantly more productive.

[jdm2000]

I think some players have gotten better. But it doesn't seem like Huelsman is any different than when he set foot on campus. And I hate to say it, but Wright almost seems to be regressing offensively (though that could have as much to do with being a complementary offensive player when Roberts was there to now being expected to be the star).

I think the biggest problem is he doesn't adjust to his personnel (even more damaging since he's recruited all these guys). This is a team with a fair bunch of athletes (outside Huelsman) and a lot of purported depth, but with very little knockdown shooting--none of the frontcourt players are very good shooters, and Huelsman and Little (and Warren) are essentially limited to making buckets within 8 feet of the basket. To me, that's personnel that screams for a pressing, up-and-down style. Don't know why he doesn't play that.

[AdamtheFlyer]

Wright hasn't regressed, in fact, he can do more than he could last year. His problem has been foul trouble. He tries to do too much at times instead of just letting things come to him. He had 14 and 6 against Miami, and 13 and 9 against UMass, which is right on his averages. He and Warren get a pass in the Fordham game, neither had been out of bed in three days. His skills are a work in progress, but his athleticism makes up for what he currently lacks.

London still has a jeckyl and hyde personality on the floor, but he's been a lot more good than bad this year. When he brings the defense he will out play his counterpart.

The suckitude of Huelsman is BG's biggest folly. It's not that Kurt isn't getting better, it's that Gregory can't see he's not a 22 minutes per game player. He's a defense and rebounding guy that can score on occasion. He's not doing any of that with any consistency and is being greatly outperformed by Searcy. Fabrizius is playing better defense and getting more boards than him at this point.

Dayton does want to play up tempo, but it's nearly impossible to do that when you aren't forcing turnovers and missed shots. When they get back to playing strong defense, they will be able to push tempo and play to the strengths of the roster.

[jcubspoe]

I agree with Adam...some players have developed nicely under BG, not all, but some. Brob was a 2 star recruit that by his senior year just about any team would've loved to have. MJ also is a good example. BG can't seem to make strategic adjustments though. He never once yanked traffic cone last year and now we have RTA pole playing the 5 and I doubt his minutes will drop any either. (RTA pole, for those not from our lovely city of Dayton, is a solid metal pole that beautifies our city with bus wires).

[jdm2000]

Maybe regressed is the wrong word. Why do you think Wright is having so much foul trouble? Is it anything to do with transitioning from being the #2 option to the #1 option?

Also, what's up with Marcus Johnson? I was really expecting a breakout year from him.

[XU '03]

Do these guys still have the flu? it's time to get wagers in for the day...

[kyxu]

Of Dayton's 15 wins, four of those opponents have winning records.

[AviatorX]

Do these guys still have the flu? it's time to get wagers in for the day...

Take Dayton tonight, I have a feeling they are looking to make a statement and lord knows that statement won't be against us.

[jdm2000]

If AJAX isn't playing for Duquesne, I'd pick the Flyers to win. Haven't heard if his status for the game has been officially announced.