Dayton Flyers

Tickets | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Streaming Audio | Gametracker | Free Live Video

• Game Notes In PDF Format

FLYERS TO FACE THE HAWKEYES IN THE NIT FIRST ROUND
The No. 2-seed University of Dayton Flyers face the No. 7 seed Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round of the 2012 National Invitation Tournament. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, carried through WHIO Radio and be available over the Internet with live video, stats and streaming audio via DaytonFlyers.com.

Dayton enters the NIT 20-12 overall and has won six of its last nine. Chris Johnson, a 2012 Atlantic 10 Honorable Mention selection, is the only college basketball player in the last 20 years to have 1,400 points, 800 rebounds, 300 offensive rebounds and 200 three-pointers while shooting at least 80 percent from the free throw line. Johnson will also  be playing in his 138th career game, the most in Flyer Basketball history. Kevin Dillard, a Second Team, All A-10 member, ranks second in the A-10 and tied for 16th in the NCAA in assists per game with 6.0. Dillard leads the Flyers in scoring (13.0), assists (6.0), steals (45) and minutes (32.6).

ABOUT IOWA
The Hawkeyes are 17-16 overall, but have four Top 25 RPI victories this season defeating Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin twice. Iowa also posted a 13-6 record at home this year. The Hawkeyes are led by senior Matt Gatens and freshman Aaron White. Gatens (15.7 ppg) was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team by the media voting panel and was a third team pick by the coaches. White (10.4 ppg) was named to the Big Ten coaches’ all-Freshman team and earned honorable mention recognition by the media. Overall, Iowa is 13-3 in games this season when having the edge on the glass.

SERIES STUFF
Iowa leads the all-time series 1-0. Dayton lost 61-54 at UD Arena on Dec. 22, 1979.

FLYERS IN THE NIT
Dayton’s NIT history is rich with success. UD previously won the NIT in 1962, 1968 and 2010. This season Dayton will make its 24th appearance in the postseason NIT. Dayton’s 24 NIT appearances are second only to St. John’s 27 berths. Dayton has been the runner-up five times and showcases a 40-21 all-time record. The Flyers have won seven of their last nine NIT contests dating back to 2008.

CONQUERING GOLIATH
The Flyers have proved they can handle the big-name programs. Dayton is 16-6 in the last five years against BCS programs. They have won 10 of the last 12 overall and five of the last eight games against BIG EAST opponents. Dayton’s 16 victories have come against Ole Miss (thrice), Alabama, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, Louisville, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Auburn, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh. UD has won their last five versus the SEC and the last three against the ACC. Dayton is 4-1 this season against BCS opponents with wins against No. 16/15 Alabama, Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Minnesota.

THREE FLYERS EARN ALL ATLANTIC 10 HONORS
Kevin Dillard was named to the Second Team All-Atlantic 10, Chris Johnson was an Honorable Mention selection and Luke Fabrizius was named to the All-Academic Team.

POSTSEASON STRING OF SUCCESS
This is Dayton’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance. UD earned a bid to the NIT four times and NCAA Tournament once. The last time Dayton advanced to the postseason in five straight years was when the Flyers accomplished that feat from 1999-2000 to 2003-04.

80 PROOF
UD has scored at least 80 points six times this season. The Flyers have not done that since the 2002-03 season, when they also did it six times.

CHRIS CROSSING THE CHARTS
Chris Johnson, a two-time Atlantic 10 Honorable Mention selection, is quickly moving up the charts in the program’s history. He will become the Flyers’ all-time leader in games played on Tuesday with 138 contests. Johnson’s 1,459 points place him in 21st. Next is Jack Zimmerman with 1,482 points. CJ also ranks fifth on UD’s all-time list for 3-pointers made (236). Ramod Marshall is next at 241. Johnson is also 11th in career rebounding (839) and ranks fourth in career offensive rebounds (309).

