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DAYTON AND SAINT LOUIS OPEN THE A-10 TOURNAMENT ON WEDNESDAY AT NOON ET



Senior Andres Sandoval has scored in double figures in four of his last six games

March 10, 2008

2008 A-10 Men's Basketball Championship | Boardwalk Hall
Gametracker | Pay-Per-View Live Video | Streaming Audio

  • Complete Release in PDF Format

    FLYERS LOOK FOR THEIR FOURTH WIN IN A ROW
    In the opening round of the 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship, the eighth-seeded University of Dayton Flyers take on the No. 9 seed Saint Louis Billikens on Wednesday at noon ET. The game will be carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with Gametracker, pay-per-view streaming video and a live audio stream from DaytonFlyers.com.

    The Flyers, 20-9 overall and 8-8 in the Atlantic 10, enter the tournament with a bit of momentum winning their last three and four of its last six. UD finished tied for seventh with an 8-8 conference record. Senior Brian Roberts leads the Dayton attack with 19.0 points and 3.7 assists per game. However, it's been the Flyer bench that has stepped up during the winning streak out-scoring opponents 52-6 during the three-game win streak. Roberts was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 and Chris Wright to the A-10 All-Rookie Team this week.

    Saint Louis has lost three of its last four and finished the regular season 16-14 overall and 7-9 in the A-10. The Billikens average the fewest turnovers per game in the A-10 (12.0) and possess the stingiest defense in the conference allowing 61.5 points per game. In 12 of their 16 wins, the Billikens have held their opponents to fewer than 60 points. Third Team, All-10 selection Kevin Lisch (14.7 points per game) paces the Billiken offense.

    SERIES STUFF
    UD leads the all-time series 21-18. Dayton won both meetings during the regular season picking up a 68-57 overtime victory on Jan. 12 and winning at home 63-36 on Jan. 30.

    DAYTON IN THE ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT
    This is UD's 13th season in the Atlantic 10 and in the A-10 Championship. The Flyers have an overall 13-11 record in the tournament, and are 6-3 in the first round. Dayton has won the championship once (2003), placed second once (2004), and tied for third twice (2000 and 2002).

    ROBERTS NAMED FIRST-TEAM, ALL-ATLANTIC 10 SELECTION
    Senior Brian Roberts was named a First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection on March 10. One of the premier players in the country, Roberts is enjoying one of the most acclaimed seasons in Flyer history. A second team all-conference selection in 2005-06 and 2006-07, Roberts is UD's first three-time all-conference performer since Ryan Perryman was third team in 1996, second team in 1997 and first team in 1998.

    DAYTON'S ROBERTS NAMED NABC FIRST-TEAM ALL-DISTRICT
    On March 4, University of Dayton senior guard Brian Roberts was named First Team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Roberts was joined on the NABC District 10 First Team by Notre Dame's Luke Harangody, Indiana's D.J. White and Eric Gordon, and Butler's Mike Green. Roberts is the 10th UD player to be named First Team NABC All-District. Previous first-team selections were Roosevelt Chapman (1984), Tony Stanley (2001), Jim Paxson (1979), Don May (1967 & 1968), Henry Finkel (1966), Bill Uhl (1955), Jack Sallee (1954 & 1955), John Horan (1955) and Don Meineke (1952).

    UD'S ROBERTS A FINALIST FOR COUSY AWARD
    On Feb. 1, Brian Roberts was selected as one of 16 finalists for the award that goes annually to the top point guard in college basketball. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in conjunction with The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. announced this year's finalists for the Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford. This honor came at the end of a week where Roberts was named to three of the most exclusive lists in college basketball. In addition to being a Cousy finalist, he was also named to the mid-season Top 30 lists for the two awards that go to the nation's top player - the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.

    NAISMITH TROPHY LISTS ROBERTS AS ONE OF THE TOP 30 CANDIDATES
    The Atlanta Tipoff Club also named Brian Roberts to its midseason Top 30 list for the 2008 Naismith Trophy. This honor comes on the heels of the Toledo native also being named on the mid-season Top 30 for the John R. Wooden Award. Roberts is one of 21 student-athletes named to both lists. The Naismith Top 30 men's list was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. Roberts is vying to join Marcus Camby (1996) and Jameer Nelson (2004) as the only A-10 Wooden Award winners.

