Dayton Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

The Flyers made it to the NIT two years ago and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Is it too outrageous to suggest the Flyers have their sights set on a first Elite Eight appearance since 1984?

Some national outposts at least think it’s possible. CBSSports.com ranked Dayton No. 17 in its preseason poll, one spot ahead of Ohio State, a designation that clearly puts the target on the lone Atlantic-10 school in the CBS top 25. Last season Dayton broke into the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Feb. 17.

With four returning starters back from last year’s 27-8 squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Dayton is ranked 17th in the CBSSports.com Preseason Top 25.

Dayton is talented and deep, returning four starters and 10 of its top 11 scorers, including all four players who earned Atlantic 10 postseason honors last season: Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson, London Warren and Chris Johnson.

Wright, who was named to the prestigious John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List, was also second-team All-Atlantic 10 and led Dayton in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (6.6), and set a school single-season record for dunks (54) last year as a sophomore.

The Flyers are looking for their third straight 20-win season.

Are 30 out of the question?

NOTES, QUOTES

• After a first-round win over West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament, Dayton locked up coach Brian Gregory through the 2017-18 season. Gregory, a former assistant under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, was a potential candidate for the coaching vacancies at Alabama and Georgia.

• The Flyers will play A-10 foe Fordham at Madison Square Garden, the second part of a doubleheader with Big East teams Cincinnati and St. John’s. It will be Dayton’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since 1991. The Flyers have an all-time record 37-24 at the Garden.

• F Chris Wright, one of four returning starters, was recently named to the prestigious John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 list. The 6-foot-8 senior proved to be a big-game performer last season, including 27 points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament first-round over West Virginia, and averaged a team-high 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Last Year:   27-8 overall, 11-5 in the A-10; Defeated West Virginia, 68-60, in first round of NCAA Tournament before losing to Kansas, 60-43, in the second round.

Head Coach:   Brian Gregory (125-68); 7th year at Dayton (125-68).

Quote To Note:   “I’ve said all along this is the place I want to be. This is the perfect fit for me.”—Coach Brian Gregory after agreeing to a five-year contract extension.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   With only one scholarship available, the Flyers used it to bring in hometown product Matt Kavanaugh, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound power forward, following in the footsteps of local standouts Chris Wright in 2006 and Josh Benson last year. Benson suffered an injury last October and missed the entire season. Kavanaugh will add to the Flyers’ tremendous depth.

Key Early-season Games:   Creighton comes to Dayton (Nov. 14) before the Flyers take off for Puerto Rico to face Georgia Tech (Nov. 19) in the first round. The Flyers could rack up plenty of wins in the preseason with seven of their next 10 games at UD Arena and no matchups against ranked teams.

Program Direction:   Up, up, up. The Flyers return four starters and 10 of its 11 scorers from its NCAA Tournament team that advanced to the second round. Their 27 victories last season were the second-most in school history and this team could go higher.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG London Warren, SG Marcus Johnson, SF Chris Johnson, PF Chris Wright, C Kurt Huelsman.

Roster Report:  

• G Rob Lowery, a senior point guard, is coming off a serious knee and probably won’t be ready for the start of the season. The hope is he’ll be back on the court around Jan. 1.

• F Josh Benson dislocated his shoulder a year ago and underwent surgery and an extensive rehabilitation that wiped out what would have been his freshman season. The 6-foot-9 Dayton product averaged 18.9 points and 11 rebounds as a high school senior.

• F Chris Wright is practically indispensable. The Flyers enter the season with a record of 41-10 with Wright in the lineup, including a 28-0 mark at UD Arena.