PREMIUM PRODUCTION
Chris Johnson has earned Atlantic 10 accolades in each of his four seasons – All-Rookie, Chris Daniels Most Improved and Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 twice. Johnson leads the team in rebounding (6.4) and is second in scoring (12.8). CJ opened the year with eight points and 10 rebounds versus Western Illinois. He scored 19 against UNC-Wilmington. Johnson scored 12, including the go-ahead 3-pointer versus Wake Forest. He added 18 points and six rebounds against Minnesota. Johnson led UD with 20 points against No. 16/15 Alabama. CJ scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting versus Seton Hall and led all scorers with 16 points against Ole Miss.

WARM IT UP CHRIS
In the A-10 opener, Chris Johnson had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Louis. He came back with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Temple. Johnson led UD with 17 points and eight rebounds at Saint Joseph’s. He had 20 points and 12 rebounds versus Rhode Island for his third double-double of the year. Johnson added 16 points and seven boards at Saint Louis. With season highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds at Fordham, Johnson recorded his fourth double-double of the year. He followed that up with 22 points and nine boards versus Charlotte. At Xavier, Johnson scored 18 points. In the UMass win, he recorded his fifth double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson led Dayton with 22 points at Richmond. On Senior Day, CJ led UD with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. Johnson has 15 career double-doubles, with five this year.

SIMPLY THE BEST
In conference-only games, Chris Johnson finished 2nd in 3-pointers made (2.5), 4th in free throw accuracy (.875), 4th in offensive rebounding (3.2), 9th in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and 9th in scoring (15.3 ppg). In 15 career starts against BCS opponents, he has 13 double figure efforts.

20/20 VISION
Chris Johnson scored 22 points in each of Dayton’s wins against Fordham and Charlotte. The last Flyer to score 20-plus points in back-to-back games was Brian Roberts during the 2007-08 campaign. Roberts scored 23 versus Temple on Feb. 16, 2008 & 30 at La Salle on Feb. 21, 2008.

THAT’S SOME WILL-POWER
Paul Williams has scored double figures 14 times this year. He opened the year notching 15 points against Western Illinois. Williams added to that by scoring a career-high 20 points at Miami. In the Wake Forest win, Williams scored 18 points. He scored 12 points at Murray State. He had 12 points versus FIU. Williams recorded 12 points and seven boards against Ole Miss. He scored 11 points in the SLU victory.  Williams scored 13 versus Xavier. He had a career-high eight assists versus Charlotte. At Xavier, Williams scored 18. He followed that up with another 18-point game at Duquesne. Against UMass, Williams had a career-best three steals. He scored nine at Richmond and 10 versus GW. He scored 10 again versus GW in the A-10 First Round. Williams added 11 points against Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.

P-DUBYA
Paul Williams ranks 57th all-time in UD history with 864 career points. He trails Norm Grevey for 56th with 875 points. He is also second all-time with 136 career games.

VALET PARKER
Josh Parker is one of many Flyers who have increased his production in conference action. Parker averaged 8.7 points in A-10 play. He led UD with 16 points at Temple. He led UD with 19 points, and added a career-high six rebounds, at St. Bonaventure. Parker shot 5-of-7 en route to 16 points versus Xavier. He then scored 14 points, all in the second half and overtime at Fordham. Parker added 12 points at Duquesne. He scored 10 points versus UMass. Parker added 10 points versus GW in the A-10 First Round. He scored 11 points against Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals. In the last two years when Parker scores in double-figures, the Flyers are 18-3.

PARKER BROTHERS
Josh Parker has been another solid veteran presence on the court. He busted out in a big way with 15 points off the bench in UD’s win over Fairfield. Parker came back the next night to score 12 points versus Minnesota. As a starter, Parker finished with 11 points and six assists versus Western Illinois. Parker scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half against No. 16/15 Alabama. Parker added 14 points and five assists against FIU.

