It was as clean as a screen as you can make. Landers set a beautiful pick, and did not budge until the defender made contact. Evidently, the Richmond player was not paying full attention, ran into a wall, and got leveled. I'll link it once I find a video.
Also, weird ending seeing Richmond foul with ONE second left on the clock, down by 7. After the free throws, one of their players inbounded the ball and tried to heave it down court, but got it spiked backwards by Crutcher.
Arise and walk, come through. A world beyond that door is calling out for you. Arise and walk, come through. It's calling out for you.
Another nail biter. STL is going to be really good next year with French and Goodwin back. Perkins is going to put up some big numbers the next 3 years.
Huge game next Tuesday...huge target on our back. Rhode Island has won 10 straight. Toppin bros meet on the court for the first time.
Arise and walk, come through. A world beyond that door is calling out for you. Arise and walk, come through. It's calling out for you.
RedTeamGo! (02-08-2020)
Big game tonight against Rhode Island. Advanced stats and sharps favor Dayton by a good margin. Saw a line at -9. ESPN predictor has an 86.3% chance of winning.
A win tonight gives Dayton a two-game lead in conference, though Rhode Island has a much easier schedule from here on out.
Things are still looking rosy, but the metrics are starting to slide. Dayton has fallen off the top tier in KenPom and is closer to the pack behind them than in front of them. The team has looked less dominant in conference, and I suppose that's to be expected. Defensive numbers have slipped, but they're still running the second most efficient offense in the country (according to KenPom).
Assembly Hall (02-11-2020),RedTeamGo! (02-11-2020)
BillDoran (02-11-2020)
The 9-11 point spreads and 80+% chance of victory tonight vs. URI seem out of whack to me.... I mean, if you take the full body of work, I understand why the metrics spit out that predicted result, it's just that in reality URI has been a different team in its last 10 games.
And if we play the "Last 10" version of URI, instead of the "Season Average" version, it's gonna be a close one. kenpom puts all the good stuff behind a paywall, but I visit a site -- www.barttorvick.com -- that provides very similar types of advanced data that you can slice and dice in different ways. Basically, "Last 10" URI is a top 20 team during that stretch, with an absolute top shelf defense. Put that up against UD's elite level offense, and may the best team win... a resounding smackdown would be lovely (I would very much like to make it through the season with no one touching us at home), but there are signs of Crutcher wearing down and other teams starting to figure out some of our schemes, so I'll also settle for any W and the ulcers that come with it.
BillDoran (02-11-2020)
huge game tonight....if I was betting on it, I would have to take Rhode Island and the points, but Dayton to win at home. Do not underestimate Fatts Russell!
Gave 'em the business.
Assembly Hall (02-12-2020)
Can the Flyers get a #2 seed? #1?
I just love this team. When they are playing at the high level they are capable of, they can beat any team in the country. Toppin gets all the media hype, but this team wouldn't be where they are without Crutcher. He drained a couple free throws last night off of an RI technical and pretended to high five players that weren't there. It was funny, but it's just that swagger and confidence he has. Just love watching him play.
Most enjoyable Flyer season of my lifetime. Archie leaving was a blessing in disguise. He would never have been able to recruit at the level Grant is, and I don't thing it'll be as easy to pull Grant away from Dayton as it was Miller. Good time to be a Flyers fan.
BillDoran (02-12-2020),RedTeamGo! (02-12-2020)
clearly can get a #2 Seed...and #1 will be harder. Not sure SDSU or Gonzaga lose another game. Have to think Baylor and/or Kansas will have a #1 Seed. Actually, now that I look at it....they do have a legitimate shot at a #1 Seed. They should root for WVU to take out Kansas and Baylor.
#1 seed will require winning out, and probably some help (Baylor will have to lose 2 games to drop off of a 1 seed, and unless Kansas drops a single absolute clunker it will take 2 to drop them as well; the rest of the teams above Dayton lose one and they dip below us).
I think the Flyers stay a #2 seed if they only drop 1 game, and MAYBE if they drop the right combination of 2 games (@URI, @VCU, and against either of those two teams in the A10 tourney in Brooklyn are non-lethal in combination; lose one outside of those, and you gotta run the table to stay on the 2-line unless there is a lot of help from other teams in the top 12).
After just watching Lousiville fall to a not-very-good GaTech team, what strikes me most is how often I watch these "elite programs" lately, and catch myself thinking, "Well, that wouldn't happen to the Flyers," or "Who does that chump think he is, Crutcher?" or somesuch.... I'm watching bluebloods, and I am simultaneously (1) pitying their lack of talent compared to my Flyers and (2) confident they are watching my Flyers on nationally televised games and being jealous of us.
I sort of came of age as a Flyer fan in the Purnell/Perryman window, and never dared to dream that it would get better than Archie taking us to the Elite 8. But here we are, knocking on the door of a top 5 national ranking, and a sense that -- as amazing as Obi is -- we are on the cusp on something genuinely sustainable. Heady times.
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