Rams and Flyers Clash in the “Big D”
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008By LoudaGuru
The Atlantic 10 Conference has three teams ranked in the weekly AP Poll for the first time since 2003. Featured on the opening day of league play is a contest with 17th ranked Dayton Flyers and the 22nd ranked Rhode Island Rams. Xavier, the only team to make the NCAA Tournament last year, entered the ranking this week at No. 25.
The Rams visit University of Dayton Arena riding a nine game winning streak. Coach Jim Baron has rebuilt the program in his seven-year tenure. Led by senior Will Daniels, Rhode Island has achieved its first national ranking since November 1998. Daniels was named to the Naismith Preseason Watch list based on his performance last season and expectations for the current 2007-2008 season. A 6′8 forward who rebounds, shoots the threeball, and plays hard defense, Daniels has drawn the attention of NBA scouts. Speaking as the leader of the team Daniels said, “Obviously, we’re going to let our game speak for itself - us versus them.”
Junior guard Jimmy Baron, yes the coach’s son, is a long-range bomber who was 6 of 8 from beyond the arc in the recent tuneup against Fairleigh Dickinson. Understanding the hype surrounding the matchup against Dayton Baron offered, “We’ve just got to look at it one game at a time, one practice at a time.”
Dayton has experienced some national attention since knocking off then No . 6 Pittsburgh on December 29. The game, televised by ESPN, was a rout, 80-55, and pushed the Flyers who have 11 straight into the Top 25. Coach Brian Gregory, who downplays the buildup about this game, says “In terms of where we are at right now, we have a long way to go with a lot of things to do.” The Flyers could run the table at home and shake off the mid-major label.
Senior Brian Roberts, averaging 19.1 ppg, is the glue for the Flyers. The team is trying to extend their all-time series lead of 12-6. Noted ESPN College Basketball Analyst Andy Katz named Roberts in his “Weekly Watch” column. Roberts has e been named National Player of the Week. In fact, he is the only individual to be named twice so far this season.
Roberts, a native of Toledo, Ohio, is recognized as one of the top shooters in the country. He shoots 49.3 percent on threes - remarkable for any guard. Roberts has helped catapult Dayton to national prominence after the 25 point victory over Pittsburgh in a tough home environment at the UD Areana. Big-time non-conference opponents may fear coming to the UD Arena in the future. However, the Flyers’ performance on ESPN allows the Dayton staff to recruit outside of the Midwest.
The Flyers get the job done by committee, utilizing the talents of Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson - considered the team’s defensive stopper, Charles Little, Jimmy Binnie and Kurt Huelsman. All of them are avergaing 20 plus minutes a game. Three other players average double-digit minutes. Dayton is able to play a high-scoring game - an 83-81 double overtime victory versus Akron- or a slower-paced game at Holy Cross with a 55-53 win. The Flyers will often employ three guards a the lineup with 6′4 senior Andres Sandoval in the game with Roberts and Johnson. Tonight’s game should go to the team which gets better performances from its supporting cast.