COOL HAND LUKE
Luke Fabrizius improved his production in A-10 play averaging 6.6 points. In fact, five of Fabrizus’ six double digit scoring efforts came in conference action. After sitting out three games with an injured rib, Fabrizius totalled eight points and five boards against Ole Miss. He added 11 points versus Saint Louis and 13 at Temple. Fabrizius added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting versus Minnesota. Fabrizius scored 14 on 5-of-7 shooting against La Salle. He came back with a career-high tying 17 points and six rebounds versus Rhode Island. Fabrizius had six points and a career-tying nine rebounds at Saint Louis. Fabrizius added six points and eight rebounds at Xavier. He scored 11 points in 10 minutes against UMass.

DILLARD DISHING DIMES
Kevin Dillard not only leads the Flyers in many statistical categories, he is among the NCAA and A-10 leaders as well. He is second in the A-10 and ranks tied for 16th in the NCAA in assists per game (6.0). Dillard is ranks 2nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and 6th in free throw shooting (.827). He has at least one steal in 24 games.

EVEN BETTER AGAINST THE A-10
Against Atlantic 10 opponents, Kevin Dillard led in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4) and ranked second in the conference in assists per game (6.7) and third in free throw percentage (.880). His scoring was also up from non-conference action, averaging 13.8 points versus conference opponents (14th in the A-10).

ON POINT
Kevin Dillard ranks as one of the top point guards in the Atlantic 10. He scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting versus UNC-Wilmington. Dillard had nine assists with zero turnovers versus Western Illinois. At Miami he added 11 points, six assists and four steals. He had 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists against No. 16/15 Alabama. Dillard added 14 points versus Seton Hall.

DELICIOUS DISH
With 192 assists, Dillard is tied with David Morris for the second-most in a single-season at UD. The all-time leader is Negele Knight with 216 assists during his senior season.

DILL PICKLE
Kevin Dillard had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists at home against Saint Louis. Dillard scored all 16 points in the second half at Temple. He was named the Black/Mac MVP after recording 16 points and nine assists versus Xavier. Dillard had 17 points and six assists at St. Joe’s. He had his third double-double of the year with 12 points and a college career high 13 assists versus Rhode Island. The 13 assists in a game were the third-most in UD history. Dillard led all scorers with 22 points versus Duquesne. At Xavier, Dillard led UD with 20 points and while going 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Dillard tallied 14 points and seven assists versus UMass. He finished with 11 points and nine assists at Richmond. Dillard added 12 points and seven assists versus GW. In the A-10 First Round versus GW, he added 13 points and eight assists. Dillard led Dayton with 18 points and six assists in the A-10 Quarterfinals against Xavier.

KD IS AN MVP
Kevin Dillard was named the 2011 Old Spice Classic Most Valuable Player after a spectacular three-game run.  In the tournament, Dillard led the Flyers in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (15), steals (11), blocks (4) and converted 10-of-11 free throws (.909). Against Wake Forest, Dillard scored 12 points. Dillard also scored 12 versus Fairfield. Against Minnesota he dazzled with his first double-double in a Flyer uniform, tallying 19 points and 10 assists.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Kevin Dillard reached the 1,000 point mark in his collegiate career in the Duqusene game on Feb. 1. He scored 734 points in his two years at Southern Illinois and has 417 this season at UD.

DILLARD NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
On Nov. 28, Dayton junior point guard Kevin Dillard was named Co-Player of the Week in the Atlantic 10 Conference for his performance in leading the Flyers to the championship of the Old Spice Classic.

KAVAN-AUGHSOME
Matt Kavanaugh is a true road-grader down low. He ranks third in the Atlantic 10 in offensive rebounding (3.0) and seventh in field goal shooting (.547). Kavanaugh opened the year with 15 points and seven rebounds versus Western Illinois. Against Wilmington, seven of his eight boards were on the offensive glass. Kavanaugh recorded his first career double-double with 15 points & 13 boards versus Wake Forest. He came back with 11 rebounds, seven on the offensive end, against Fairfield. He added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting against USC-Upstate.