    ROBERTS NAMED AMONG THE TOP 10 FOR LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
    The midseason honors continued for Brian Roberts is one of the Top 10 Finalists for the 2007-08 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition. Roberts, a two-time White Allen Most Valuable Player, is the only Flyer men's basketball player to be named all-conference and academic all-conference in the same season (2006-07).

    ROBERTS SELECTED AS THE A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS SEASON
    University of Dayton senior guard Brian Roberts was named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 18 for his efforts against Duquesne and Temple. Roberts averaged 22.5 points and four assists while knocking down 8-of-13 attempts from three-point range. The A-10 honored Roberts on Jan. 13 for the second time after averaging 26.5 points and five assists while shooting 15-of-28 from the field and 17-of-19 from the line in wins over No. 22/20 Rhode Island and at Saint Louis. He scored 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting and dished out seven assists in the Flyers' 92-83 win over URI and added 30 points and three assists in the 68-57 overtime win at Saint Louis. Roberts also earned the award on Dec. 30, 2007 after he scored a season-high-tying 31 points to lead the Flyers to an 80-55 victory over the then No. 6 Pittsburgh Panthers.

    ROBERTS AMONG THE TOP 30 CANDIDATES FOR THE WOODEN AWARD
    Brian Roberts was listed among the top candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, the nation's most coveted college basketball award. Composed of the top 30 players who will compete for this season's player of the year award, the midseason list is based on individual player performance and team records during the first half of the season. Roberts is the only player from the Atlantic 10 on the list.

    ESPN THE MAGAZINE RECOGNIZES ROBERTS
    In the 2007-08 college basketball preview, ESPN the Magazine's Dick Vitale selected Dayton's Brian Roberts as the best player that few have heard about. Roberts has scored in double figures 25 times this season, 52 of his last 58 games and at least 20 points 16 times. Roberts also has a streak of 53 consecutive games with a made three-point field goal.

    ROBERTS AMONG THE A-10'S BEST
    Brian Roberts is third in the A-10 in points per game (19.0), 2nd in FT% (.877, 103-118), 4th in 3-pt. FG's per game (3.0), 7th in FG% (.479, 181-378), 8th in assists per game (3.7) and 3rd in 3-pt. FG% (.460, 87-189). He is the only A-10 player among the conference leaders in scoring, field goal percentage,3-point field goal percentage, 3-pointers made, assists, assists-to-turnover ratio (11th, 1.4) and minutes per game (6th, 34.50). Roberts' nine 20-plus point games in A-10 play are the most in the league. Earlier this year Roberts was named to the Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 squad.

    THE TOLEDO RIFLE
    Already having scored 1,887 career points, Brian Roberts ranks in the Top Five in Flyer scoring. He is a virtual lock to be the first UD player to lead the team in scoring three times since Jim Paxson did it in 1978-79. Paxson was also the last Flyer to be named an All-American. Roberts needs 59 points to surpass Paxson on the all-time scoring list four fourth place.

    MR. ROBERTS = MR. EFFICIENCY
    Over his career, Brian Roberts has demonstrated a knack for two things: scoring his points in short amounts of time, and playing well on the road. He scored at least 10 points in a half 25 times in 2006-07, and has done it 78 times in his career. This season Roberts has tallied double-figures in a half 27 times. His career scoring average away from UD Arena of 16.7 is better than his home average of 14.7.

