Dayton Flyers
Atlantic 10 (25-8, 13-5)
Despite some injuries and dismissals, Dayton put together an impressive 2014-2015 campaign. It was just a year ago that the Flyers made it to the Elite Eight. They beat Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford before losing in that hard fought regional final to Florida. Most of this group was around for that run, but most are playing much, much bigger roles this time around. Now it is time to see what this group can do.
Big Wins: 11/20 vs Texas A&M (55-53), 12/30 Mississippi (78-74), 2/28 at VCU (59-55)
Bad Losses: 2/6 at George Washington (64-65), 2/21 at Duquesne (73-83), 3/7 at La Salle (53-55)
Coach: Archie Miller
Why They Can Surprise:
The Flyers work around senior guard Jordan Sibert. As the only senior left in the regular rotation, Sibert provides plenty of leadership. He has been the team’s leading scorer since arriving from Ohio State and will take all of the big shots for Dayton. The emergence of sophomores Scoohie Smith and Kyle Davis has helped ease the burden on Sibert. Smith is the team’s point guard. He may not score much, but Smith can run this offense efficiently and effectively. Davis has been terribly inconsistent, but he is more than capable of knocking down some shots and having some big outings. Darrell Davis will provide most of the perimeter depth.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The frontcourt is in pretty good shape with Kendall Pollard and Dyshawn Pierre. Those two are both double digit scorers and solid rebounders. Pierre is one of the most dynamic players in the conference. The 6-6 forward can shoot from long range and attack the basket with ease. He is also a superb passer. The problem is those two are both 6-6 and Bobby Wehrli, who is 6-6 and 198 pounds, must provide the frontcourt depth. Dayton has proven that they can win with a small lineup, but a bigger, stronger team can certainly get the best of the Flyers on the glass. And it is not just the lack of size, but also the lack of frontcourt depth that could be an issue. The team, in general, does do a good of staying out of foul trouble, but a couple quick fouls by Pierre and Dayton has no chance of competing with a tournament caliber team on the glass.
Probable Starters:
Scoochie Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 3.8 apg
Kyle Davis, Sophomore, Guard, 7.4 ppg, 2.5 apg
Jordan Sibert, Senior, Guard, 16.5 ppg, 2.0 apg
Kendall Pollard, Sophomore, Forward, 12.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Dyshawn Pierre, Junior, Forward, 12.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.9 apg
Key Roleplayers:
Darrell Davis, Freshman, Guard, 4.5 ppg
Bobby Wehrli, Junior, Forward, 2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.5 (148th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 60.5 (38, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.5 (50, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.7 (112, 4)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (122, 5)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.9 (99, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.9 (223, 8)
Rebound Margin: -0.9 (233, 11)
Assists Per Game: 14.0 (79, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.6 (74, 4)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NCAA Second Round win over Ohio State
2014 NCAA Third Round win over Syracuse
2014 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Stanford
2014 NCAA Regional Final loss to Florida
2012 NIT First Round loss to Iowa
2011 NIT First Round loss to College of Charleston
2010 NIT First Round win over Illinois State
2010 NIT Second Round win over Cincinnati
2010 NIT Quarterfinal win over Illinois
2010 NIT Semifinal win over Mississippi
2010 NIT Final win over North Carolina
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over West Virginia
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kansas
2008 NIT First Round win over Cleveland State
2008 NIT Second Round win over Illinois State
2008 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Ohio State
2004 NCAA Round of 64 loss to DePaul
*all team stats through 3/8
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