BEYOND THE MATT
Matt Kavanaugh had 10 or more rebounds in three straight games from Feb. 18-25. The last Flyer to accomplish that feat was Chris Wright during the 2008-09 season (Nov. 25-29, 2008). Kavanaugh hauled in 10 rebounds versus UMass. He recorded his third double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Duquesne. Prior to that, he finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds at Xavier. In A-10 action, he added 14 points at Temple. Kavanaugh scored 10 at St. Bonaventure. In the La Salle win, Kavanaugh set career highs in points (23) and free throws made (13) to go with nine rebounds. He scored 12 points versus Rhode Island. He added 17 points against Duquesne. Kavanaugh tallied 15 points and eight boards versus GW.

KAVANAUGH NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
On Jan. 23, Dayton’s Matt Kavanaugh was named Co-Player of the Week in the Atlantic 10 Conference for his performance against Xavier. He scored 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting and had nine rebounds.

TROPIC THUNDER
Since Josh Benson was lost for the season, Matt Kavanaugh is UD’s third-leading scorer (10.7) and second rebounder (6.4). In A-10 action, Kavanaugh ranked fifth in the conference in offensive rebounding, sixth in field goal percentage and 13th in overall rebounding.

OLIVER TWIST
In six games as a starter, Devin Oliver averages 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds. Since February 1, Oliver is shooting 21-of-22 (.955) at the free throw line. He had a career-high 19 points and eight rebounds versus GW in the A-10 First Round. Oliver tallied 10 points and seven rebounds versus UMass. He scored 14 points and had six rebounds against Charlotte. At Duqusene, Oliver hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds and scored eight. In non-conference play, Oliver corralled seven boards against Wilmington. He hauled in a team-high seven rebounds against Minnesota. He scored 12 points against USC-Upstate. Oliver added nine points and eight boards against UIC. He added nine points and nine boards versus GW in the regular season finale. Oliver tallied eight points and eight rebounds against Xavier in the A-10 Quarterfinals.

KING OF THE HILL
Ralph Hill has taken advantage of increased playing time. After scoring 10 total points in his first seven games, Hill has 28 in his last 16. At Saint Joseph’s, Hill recorded career highs of seven points and seven rebounds. He tallied four points and five rebounds versus Xavier. Hill hauled in six rebounds at St. Bonaventure. He had five points, three rebounds and two blocks at Fordham.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Alex Gavrilovic was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Dec. 19 after he had 14 points and six rebounds versus Florida International. He topped his season point total of 13 in one night. He tallied 12 points and seven rebounds in the win over SLU. Gavrilovic was 3-of-3 from the floor and hauled in six rebounds at Temple. He added 10 points and five boards at St. Bonaventure. Gavrilovic shot 4-of-5 from the field en route to nine points versus La Salle. At Richmond, he finished with six points and six rebounds.

BOOM BOOM BENSON
Josh Benson is out for the year with a torn ACL in his left knee. Prior to the injury, he was one of UD’s most pleasant surprises averaging 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and shooting .610 from the field. Benson scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting against Western Illinois. He added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Minnesota and 17 points, all in the second half, at Murray State. Against No. 16/15 Alabama, Benson scored 11 on 5-of-6 shooting. He was just shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine boards against Seton Hall. Benson was third in the A-10 in field goal percentage (.610) at the time of his injury. He had surgery on Jan. 18, 2012.

MILLER ANNOUNCES 2011 RECRUITING CLASS
Head Coach Archie Miller has announced the signing of three top high school players to letters of intent. They are 6-foot-9 high school teammates Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott from Ohio powerhouse Columbus Northland, and coveted 5-foot-11 point guard Jevon Thomas from Queens, N.Y. by way of Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C.

UD ADDS SANFORD & DERENBECKER
Continuing to add to the Flyers’ talent pool, head coach Archie Miller added transfers Vee Sanford (Georgetown) and Matt Derenbecker (LSU). At Georgetown, Sanford played in 27 games in his sophomore year. Derenbecker, a two-time Louisiana High School Gatorade Player of the Year, played in all 32 of LSU’s games in 2010-11. He started 16 games and averaged 6.5 points and 2.1 rebounds a game.