    B-ROB'S BURSTS
    Against SMU, Brian Roberts was 10-of-12 from the floor and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points. In the final 64 seconds at Miami, Roberts netted 12 of his team-high 20 points, and a game-winning 3-pointer in UD's 63-62 victory. At Louisville, Roberts shot 10-of-17 from the field and had no turnovers in 37 minutes of play. Against Loyola Roberts converted all 12 free throws en route to a game-high 20 points. In the Pittsburgh contest, Roberts knocked down 10-of-17 shots, including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Roberts scored 23 points and went 7-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 at the line in a win over Rhode Island. In the first Saint Louis game he scored seven of his game-high 30 points in overtime. Roberts recorded 19 of his 21 points in the second half against UMass thanks in part to hitting 7-of-8 free throws. Roberts poured in 17 of his team-high 20 points in the second half at Richmond. He scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor and 4-for-4 from three-point range over Saint Louis. At Rhode Island, Roberts scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. At George Washington, scored a team-high 20 points. Roberts led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting versus Duquesne. He shot 7-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc to finish with 23 points over Temple. Roberts scored a game-high 30 points to go with six assists at La Salle. He led UD with 15 points in the Xavier rematch. Added a team-high 12 points over Fordham. At St. Bonaventure, he hit his first five shots and finished with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Roberts scored 15 points to go with six assists over Saint Joseph's.

    ROBERTS NAMED TWO-TIME ESPN.COM "WEEKLY WATCH" PLAYER OF THE WEEK
    Speaking of an award winner, Brian Roberts earned national notice on Dec. 31 when ESPN college basketball analyst Andy Katz named him the national player of the week in his "Weekly Watch" column on ESPN.com. Roberts is the only player in the nation to earn the award twice this season. Roberts first earned the honor on Dec. 10, 2007 after he scored 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting in UD's 70-65 win at Louisville.

    LIFE OF BRIAN
    In UD's five games this season against ranked competition, Brian Roberts averages 20.4 points, 3.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game. He is shooting 33-of-64 from the floor (.516), 14-of-29 (.483) from beyond the arc and 22-of-24 at the free throw line (.917). For his career, he averages 17.0 points (nine games) and 18.5 as a starter (eight starts).

    B-ROB B-GOOD
    A three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and UD Most Valuable Player, Brian Roberts is just the sixth Flyer to earn MVP honors in three seasons. Roberts is also the only UD player in the school's top five in career 3-pt. FG% and FT%. His .442 (280-634) from behind the arc is first at UD and his .852 FT% (357-419) is third.

    MIDSEASON MARVEL
    Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis wrote a midseason award column and named Brian Roberts a Second Team All-American. Davis also categorized Dayton as one of this college basketball season's surprise teams. In six career overtime games Roberts is averaging 24.5 points a game, including 35 points during the 45 minutes of overtime played.

    HALF AND HALF
    This season Brian Roberts has been a much better player in the second half than the first. Here's a quick comparison.

    Scoring Average - (10.2 second half/8.2 first half)
    Field Goal Percentage - (.484 second half/.472 first half)
    3-pt. Field Goal Percentage - (.452 second half/.462 first half)
    Free Throw Percentage - (.899 second half/.844 first half)

    WRIGHT NAMED A-10 ALL-ROOKIE SELECTION
    On March 10, freshman Chris Wright earned a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie team. The 6-8 freshman forward from Trotwood, Ohio is the fifth Dayton player to be selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. Tony Stanley (2001), Brooks Hall (2000), Keith Waleskowski (2001) and Brian Roberts (2005) are the previous Flyer A-10 Rookies. Wright's eight minutes of conference action is likely the fewest of any previous A-10 All-Rookie Team selection. But that's not to say he isn't deserving. He played eight minutes in the A-10 opener against Rhode Island before fracturing a bone in his ankle that required surgery on January 14. But before that, he was chosen A-10 Rookie of the Week four times in the first six weeks of the season (the last player to do that was Jameer Nelson).

    THE WRIGHT STUFF
    The Flyers have certainly missed the presence of Chris Wright. UD was 13-1 before his injury and 7-8 since then. After 13 games Wright had four Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors. He first earned the award on Nov. 11 after netting the first double-double in a Flyer freshman debut with 22 points and 13 rebounds against East Tennessee State. Wright earned the honor again on Nov. 25 behind 26 points and 12 rebounds over Toledo. Wright had a double-double in the first half against High Point and finished the contest with 16 points and 13 boards. On Dec. 16, Wright earned the Rookie of the Week honor for the fourth time this season. He is still the only player A-10 player to have won the award outright four times. Wright leads the team in rebounding (6.0), and FG% (.605, 52-86). Wright is second on the team in scoring (10.4), blocked shots (11) and FT% (.811, 30-37). At the time of his injury, he was the top freshman in the A-10 in scoring, free throw and field goal percentage, blocks and rebounding and had three double-doubles.

