Welcome to the 3rd installment of The War Room for 2019. 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.
Without further ado, here it is.... The 3rd edition of the War Room for 2019!
STATE OF THE PROGRAM
No matter how you slice it or dice it, Dayton over-achieved this season with 21 wins, 13 conference wins, and seven conference road wins. Sure, they didn’t finish like you or I had hoped, but there’s a lot to be proud of. They took a very large step this season in changing the culture and shaping the future of the Dayton program.
With the amount of talent and size coming in next season on the interior, we should see a big-time improvement in the rebounding war. Jordy Tshimanga and Moulaye Sissoko are going to ensure that the Flyers are going to hold their own even with some of the top rebounding teams they face next season.
Then there’s Chase Johnson, who will fight to be eligible at the beginning of next season. He’ll give Dayton yet another rebounder. I was given a couple of quotes about him in the second half of the season. After a couple weeks of practicing, I was told “Chase is a better overall player than Obi is right now.” Granted, Obi took huge strides at the end of the year, but that says a lot. The second one I was given later in the year was “No wonder he’s had concussion history, the kid is wreckless with his body and so relentless.”
And speaking of Obi, Toppin has been pretty consistent in saying that he will be back for at least one other season, both in public and in private. I had Obi one-on-one prior to the La Salle game and asked him if he was coming back next season and he gave me a pretty positive yes. I would expect that positive yes will be challenged some after most likely declaring for the draft and going through the process and getting feedback. He's a pretty special talent that Anthony Grant identified and brought in.
I was told an unconfirmed report that Trey Landers may have played the last eight games through a shoulder injury that may require surgery. If you’ll recall, he missed the VCU game at UD Arena and was wearing a huge brace. Perhaps it couldn’t get any worse and he decided to play through it. If true, my appreciation for Trey and his toughness went up a notch.
The Flyers lost Jhery Matos six games into the season and he will apply for a medical redshirt, I am told. As of the first week of March, they were bringing Matos along slowly. He was not practicing, and only participating in short, individual shooting workouts. His toughness and defense could have been a big help this this year’s team.
Next year’s team should have a more killer instinct about them. A few games this year, I felt like Dayton allowed teams to hang around instead of putting them away when they had the chance. With what the Flyers are adding, the team has the potential to make a deep NCAA run. It’s vital that they take advantage of some of the opportunities they’ll have early and capture some Q1 victories in the non-conference.
YO DJ
There’s absolutely no secret that Stetson has Dayton assistant coach Donnie Jones on their radar. From what I have been told from the beginning, if he wants the job, it is his. Jones has made a huge impact on the recruiting trails in his one year here so far in Dayton.
I’ve heard conflicting things on whether or not the interest is reciprocated from Coach Jones. Donnie is extremely well connected in the state of Florida from his time as an assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida and as the head coach at UCF. One source told me even though Stetson’s head coaching position may be a lateral move (at best) from a UD assistant, there was no doubt that Jones could “kill it” at Stetson.
In fact, I was told there may be as five quality transfers already lined up to follow Jones if he makes the decision to move to Stetson. At least one of those transfers is said to be a good reserve player from the Big XII.
When Archie Miller got the job at Dayton, I had a conversation with a third assistant from a power five school that was contemplating taking a spot on Miller’s staff. I remember telling the coach that if he took the job, that I was confident that Miller was going to make it big at UD and he would, in turn, have the opportunity to become a head coach. The coach turned down the opportunity and I think we both feel like it was a mistake to this day.
Basically, that’s how I feel about Coach Jones if he was to leave Dayton for the job at Stetson. To me, with how I feel about the future of Dayton’s program under Anthony Grant, Jones is going to have plenty better opportunities even if he waits just one more year. I do feel like Jones wants to lead his own program again one day though, so I can’t fault him if he wants to make the jump and start building as soon as possible.
McBUCKETS
Speaking of Jones, Sinclair’s elite shooter Sean McNeil posted his list this week of his final six and Dayton was one among other finalists Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Western Kentucky. Jones is a big reason for that because of the relationship that he built early on with the Kentucky native.
Thankfully for Dayton, Jones is not the only reason. The entire coaching staff has invested a ton of time on McNeil, including head coach Anthony Grant. From my count, McNeil attended four Dayton games in person this year at UD Arena and was on campus a couple more times. The staff has basically told him all along that there’s no scholarship right now, but there will be one—there always is after the season.
McNeil didn’t get into details with me this week, but did basically say he is in the midst of setting up his official visits. My assumption at this point is the five other schools will get those officials and Dayton may get a couple more one-day unofficials because of the close proximity.