ATLANTIC 10 OVERALL RANKINGS
UD is among the A-10’s best in many categories. Dayton ranks first in free throw percentage (.778), second in rebounding margin (+3.6) and 3rd in defensive rebounding (32.1).

AGAINST CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Dayton’s numbers against A-10 opponents jumped. The Flyers led the conference in free throw percentage (.796) and three-pointers made (8.4).

PRIME NINE
With the regular season finale victory against George Washington, the Dayton Flyers finished above the .500 mark in conference play for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. UD has two winning seasons in conference over the last six years.

EYE 75 ON THE SCOREBOARD
The Flyers are 63-10 in the last nine seasons when they score 75 or more points. The Flyers are 10-2 this season and went 7-2 in 2010-11 when reaching the 75-point mark. UD has a 47-6 record the previous six seasons.

PACK YOUR BAGS
Dayton is 6-8 away from UD Arena this season. In those games on road and neutral sites, the Flyers average 70.6 points. Kevin Dillard is Dayton’s leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and Chris Johnson the top rebounder (6.8 rpg).

THIRD IS THE WORD
Dayton has hit at least one 3-point shot in 116 straight games.  

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE, DOUBLE THE FUN
Dayton is 7-0 when five players score in double figures. In the Wake Forest win, all five starters reached double figures in points. Against No. 16/15 Alabama, the Flyers had four reach double figures. Five Flyers achieved that feat in the Saint Louis victory and again in the win at Temple. Against Xavier at home, the Flyers had four players reach double figures. It happened again in Cincinnati with four Flyers in double figures. Five UD players scored in double figures at Duquesne and again in the following contest versus UMass. Four Flyers reached double figures in the GW regular season win, and again in the first round. Nine of Dayton’s 10-man rotation have scored in double figures this season. Dillard leads the team in double-figure scoring efforts with 26. Next up are Chris Johnson (19), Paul Williams (14), Josh Parker (13), Matt Kavanaugh (12), Luke Fabrizius (6), Josh Benson (5), Devin Oliver (4) and Alex Gavrilovic (3).

GET IT ON THE GLASS
Dayton is 18-7 this season when out-rebounding its opponent. The Flyers were 9-4 in conference play when out-rebounding opponents. Another fun statistic is when Chris Johnson grabs at least five rebounds, Dayton is 17-4 this season.

INSIDE THE RPI
Dayton finished with the 68th-toughest strength of schedule among all NCAA Division-I teams. UD has eight wins over Top 100 teams (Alabama, Temple, Minnesota, Xavier, Ole Miss, Saint Louis, La Salle and Massachusetts) with four of those against Top 50 opponents.

BRINGING YOUR A-10 GAME
Eight players of UD’s nine-man rotation scored more points a game in conference play than their season average. Chris Johnson was the best at +4.8.

LINE THEM UP
Shooting at a .778 clip, the Flyers rank second in the NCAA and lead the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage. UD has seven players who are shooting better than 70 percent at the charity stripe. Chris Johnson (.855), Kevin Dillard (.827), Paul Williams (.827), Matt Kavanaugh (.802), Josh Parker (.781), Devin Oliver (.750) and Luke Fabrizius (.714) lead the way. UD shot .677 last year and haven’t topped 75 percent since the 1982-83 campaign. The Flyers have shot 70 percent or better at the charity stripe in 15 consecutive games.

NO CRYING FOUL
In Atlantic 10 action, Dayton was great at the free throw line (273-of-343, .796), leading the conference.

THE CLOSERS
Dayton is shooting .845 (109-129) from the free throw line in the last two minutes of games this season. Matt Kavanaugh converted all eight attempts. Paul Williams has made 22-of-24 (.917), Josh Parker is 22-of-27 (.815), Chris Johnson is 20-of-24 (.833) and Kevin Dillard made 23-of-28 (.821). In the Charlotte win, UD went 10-for-10 with under two minutes remaining.