    LITTLE BIG MAN
    At 6-foot-6, 237 pounds, junior Charles Little might be the most inaccurately named player in the country. This season, despite fracturing his big toe in the UMass game, Little is second in offensive rebounds (53), third in rebounding (4.7) and fourth on the team in scoring (8.2). Little has also scored in double-figures in six of his last 12 games. Over his last 16 games Little is shooting 54-of-100 from the floor (.540). In his first game of the year, Little tallied 13 rebounds to go with seven points in the Flyers win over ETSU. His 20 points in the Toledo win almost doubled what he had in the season's first two games. Against High Point, Little dished out a career-high five assists. In the Loyola win he shot 5-of-7 from the floor to finish with 12 points. Little added nine points off the bench in a win over Rhode Island. At Saint Louis Little scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He added 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting against Charlotte. Little recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds at George Washington. Little then chipped in with nine points, four rebounds and four assists versus Duquesne. He added nine points off the bench at home against Xavier. Little came back to add 11 points and seven boards at Fordham. He tallied nine points and three rebounds over St. Bonaventure. Little had 11 points and six boards over Saint Joseph's. The junior finished last season as the 2007 A-10 Sixth Man of the Year.

    CHARLES IN CHARGE
    In his last 29 games against Atlantic 10 competition, Little averages 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 139-of-264, (.523) from the floor. Little posted a career-high 28 points against Xavier and hauled in 16 rebounds at Temple last season. This season against the A-10, Little averages 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting .527 from the field. In UD basketball history, Little is 69th on the all-time scoring list with 693 career points. He needs 17 points to eclipse Shawn Haughn for 68th all-time.

    MARVELOUS MARCUS
    Marcus Johnson has quietly put together a solid sophomore campaign averaging 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The sophomore guard has scored in double figures 14 times this season and in 12 of his last 19 games. He leads the team with 151 total rebounds, second in rebounding average (5.2) and minutes played (29.7), ranks third on the team free throw percentage at (.760) and steals (18). Against Duquesne, Johnson tallied his team-leading, third double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds to go with a career-best three blocks. Johnson recorded his third career double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds against UMass. He added double-double game (15 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over then No. 6 Pittsburgh.

    MORE ON MJ
    Marcus Johnson has been at his best from the line in the clutch, making 15-of-19 in the final minute of regulation. He nailed two in the final minute against Louisville and 4-of-4 to seal the win over American. Johnson scored 16 points versus Loyola. Against Akron Johnson filled every stat column by recording 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. In the Rhode Island game, Johnson finished with 14 points and five rebounds. His three-pointer with the shot clock winding down and 58 seconds gave UD a seven-point lead and was the last field goal of the game. At Saint Louis, Johnson recorded five of his game-high eight rebounds in the final minute of regulation and overtime. At Xavier, Johnson led all UD scorers with 12 points. At Richmond, he netted 10 points and four rebounds. Johnson added 10 points and five boards at Rhode Island. He added six points and five rebounds in a win over Charlotte. Johnson dished out a career-best four assists to go with eight points and five rebounds at George Washington. In the Temple win, Johnson had 14 points and three rebounds. Johnson added six points and a team-high seven boards in the Xavier rematch. Johnson was just shy of a double-double with nine points and nine boards at Fordham. He added 13 points and four rebounds at St. Bonaventure. Finished the regular season with a team-high 17 points and seven rebounds over Saint Joseph's.

    MARCUS MADNESS
    This year in March, Marcus Johnson averages 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and is 16-of-16 at the free throw line. Johnson is 10-of-15 from the field and scored in double figures twice.

    SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM
    Jimmy Binnie, along with classmate Brian Roberts, are the first Brian Gregory players to live the college basketball experience from start to finish - recruiting, verballing, signing, playing and, come spring, graduating. This season Binnie ranks second on the team in 3-pt FG % at .376 (35-93) and made 3-pointers. The senior is averaging 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. Binnie scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor over Akron. Before that he tallied 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor in a win at Holy Cross. At Saint Louis he knocked down 2-of-3 three-point attempts en route to seven points. When Saint Louis came to UD Arena, he added seven rebounds. At Rhode Island, Binnie recorded 10 points and five rebounds. Binnie added a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds over Charlotte. He chipped in with five points, four rebounds and two steals at GW. He added five points and two assists versus Duquesne. Binnie had seven points and five rebounds over Temple. At La Salle Binnie tallied nine points and six rebounds. Binnie tallied nine points at Fordham. He added four points, four rebounds and two steals at St. Bonaventure. Binnie closed the regular season with 12 points and eight rebounds over Saint Joseph's.

    ENTER SANDMAN
    Senior Andres Sandoval quickly raised his level of play since being inserted as a starter averaging 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 18 starts. At Richmond, Sandoval netted career-bests nine rebounds and two blocks to go with a season-high 17 points. He followed that up with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting against Saint Louis. Sandoval scored 12 points to go with three assists in the win over Rhode Island. Against Charlotte, Sandoval added four steals to go with 10 points. He added 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-high four steals over Temple. At La Salle, Sandoval shot 8-of-12 from the floor to match his season-high of 17 points. He had six points and four rebounds at home against No. 10/12 Xavier. In the Fordham win, he took two charges and had five rebounds. Sandoval added 13 points, including a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left at St. Bonaventure. Sandoval added 12 points and three steals over Saint Joseph's. One of the most underrated aspects of Sandoval's game has been his defensive effort of late. Sandoval has 19 steals in his last nine games. Sandoval's 27 steals on the season is second on the team with 20 of those in conference play.

    THE JACKSONVILLE JET
    London Warren (a.k.a. the "Jacksonville Jet," as dubbed by the WHIO Radio team of Larry Hansgen and Bucky Bockhorn), has been one of the best defensive players for UD this season. Warren leads UD with 39 steals, with 38 of them in his last 26 games. In the A-10, Warren ranks 17th with 1.3 steals per game. Warren tallied career-bests 13 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists at Rhode Island. At Richmond he added 11 points and matched that point total the following game against Saint Louis. Warren scored all six of his points in double overtime in UD's win over Akron. At Louisville, Warren snagged a career-high four steals in UD's win and matched that number with four steals to go with six points and eight rebounds versus Loyola. His layup and two free throws with less than a minute remaining gave UD the lead over Charlotte. Warren had five points, three assists and two steals over Temple. At La Salle, Warren delivered 10 points and seven assists. He had seven points in 10 minutes of action at St. Bonaventure. Warren filled up the stat sheet with five points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot over Saint Joseph's.

    THOMAS THE TRAIN
    Freshman Stephen Thomas has appeared in all but seven games this season. Thomas averages 0.7 points and 0.5 rebounds per game. Against Akron, Thomas gave quality minutes off the bench and hit his only field goal attempt. Thomas connected on a three-pointer, added an assist and steal at Xavier. He dished out a career-best two assists versus Charlotte.

    BEING "KURT" TO THE OPPOSITION
    Sophomore Kurt Huelsman continues to improve as the season rolls along. Huelsman battled against DeJuan Blair, the Big East's three-time Rookie of the Week, by recording 12 points and eight rebounds in UD's win over then No. 6 Pittsburgh. Not to be outdone, he responded with a career-best 18 points against Akron and 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting over Rhode Island. Huelsman scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in the Miami win, came up big again with a team-high seven rebounds and five points in the victory at Louisville and added another career-high with 11 boards over American. At Rhode Island, Huelsman tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Huelsman tallied seven points and five rebounds at GW. Against No. 10/12 Xavier, he finished with six points. Huelsman scored 11 points and limited Bryant Dunston to just one offensive rebound, three under his average in the Fordham win.

