Welcome to the 3rd installment of The War Room for the off-season of 2010. As always, I'll begin this session with the ground rules for those that may be new. Everything that is reported in The War Room must stay in The War Room. Sometimes the info is sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this message board thread.
This is a special feature for our subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board is because that's the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to Dayton Flyer fans. Thanks for your cooperation. Here it is, the 3rd edition of The War Room for the 2010 off-season:
Big Mac
Trey McDonald was a guy that had a great summer before his junior year. He drew an offer from Dayton and Iowa very early in the recruiting process. He had a somewhat disappointing junior season, failing to average double-figures in scoring. His coach said he thinks Trey struggled being in the spotlight and receiving so much attention nationally in recruiting, that he was trying too hard. Dayton has been on him from very early on, and continue to pursue. In fact, Trey told me that Brian Gregory was scheduled to stop by Battle Creek Central on Wednesday to see him workout.
Fed-Ex Package
There's no secret what team that someone from the Dayton staff will always be watching this summer. With so many targets on the Michigan Mustangs for 2011, UD's attendance is almost as sure a thing as Sam Bradford was with the #1 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft. On Monday afternoon, I got a text message from Lansing Eastern's LaDontae Henton. The message read, "I just wanted to let you know that me and trey are probably going to package." If it wasn't obvious, LaDontae meant that he and McDonald wanted to play college basketball at the same school together. Dayton, Central Michigan, Utah, and Penn State are the schools that are recruiting both players at this time. Speaking to some of my sources, it's likely not going to be possible for Dayton to take both players in the 2011 class. It sounded as if the Flyers are for sure going to take a guard for the fall of next year, meaning that if either of these two guys committed, it's likely the other's scholarship offer would no longer be on the table.
One more time
If you thought Dayton was out of the woods for keeping Brian Gregory for next season, hold you breath one last time. There's been rumors circulating that Oregon's coaching search now includes Notre Dame's Mike Brey. What does this have to do with Brian Gregory? If you'll recall from one of my early War Room's in the BG era, Notre Dame was one of his original out clauses on his contract. ND is a Catholic school, Gregory is a strong Catholic... It's in South Bend near Chicago, and BG is from the Windy City.
I can tell you that there were some people in the athletic department nervous at mid-season when Notre Dame was struggling that Brey would be fired and replaced by the Dayton head coach. Brey saved his job by winning six straight to end the regular season. Now with Brey rumors leaving for Niketown, this possible scenario creeps back in the picture. As one person put it to me, Notre Dame might be the only stop for BG between Dayton and Michigan State. Luckily for the Flyers, the latest rumor is former Portland Trailblazer Terry Porter might be the next Ducks coach. So I don't think at this point, UD fans have too much to worry about, but the Notre Dame job is one position you should keep a pulse on going forward.
Crittle me this, Crittle me that
As Oregon continues to search for their next coach, current Oregon players are trying to find their new school. Former Hales Franciscan forward Josh Crittle was recruited hard by the Dayton staff while he was in high school and was offered a scholarship to UD as a prep player. He ultimately picked Oregon, but made it official on Thursday that he is transferring out of the Ducks program. One person told me there has been a feeler thrown out from UD to see if he has any interest. That move would seem to be a just-in-case situation where Chris Wright decides to keep his name in the draft, giving UD another scholarship to recruit with. Crittle will sit out next season and have two years of eligibility remaining in the fall of 2012 at whatever school he ends up at.
What's the Wright decision?
Not a big update on Chris, but I did speak to some people about his draft status. From what I have heard, the initial feedback received would suggest that he will be back for his senior season. However, that was feedback before he got to do individual workouts for teams. That, as one scout put it to me, is the time where Chris Wright could play himself into being a late first round to an early second round selection.
To me, I think it would be easier for Chris to play himself into an NBA contract from college than it would be from the D-League or Europe. Whatever decision he makes though, Dayton fans should be behind him. He's been nothing but a great representative of the University you all love and deserves support from the people that cheered him on for the three years he has been here. He's always worn Dayton across his chest, and his heart on his sleeve.
That does it for this edition of the War Room. Thanks to all the new subscribers that signed up and the ones that have been loyal to making this the best site to talk Dayton basketball.