TEAM TRENDS
Although the Flyers dealt with injuries all season to top players, Dayton has not missed a beat. Under head coach Archie Miller, the Flyers have a potent attack that features balance, strong outside shooting and an ability to score points in bunches. Top team trends include:

• 12-1 when controlling the tip
• 18-7 record out-rebounding its opponent
• 9-1 when holding opponents to under 60 points
• 7-0 when five players score in double figures
• 15-5 when scoring 70 points or more
• 9-3 on Saturdays
• 11-2 when Josh Parker scores in double figures
• 10-1 when Luke Fabrizius scores at least 7 points
• 8-3 when Matt Kavanaugh scores at least 11 points
• 15-3 when Matt Kavanaugh grabs at least six rebounds

JOHNSON & DILLARD NAMED CO-MVP’S AS FLYERS HAND OUT SEASON AWARDS
Chris Johnson and Kevin Dillard were named the White Allen Co-Most Valuable Players at the 2012 University of Dayton Men’s Basketball banquet on Sunday, March 4. The other award winners include:

• Chris Johnson - “Shorty Sharpenter” rebounding trophy
• Chris Johnson - Alex Schoen Free Throw Trophy
• Matt Kavanaugh - Chris Daniels most improved player award
• Josh Parker and Luke Fabrizius - Dr. George Rau spirit award
• Paul Williams -  best defender
• Devin Oliver - Uhl Family scholarship award
• Alex Gavrilovic - Thomas Luppe Award (best freshman)
• Brian Vonderhaar - John L. Macbeth scholar-athlete

BALL CONTROL OFFENSE
One of the building blocks to coach Archie Miller’s offense is sharing and taking care of the basketball. In the Flyers’ opener against Western Illinois, Dayton dished out 25 assists with only eight turnovers. In Dayton’s loss at Miami, the Flyers committed 22 turnovers. That’s the most UD has turned the ball over since their 22 miscues against Georgia Tech on Nov. 19, 2009. In the Minnesota win, UD had 18 assists. The 74 points against Alabama, who had the 8th-best scoring defense in the NCAA, are the second-most the Crimson Tide allowed this season. UD had 17 assists and five players score in double figures against USC-Upstate. Dayton had 18 assists in the Ole Miss win and at St. Bonaventure. The Flyers dished out 17 assists in the win against Xavier. In the Rhode Island game, UD had 21 assists. Dayton had 17 assists on 22 field goals in the Charlotte win. This season the Flyers are 7-3 when forcing more turnovers than their opponents.

UD LOCKED IN TO REGULAR SEASON INVITATIONALS THROUGH 2013
Continuing a commitment to enhancing the non-conference schedule and increased national exposure, the University of Dayton Flyers were announced as a part of the 2012 DIRECTV Charleston Classic eight-team field. Dayton will be a part of a competitive field that includes Baylor, Boston College, Charleston, Colorado, St. John’s and Southern Illinois. An eighth team will be announced at a later date. The Flyers will return to the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational in 2013, 10 years after the Flyers won the event.

2013 MAUI FIELD ANNOUNCED
The 2013 Maui Invitational features Dayton as well as Arkansas, Baylor, California, Minnesota, Chaminade and two other previous tournament champions in Gonzaga (2009) and Syracuse (1990, 1998).

OLD SPICE CLASSIC NOTES
Dayton defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 86-70 to capture the 2011 Old Spice Classic championship. In that game, Dayton rewrote program records for in-season tournaments. The Old Spice Classic was Dayton’s 14th in-season tournament championship. UD has won three of the last five it has participated in and this is the first since taking the 2008 Chicago Invitational Challenge. In the program’s history, Dayton had also never beaten a Big Ten team by double-figures before the Minnesota win.