    HUELSMAN GETS IT DONE
    After being held scoreless in his first three games, Kurt Huelsman has 175 points thanks to 56 percent (67-of-120) shooting during that span and scoring in double figures in seven games. Last year Huelsman did not score in double figures in any contest. Through 29 games, he already has career highs in points, rebounds (120), steals (8), minutes (641) and assists (22). Huelsman was the only player to start every game last year for UD and has started all 29 games this season. The 6-10 big man averages 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Huelsman has five or more rebounds in 11 games this year and earned UD's Best Defender Award for 2006-07. Against ranked teams, Huelsman averages 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. UD is 6-1 when Huelsman scores in double figures.

    DIAL IN WITH DEVIN
    Freshman Devin Searcy averages 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds this season. He got going on both ends of the floor in UD's win over SMU by hauling in five rebounds (three on the offensive glass) and picked up his first two points as a Flyer. He followed that up with a career-high six points against High Point in 11 minutes of action. In eight minutes of action against then No. 6 Pittsburgh, Searcy tallied three rebounds. At Xavier, Searcy hauled in four defensive rebounds. Against La Salle, Searcy chipped in with three points and three rebounds in nine minutes of action. In the second Xavier contest, Searcy tallied four points and three rebounds. Searcy has eight rebounds and two steals in his last five games.

    HEY MICKEY
    Redshirt sophomore Mickey Perry broke out in a big way with eight points in nine minutes against Rhode Island to open A-10 play. He enjoyed a memorable UD debut when he knocked down a 3-pointer, grabbed two rebounds and recorded a block in the Flyers win against Coppin State. He added seven points and six boards against UMass. Against Temple he knocked down both three-point shots and finished with six points, one rebound and one assist. Perry had four points, two rebounds and two assists over Xavier. He snagged five rebounds and had two assists over Saint Joseph's. Perry has hit seven of his last 15 field goals in the last six games. In 18 contests this season Perry is shooting 17-of-47 (.362) from the floor and averages 2.6 points. The Flyers are 6-1 this season when Perry knocks down a three-point basket.

    ON THE GO WITH THIAGO
    After leading all junior college players in blocked shots per game last season, Thiago Cordeiro has started to get comfortable at UD. In his last 19 games, he is averaging 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds, shooting .577 (15-26) FG and blocked 15 of his season's 16 shots. He had a season-high 11 points against American. The 6-9 big man came off the bench to add seven points and three rebounds at Xavier. Cordeiro added a career-best four blocks to go with four points and six rebounds over Duquesne. Cordeiro is second on the team in FG% (.535, 23-43) and leads in blocked shots (16).

    FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
    Dayton has had five different players lead the team in scoring this season - Brian Roberts (22 times), Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson (twice), and Jimmy Binnie, Kurt Huelsman and Charles Little (once each). In rebounding, nine players have taken honors in at least one game - Johnson and Binnie (eight each), Little (six), Wright (five), Huelsman (four), Andres Sandoval (twice), and Thiago Cordeiro, Devin Searcy and London Warren (once). (Note: rebounding numbers add up to more than 29 due to five games where more than one player tied for the team-high).

    THE FLIGHT CLUB
    Through 29 games in 2007-08, the Flyers have surpassed last season's total with 57 dunks. Charles Little leads the team with 27, followed by Chris Wright (16), Marcus Johnson (9), Andres Sandoval (3), London Warren (1) and Kurt Huelsman (1). Dayton had 55 in 31 games last season. The five dunks by Wright in the SMU game were the second-most by an individual at UD (by one) and the most by a freshman.

    THAT'S A CATCH-22
    UD has held opponents to 22 points or less in a half six times this season. In 2006-07, UD achieved that mark seven times.

    HEAD OF THE A-10 CLASS
    UD placed 93 student-athletes on the 2007 Fall Semester A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll that was announced on Feb. 13. That was the fifth-most in the league, even though the Flyers play fewer A-10 sports than all but one Atlantic 10 school.

    UD SIGNS TOP RECRUITING CLASS OF BENSON, FABRIZIUS, JOHNSON AND WILLIAMS
    Coach Brian Gregory and his staff landed their fifth strong recruiting class at UD, as the Flyers received National Letters of Intent Nov. 14 from their 2008 incoming freshman class. The newest members of the Flyer family are 6-10 forward Josh Benson of Dayton Dunbar High School, 6-9 forward Luke Fabrizius of John Hersey High School (Arlington Heights, IL), 6-5 guard/forward Chris Johnson of Columbus (OH) Brookhaven High School and 6-3 guard Paul Williams of Detroit Renaissance High School. The 2007-08 signing class is ranked as high as 37th in the country (HoopScoopOnline.com) and features three Street & Smith's High School All-Americans.

    EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
    The Flyers are 29-4 under head coach Brian Gregory when they score at least 75 points.

    DOING IT WITH DEFENSE
    This season the Flyers rank third in the A-10 in scoring defense, allowing 64.4 points per game. UD is 9-2 when holding opponents to 59 points or less this year.

    DOUBLE THE FUN
    Through 29 games this season Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson, Charles Little and London Warren are the only Flyers to have recorded double-doubles this season. Here are UD's double-double performances during the 2007-08 campaign.

    11/10/07 - Chris Wright vs. ETSU (22 points, 13 rebounds)
    11/21/07 - Chris Wright vs. Toledo (26 points, 12 rebounds)
    12/5/07 - Chris Wright vs. High Point (16 points, 13 rebounds)
    12/29/07 - Marcus Johnson vs. Pittsburgh (15 points, 11 rebounds)
    1/16/08 - Marcus Johnson vs. UMass (15 points, 13 rebounds)
    2/2/08 - London Warren vs. Rhode Island (13 points, 10 rebounds)
    2/9/08 - Charles Little vs. GW (12 points, 11 rebounds)
    2/13/08 - Marcus Johnson vs. Duquesne (11 points, 12 rebounds)

    GREGORY NAMED PHELAN MID-SEASON AWARD WINNER BY COLLEGEINSIDER.COM
    On Jan. 9, a 20-person panel of college basketball experts selected UD head coach Brian Gregory as the winner of the mid-season Jim Phelan Coach of the Year Award. CollegeInsider.com renamed its mid-season and end-of-the-year coach of the year awards after Phelan, the long-time coach of Mount St. Mary's University, in 2003.

    BALANCING ACT
    The Flyers have eight players who are averaging four points or more this season. Against Louisville, all nine players who saw the court scored at least a field goal in UD's win. All 11 scholarship players who played in the win at Holy Cross scored at least two points, and all 10 that saw action against High Point grabbed at least two rebounds. In fact, every scholarship player who played has scored in six games this season.

    STARTING OFF STRONG
    UD's 12-1 non-conference record marked just the fourth time in school history the Flyers reached 10 wins before January 1.

    GLASS CLEANERS
    The Flyers have out-rebounded their opponent in nine of its last 11 games and in 18 of the last 21 contests. Dayton allows the fewest rebounds in the A-10 (29.3) and have the second best rebounding margin in the conference (+5.4). This is with no Dayton player listed in the Top 20 rebounders in the A-10.

    SAILING THE ATLANTIC
    The Flyers hold an all-time 256-188 edge over Atlantic 10 conference opponents and have finished .500 or better in eight of the previous nine seasons.

    REWARDING RESERVES
    The Flyers' reserves have stepped up this season out-scoring the opponent's bench in 17 of 29 games. UD's bench holds a 534-448 edge in scoring this season.

    BLOCK PARTY
    Although UD is 13th in the A-10 in blocks, UD tied the school record for blocks in a single game with nine against Duquesne. The Flyers have at least one block in the last nine games.

    ROAD LESS TRAVELED
    Dayton defeated three 2007 NCAA teams on their home courts this season (Louisville, Miami, Holy Cross). The Flyers have already surpassed the number of road games won all of last year and won six road games for the first time since Brian Gregory's first year at UD. Four Flyer scholarship players average more points on the road than at home during the 2007-08 season.

    Brian Roberts - (19.8 road/18.5 home)
    Jimmy Binnie - (6.3 road/6.0 home)
    London Warren - (5.4 road/4.0 home)
    Stephen Thomas - (0.9 road/0.7 home)

    SECRET SMILES AUCTION A SUCCESS
    UD's seventh annual "Flyer Feedback Auction" to benefit the charity "Secret Smiles" was a great success raising $18,000. Coach Brian Gregory's dedicated cause is a charity called "Secret Smiles," a program that delivers beds and bedding to children of families who cannot provide for them. In the last two years, "Secret Smiles" has raised $37,000.