This post was edited on 4/23 7:25 AM by Matt Schwade
This is a special feature for our subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board is because that's the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to Dayton Flyer fans. Thanks for your cooperation. Here it is, the 3rd edition of The War Room for the 2010 off-season:
Big Mac
Trey McDonald was a guy that had a great summer before his junior year. He drew an offer from Dayton and Iowa very early in the recruiting process. He had a somewhat disappointing junior season, failing to average double-figures in scoring. His coach said he thinks Trey struggled being in the spotlight and receiving so much attention nationally in recruiting, that he was trying too hard. Dayton has been on him from very early on, and continue to pursue. In fact, Trey told me that Brian Gregory was scheduled to stop by Battle Creek Central on Wednesday to see him workout.
Fed-Ex Package
There's no secret what team that someone from the Dayton staff will always be watching this summer. With so many targets on the Michigan Mustangs for 2011, UD's attendance is almost as sure a thing as Sam Bradford was with the #1 pick in Thursday's NFL Draft. On Monday afternoon, I got a text message from Lansing Eastern's LaDontae Henton. The message read, "I just wanted to let you know that me and trey are probably going to package." If it wasn't obvious, LaDontae meant that he and McDonald wanted to play college basketball at the same school together. Dayton, Central Michigan, Utah, and Penn State are the schools that are recruiting both players at this time. Speaking to some of my sources, it's likely not going to be possible for Dayton to take both players in the 2011 class. It sounded as if the Flyers are for sure going to take a guard for the fall of next year, meaning that if either of these two guys committed, it's likely the other's scholarship offer would no longer be on the table.
One more time
If you thought Dayton was out of the woods for keeping Brian Gregory for next season, hold you breath one last time. There's been rumors circulating that Oregon's coaching search now includes Notre Dame's Mike Brey. What does this have to do with Brian Gregory? If you'll recall from one of my early War Room's in the BG era, Notre Dame was one of his original out clauses on his contract. ND is a Catholic school, Gregory is a strong Catholic... It's in South Bend near Chicago, and BG is from the Windy City.
I can tell you that there were some people in the athletic department nervous at mid-season when Notre Dame was struggling that Brey would be fired and replaced by the Dayton head coach. Brey saved his job by winning six straight to end the regular season. Now with Brey rumors leaving for Niketown, this possible scenario creeps back in the picture. As one person put it to me, Notre Dame might be the only stop for BG between Dayton and Michigan State. Luckily for the Flyers, the latest rumor is former Portland Trailblazer Terry Porter might be the next Ducks coach. So I don't think at this point, UD fans have too much to worry about, but the Notre Dame job is one position you should keep a pulse on going forward.
Crittle me this, Crittle me that
As Oregon continues to search for their next coach, current Oregon players are trying to find their new school. Former Hales Franciscan forward Josh Crittle was recruited hard by the Dayton staff while he was in high school and was offered a scholarship to UD as a prep player. He ultimately picked Oregon, but made it official on Thursday that he is transferring out of the Ducks program. One person told me there has been a feeler thrown out from UD to see if he has any interest. That move would seem to be a just-in-case situation where Chris Wright decides to keep his name in the draft, giving UD another scholarship to recruit with. Crittle will sit out next season and have two years of eligibility remaining in the fall of 2012 at whatever school he ends up at.
What's the Wright decision?
Not a big update on Chris, but I did speak to some people about his draft status. From what I have heard, the initial feedback received would suggest that he will be back for his senior season. However, that was feedback before he got to do individual workouts for teams. That, as one scout put it to me, is the time where Chris Wright could play himself into being a late first round to an early second round selection.
To me, I think it would be easier for Chris to play himself into an NBA contract from college than it would be from the D-League or Europe. Whatever decision he makes though, Dayton fans should be behind him. He's been nothing but a great representative of the University you all love and deserves support from the people that cheered him on for the three years he has been here. He's always worn Dayton across his chest, and his heart on his sleeve.
That does it for this edition of the War Room. Thanks to all the new subscribers that signed up and the ones that have been loyal to making this the best site to talk Dayton basketball.
This post was edited on 4/23 7:25 AM by Matt Schwade