UD WINS “BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR COLLEGE BASKETBALL ATMOSPHERE” 
The University of Dayton won the ”Best Under-the-Radar College Basketball Atmosphere” presented by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Dayton beat nine other unique, tradition-rich game-day atmospheres through a two-week Facebook voting competition. An in-depth feature on what makes the UD Arena atmosphere the best will air during the “GEICO Best of College Basketball” special, which airs March 25, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The national college basketball media took notice of the success with Dayton men’s basketball after the Flyers defeated Saint Louis and Temple. ESPN’s Andy Katz named the Flyers the “Team of the Week.” Brett Edgerton also mentioned Kevin Dillard and his performance to open Atlantic 10 play. The national coverage continued as Mike DeCourcy at The Sporting News wrote about Dayton’s resilient team after losing Josh Benson for the year. Additonal national coverage included Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com having the Flyers in his “Power Pyramid,” Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan calling the Flyer Faithful as “the best basketball fans in America,” and Jeff Eisenberg from Yahoo! Sports talking about Dayton’s two big wins over Saint Louis and Temple. Miller was also profiled by WCBS.com in New York and by ESPN two weeks later.

NON-CONFERENCE NOTORIETY
For the sixth consecutive season, Dayton finished with 10 or more non-conference victories. This year the Flyers won the 2011 Old Spice Classic Championship, defeated four of the five BCS opponents they faced and finished non-conference play with wins in five of its last six contests.

DAYTON HONORS FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYERS AT CRONIN ATHLETIC CENTER
The University of Dayton honored its basketball past on Saturday by naming its practice facility “Fieldhouse Gym” after all the players who played their careers in the old UD Fieldhouse in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and dedicating the practice court “Bockhorn Court” after former Flyer great Bucky Bockhorn. The announcement was made at a basketball alumni reception at the Cronin Athletic Center on campus. Bockhorn is a member of the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame, UD’s All-Century Team and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. After a seven-year NBA career, Bockhorn became a successful businessman, and in 1972, began broadcasting UD basketball games on the radio. Since then, he has been a mentor and confidant to coaches and players, and the UD basketball program’s biggest advocate.

TUNE IN
Arlen “Bucky” Bockhorn has been doing Dayton basketball on the radio since 1972, a time that spans eight Presidents. He has been at the microphone one year longer than baseball Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman has been in the booth for the Cincinnati Reds.  Bockhorn is a Hall of Famer in his own right.  He is a member of the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame, the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Miami Valley Basketball Hall of Fame.

BAND OF BROTHERS
Duke’s Plumlee brothers are the first three brothers to be college teammates on a Division I basketball team since current Flyer radio analyst Arlen “Bucky” Bockhorn and his brothers Harold and Terry were Dayton teammates during the 1957-58 season.

YOUNG & THE RESTLESS
With UD’s 2011 Old Spice Classic Championship, coach Archie Miller (age 33) became the third youngest to win an in-season tournament title. UMass’s John Calipari (Great Alaska Shootout 1991, age 32) and Butler’s Brad Stevens (Great Alaska Shootout 2007, age 31) are the only coaches younger than Miller to achieve this feat.

THE EUROPEAN UNION
This summer, Dayton went on an 11-day European exhibition tour, where the Flyers went 4-0 in games against the Netherlands National U-23 team and three professional teams from the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Dayton had four players who averaged in double figures: Kevin Dillard (13.0 ppg), Chris Johnson (11.8 ppg), Josh Parker (11.5 ppg) and Luke Fabrzius (11.0 ppg).

100TH SELLOUT AT UD ARENA
This year’s annual home game against Xavier was the 100th sellout in UD Arena history. Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the NCAA`s Top 35 in attendance every season. More than 8 million fans have attended UD Arena in the last 43 seasons.

200 HUNDRED AND COUNTING
Dayton’s game against Charlotte marked the 200th consecutive regular season home game with an attendance of at least 11,000 fans. The Flyers now have 202 straight. In the last 15 years, 99% of UD’s home games have drawn at least 10,000 (441 of 444), including the last 240 regular season games.

AMONG THE BEST IN NCAA ATTENDANCE
The University of Dayton finished in the Top 30 in men’s basketball attendance for the 14th straight season in 2010-11. The Flyers finished 27th in the NCAA in attendance with an average of 12,567 fans a game, after averaging 12,259 in 2009-10. The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 14th straight season. UD averaged more than 2,400 fans a game better than any other team in the conference.

THE 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. UD Arena has had 101 sellouts in its 43-year history. The record for sellouts is eight in the Arena’s first season (1969-70). The Flyers finished the 2010-11 regular season averaging 12,567 fans a game.