    FLYERS HONOR THEIR OWN AT ANNUAL MEN'S BASKETBALL BANQUET
    Senior guard Brian Roberts was named the winner of the White-Allen Most Valuable Player Award for the third straight season on Sunday, March 9 at UD's men's basketball banquet. Roberts also earned the Alex Schoen Memorial Free Throw Trophy as the team's top free throw shooter for the second straight year. Other award winners included:

    JOHN L. MACBETH SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Kurt Huelsman
    THOMAS M. LUPPE MEMORIAL AWARD: Chris Wright
    DR. GEORGE RAU SPIRIT AWARD: Jimmy Binnie
    "SHORTY" SHARPENTER TOP REBOUNDER: Chris Wright
    DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: London Warren
    Chris Daniels MEMORIAL AWARD: Andres Sandoval
    UHL FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Marcus Johnson

    UD A NATIONAL LEADER IN LATEST GSR REPORT
    The University of Dayton Division of Athletics maintained its position as one of the top academic achievers in the NCAA in the latest breakdown of the Graduation Success Rate data released in November. UD has an institutional GSR of 95 percent which ranks first among the Atlantic 10 Conference and 16th overall in the nation. The men's basketball team had the second highest GSR in the A-10 at 82 percent. Success in the classroom is nothing new for UD student-athletes. UD has had 27 Academic All-Americans in the last six years. Also, at least one Dayton student-athlete has been named an Academic All-American for 22 straight years.

    TOURNEY TOWN
    The NCAA Division I Tournament will make its start at UD Arena this season for the seventh year in a row. The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee has announced that the University of Dayton Arena will host the NCAA Opening Round Game in 2008. UD has hosted the game since its inception in its current form in 2002. When the 2008 NCAA Tournament is over, UD Arena will have been an NCAA site in 22 of the last 39 years and will have hosted 77 NCAA Tournament games. That will make UD Arena the third-most prolific NCAA Tournament venue behind Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City (83) and the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City (81). The Arena will be a First and Second Round site for the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, and a Regional site for the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.

    HOME SWEET HOME
    The Flyers' started off the season 10-0 at home for the second consecutive year. Last year UD's 15-2 record at home matched the 4th-best efforts in UD Arena history in home court wins in a season and home court winning percentage in a season (.882). Dayton won its first 14 home games during the 2006-07 season, the second-best streak in UD Arena history (behind only the 15 from December 17, 1984 to March 3, 1985).

    SNOW DAY? NO WAY
    Despite a blizzard warning and a three area counties under a Level Three snow emergency, approximately 7,000 fans made it to UD Arena for the Senior Day game with Saint Joseph's.

    FLYER FAITHFUL
    For years, UD has claimed it has had the best fans in the nation. In 2001, The Sporting News conducted an unscientific poll of college basketball coaches, media and SIDs. In the Jan. 8, 2001 issue of the magazine, UD's fans were tabbed as college basketball's best. And they prove it to everyone the Flyers play.

    In 2007-08 UD had the second-best average home attendance in school history (12,801). UD Arena has 85 sellouts in its 38-year history and seven so far this year. The record for sellouts is eight held in the Arena's first season 1969-70. UD's last 135 regular season home games have had attendance of at least 11,000 fans. In the last 14 years, 99% of UD's home games have drawn at least 10,000 (373 of 375), including the last 172 regular season games. Also UD finished in the Top 30 in men's basketball attendance for the 10th straight season in 2006-07, according to a report by the NCAA. The Flyers finished 28th in the NCAA in attendance with an average of 12,266 fans a game. Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the NCAA`s top 35 in attendance every season. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 11th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,300 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.

    DID YOU KNOW?
    UD won more games than any other school in both the 1950s and `60s. UD won 435 games between 1950 and 1969 and ranks among the top teams of the 1950s and 1960s in Division I history. The Flyers' .763 (228-71) winning percentage in the 1950s ranks fifth in the decade. Their .729 (207-77) winning percentage ranks eighth in the 1960s.


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