At this point, I think Dayton is in really good shape to land him. In my opinion, he brings to the roster exactly what Dayton needs next season. He’s someone that can stretch the defense and open up the floor for his teammates.
The exit interviews for players will likely take place in the next couple of weeks and we should find out rather quickly where a scholarship will come from. I’d be somewhat surprised if that scholarship remains open for very long after becoming available. After all, Sean’s mom and Grandma McNeil really enjoyed the game and atmosphere at the Georgia Southern win at the end of the non-conference. It could be just a matter of time.
CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Conference realignment has been a hot topic for years at the University of Dayton with talk when this forum first began in the early 2000’s about the conference schools all coming together to form their own unique conference.
We all know for the most part that it happened in 2013, but were stunned when a non-Catholic school that didn’t particularly fit their profile like Butler was invited and schools like Dayton and Saint Louis were left out.
Well, here’s the latest. I’m told that the Big East wants to go to a 20-game conference schedule for the 2020-2021 season or at the latest the 2021-2022 season. Ideally, they would like to find that 11th member and announce it as early as this summer.
From what I’m told, UCONN would be preferable by the majority of the Big East institutions. But, UCONN has politely told them to look elsewhere as it doesn’t make much sense from their point of view. That view got even more clearer with the money being thrown around with the AAC’s new contract.
I’ve also been told that the A10 is very paranoid about the possibility of Dayton, Saint Louis, and/or VCU leaving the conference in the next couple of years. The A10 has been actively pursuing Loyola (Chicago) and Belmont as possible expansion members should spots open up.
While I generally advocate the A10 being successful in the A10, I think it would be very wise to have everyone hear aligned tonight as Virginia Tech fans. The absolute worst thing for Flyer fans in my mind would be a Cinderella run by the Billikens this year. After all, those types of runs are what ultimately led to the Big East breaking from their ideal profile in 2013 to bring Butler into their conference.
It was said to me that the Big East likes the way Dayton has positioned themselves since 2013. Eric Spina and Neil Sullivan have both made it one of their highest priorities. With Gonzaga (because of distance) and UCONN seemingly out of the picture, it’s likely going to be between SLU and UD for that 11th spot. Lets hope that Spina and Sullivan get done what Wabler and Curren could not. One thing is certain, the current AD/President have been working at it a lot harder than their predecessors.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room… A formal welcome and thank you to the new subscribers, and as always thank you to all of you long-time, loyal subscribers! You guys are the reason this is the best place to talk Dayton hoops all year round! There is a buzz and excitement around Dayton basketball for the 2019-2020 season that I haven’t felt ever during a preseason—and that includes after the Elite Eight run. The Flyers will hopefully be starting another deep NCAA run around this time next year. Until next time… WE ARE…
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.
Without further ado, here it is.... The 3rd edition of the War Room for 2019!
STATE OF THE PROGRAM
No matter how you slice it or dice it, Dayton over-achieved this season with 21 wins, 13 conference wins, and seven conference road wins. Sure, they didn’t finish like you or I had hoped, but there’s a lot to be proud of. They took a very large step this season in changing the culture and shaping the future of the Dayton program.
With the amount of talent and size coming in next season on the interior, we should see a big-time improvement in the rebounding war. Jordy Tshimanga and Moulaye Sissoko are going to ensure that the Flyers are going to hold their own even with some of the top rebounding teams they face next season.
Then there’s Chase Johnson, who will fight to be eligible at the beginning of next season. He’ll give Dayton yet another rebounder. I was given a couple of quotes about him in the second half of the season. After a couple weeks of practicing, I was told “Chase is a better overall player than Obi is right now.” Granted, Obi took huge strides at the end of the year, but that says a lot. The second one I was given later in the year was “No wonder he’s had concussion history, the kid is wreckless with his body and so relentless.”
And speaking of Obi, Toppin has been pretty consistent in saying that he will be back for at least one other season, both in public and in private. I had Obi one-on-one prior to the La Salle game and asked him if he was coming back next season and he gave me a pretty positive yes. I would expect that positive yes will be challenged some after most likely declaring for the draft and going through the process and getting feedback. He's a pretty special talent that Anthony Grant identified and brought in.
I was told an unconfirmed report that Trey Landers may have played the last eight games through a shoulder injury that may require surgery. If you’ll recall, he missed the VCU game at UD Arena and was wearing a huge brace. Perhaps it couldn’t get any worse and he decided to play through it. If true, my appreciation for Trey and his toughness went up a notch.
