June 21, 2005

University of Dayton men's basketball coach Brian Gregory has announced that sophomore guard Trent Meacham is transferring to the University of Illinois in his hometown of Champaign, Illinois.

Meacham, a 6-2 guard, averaged 6.4 points and 2.7 assists (second on the team) off the bench in 29 games last season. He shot .459 (28-61) from three-point range and .896 (43-48) from the line (first on the team).

"I had a tremendous basketball experience at UD, and I have the utmost respect for coach Gregory and the coaching staff there," Meacham said. I'll never regret being a Flyer and being part of UD's basketball program. "But being away my freshman year, I realized that having a chance to go home and play at Illinois is something I wanted to pursue."

"I'd be lying if I didn't say this is disappointing news," Gregory said. "I fully understand the lure of going home, but I also believe in the importance of balancing the desires of the individual with the commitment to the team."

"As disappointed as I am, I still want to wish Trent good luck in the future. Trent will be released from his scholarship at Dayton so he can receive one of the scholarships Illinois has available."

Dayton returns four starters and 11 of its top 13 scorers from last season. One of the youngest teams in the nation (six freshmen averaged 10 or more minutes a game), UD was 18-11 overall, and 10-6 in the Atlantic 10. The Flyers tied for second in the A-10 West Division, one game behind eventual league champion George Washington.