|
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
|
2000-01 record: 21-11;
10-6 in A-10 (3rd/West)
Postseason: Lost to Tennessee Tech 68-59 in first round of NIT.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Marshall 13.3
Rebs: Waleskowski 8.0
Assists: Marshall 3.1
FG: Finn 48.1%
3pt: Hall 38.8%
FT: Waleskowski 78.1%
01-02 Stats:
Dayton | A-10
KEY LOSSES
Yuanta Holland | 7.3 ppg
David Morris | 6.5 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Mark Jones | Soph
G | Ra. Marshall | Junior
F | Brooks Hall | Senior
F | K. Waleskowski | Junior
C | Sean Finn | Junior
Player to Watch
Ramod Marshall
Junior Guard
If he doesn't have to play the point, all the better for the Flyers.
DATE TO REMEMBER
The Flyers make a special road trip to Duke, where they probably won't have much of a chance to win -- but anything can happen, and besides, how many people get to say they played Coach K's all-stars at Cameron?
|
DAYTON FLYERS
 |
There's an if, and it's a big if ... but if Dayton can find a point guard to run its otherwise experienced, balanced team, the Flyers just might win 20 games for a fourth straight year and make a run at their second NCAA Tournament bid in four years. But it's a big if. Did we mention that? Dayton must replace just one regular off last season's 21-11 team (10-6 league), point guard David Morris, the team MVP after averaging 6.5 points and six assists per game. The prime candidate to replace him is his backup from last season, 6-1 sophomore Mark Jones (3.9 ppg, 1.7 apg), but he will have competition. Frankly, that's a good thing. Jones knows the offense and could become the floor leader this team needs, but it wouldn't hurt him to have to prove it against freshmen Logan White and Warren Williams. The backup plan is to slide shooting guard Ramod Marshall (13.3 ppg), the team's leading scorer last season, to the point. Elsewhere, the Flyers are fairly loaded. Four-year starter Brooks Hall (13.2 ppg) is back, as is double-double machine Keith Waleskowski (9.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and improving center Sean Finn (7.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
The 6-11, 245-pound Finn might have improved as much as anyone in the league once the regular season ended a year ago. He entered the A-10 Tournament averaging 6.5 points and five rebounds, but in the league tournament and two NIT games, those averages shot up to 12.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. If he can put those numbers up consistently this season, the Flyers will be very tough.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Almost any coach would love to have four starters back, but to a man, every coach undoubtedly would prefer that vacancy not be at point guard. Jones is a question mark considering he shot only 28.3 percent from 3-point range and 36.4 percent overall, and that he had almost as many turnovers (51) as assists (55).
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Even if Marshall has to become the team's primary point guard -- and he did have a nearly 2-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers last season -- Dayton will find a way with all this size and experience to win another 20 games and go to a postseason event somewhere.
| |
|