DAYTON PICKED SIXTH IN ATLANTIC 10 MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
The University of Dayton men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic 10 this season in a poll of coaches and media. Senior forward Chris Johnson was a preseason Second Team All-Atlantic 10 pick.

IT’S ALL ABOUT WINNING
The 2010-11 Dayton Flyers recorded 22 victories. That team became just the 19th squad in the program’s history to have won 22 or more games. The Flyers also reached the postseason in four consecutive seasons. The last time that happened was during a stretch between the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 campaigns.

CHRIS WRIGHT BEGINS NBA CAREER
Former Flyer great Chris Wright is one of four rookies on the Golden State Warriors roster. Wright, who graduated from the University last May, had one of the best four years in Flyer basketball history. The greatest above-the-rim player to ever wear the Red & Blue, Wright is the school career record holder in dunks (177) and blocked shots (162). He is only the third UD player to be named All-Atlantic 10 conference three times. He made his first NBA appearance and had three rebounds in a 107-79 loss to Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve.

YOUNG GUN
Archie Miller is the fifth-youngest NCAA Division I head coach. At age 33, Miller is behind UNC-Greensboro’s interim head coach Wes Miller (28), Robert Morris’ Andy Toole (31), Appalachian State’s Jason Capel (31) and Wisconsin Green Bay’s Brian Wardle (32). Tony Jasick at IPFW is 33 as well, but has an earlier birthday than Miller.

COACHING TREE HOUSE
Archie Miller is part of the most prolific active coaching tree in college basketball. A total of nine of Arizona State coach Herb Sendek’s former full-time assistant coaches (not former players, managers or GA’s) are currently Division I head coaches. They are Jim Christian (TCU), Charlie Coles (Miami of Ohio), John Groce, (Ohio), Larry Hunter (Western Carolina), Ron Hunter (Georgia State), Thad Matta (Ohio State), Archie Miller (Dayton), Sean Miller (Arizona) and Mark Phelps (Drake). Rick Pitino has seven branches on his coaching tree, while Jim Calhoun and Mike Montgomery each have six.

FORTUNE 500
The Flyers celebrated their 500th win at UD Arena on Dec. 29, 2009. The Arena opened in 1969. UD Arena is one of just 27 active facilities to have hosted at least 500 wins for its home team, and only one of two built since 1969. The list includes Cameron Indoor Stadium, The Palestra, Pauley Pavilion, Freedom Hall, Allen Fieldhouse, The Pit and Hinkle Fieldhouse. Only four facilities – Pauley Pavilion, The Pit, Freedom Hall and the Huntsman Center – had 500 wins faster than UD Arena.

GRADUATION SUCCESS AT UD
The NCAA Graduation Success Rate report on Division I student-athletes released places the University of Dayton in familiar territory – among the nation’s best. UD’s 95 GSR in this year’s report places the University tied for 21st in the nation and tied for first in the Atlantic 10. The Flyer men’s and women’s basketball teams both have 100 GSR scores. UD’s men’s team is the only one in the Atlantic 10 with a perfect GSR, while the women are one of five. Dayton is one of just four institutions whose men’s and women’s basketball programs have perfect GSR numbers and both won at least 20 games last year.

DAYTON THE HOST FOR THE NCAA FIRST FOUR ONCE AGAIN
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced that the Road to the Final Four will begin once again at the University of Dayton Arena this year. In fact, it will begin in Dayton for at least the next two years as the NCAA’s “First Four” event will be held at the Arena March 13-14, 2012 and March 19-20, 2013. UD served as the host for the inaugural First Four last March. The games drew more than 10,000 fans each night and a national viewing audience of over five million people.

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
The University of Dayton Arena has hosted NCAA tournament events in 25 of the 42 years since opening its doors in 1969. The NCAA First Four games made UD Arena the most-used tournament venue in NCAA history. To date, UD Arena has hosted 86 NCAA men’s tournament games, tying it with Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

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.