The Flyers lost Jhery Matos six games into the season and he will apply for a medical redshirt, I am told. As of the first week of March, they were bringing Matos along slowly. He was not practicing, and only participating in short, individual shooting workouts. His toughness and defense could have been a big help this this year’s team.
Next year’s team should have a more killer instinct about them. A few games this year, I felt like Dayton allowed teams to hang around instead of putting them away when they had the chance. With what the Flyers are adding, the team has the potential to make a deep NCAA run. It’s vital that they take advantage of some of the opportunities they’ll have early and capture some Q1 victories in the non-conference.
YO DJ
There’s absolutely no secret that Stetson has Dayton assistant coach Donnie Jones on their radar. From what I have been told from the beginning, if he wants the job, it is his. Jones has made a huge impact on the recruiting trails in his one year here so far in Dayton.
I’ve heard conflicting things on whether or not the interest is reciprocated from Coach Jones. Donnie is extremely well connected in the state of Florida from his time as an assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida and as the head coach at UCF. One source told me even though Stetson’s head coaching position may be a lateral move (at best) from a UD assistant, there was no doubt that Jones could “kill it” at Stetson.
In fact, I was told there may be as five quality transfers already lined up to follow Jones if he makes the decision to move to Stetson. At least one of those transfers is said to be a good reserve player from the Big XII.
When Archie Miller got the job at Dayton, I had a conversation with a third assistant from a power five school that was contemplating taking a spot on Miller’s staff. I remember telling the coach that if he took the job, that I was confident that Miller was going to make it big at UD and he would, in turn, have the opportunity to become a head coach. The coach turned down the opportunity and I think we both feel like it was a mistake to this day.
Basically, that’s how I feel about Coach Jones if he was to leave Dayton for the job at Stetson. To me, with how I feel about the future of Dayton’s program under Anthony Grant, Jones is going to have plenty better opportunities even if he waits just one more year. I do feel like Jones wants to lead his own program again one day though, so I can’t fault him if he wants to make the jump and start building as soon as possible.
McBUCKETS
Speaking of Jones, Sinclair’s elite shooter Sean McNeil posted his list this week of his final six and Dayton was one among other finalists Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Western Kentucky. Jones is a big reason for that because of the relationship that he built early on with the Kentucky native.
Thankfully for Dayton, Jones is not the only reason. The entire coaching staff has invested a ton of time on McNeil, including head coach Anthony Grant. From my count, McNeil attended four Dayton games in person this year at UD Arena and was on campus a couple more times. The staff has basically told him all along that there’s no scholarship right now, but there will be one—there always is after the season.
McNeil didn’t get into details with me this week, but did basically say he is in the midst of setting up his official visits. My assumption at this point is the five other schools will get those officials and Dayton may get a couple more one-day unofficials because of the close proximity.
At this point, I think Dayton is in really good shape to land him. In my opinion, he brings to the roster exactly what Dayton needs next season. He’s someone that can stretch the defense and open up the floor for his teammates.
The exit interviews for players will likely take place in the next couple of weeks and we should find out rather quickly where a scholarship will come from. I’d be somewhat surprised if that scholarship remains open for very long after becoming available. After all, Sean’s mom and Grandma McNeil really enjoyed the game and atmosphere at the Georgia Southern win at the end of the non-conference. It could be just a matter of time.
CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
Conference realignment has been a hot topic for years at the University of Dayton with talk when this forum first began in the early 2000’s about the conference schools all coming together to form their own unique conference.
We all know for the most part that it happened in 2013, but were stunned when a non-Catholic school that didn’t particularly fit their profile like Butler was invited and schools like Dayton and Saint Louis were left out.
Well, here’s the latest. I’m told that the Big East wants to go to a 20-game conference schedule for the 2020-2021 season or at the latest the 2021-2022 season. Ideally, they would like to find that 11th member and announce it as early as this summer.
From what I’m told, UCONN would be preferable by the majority of the Big East institutions. But, UCONN has politely told them to look elsewhere as it doesn’t make much sense from their point of view. That view got even more clearer with the money being thrown around with the AAC’s new contract.
I’ve also been told that the A10 is very paranoid about the possibility of Dayton, Saint Louis, and/or VCU leaving the conference in the next couple of years. The A10 has been actively pursuing Loyola (Chicago) and Belmont as possible expansion members should spots open up.
While I generally advocate the A10 being successful in the A10, I think it would be very wise to have everyone hear aligned tonight as Virginia Tech fans. The absolute worst thing for Flyer fans in my mind would be a Cinderella run by the Billikens this year. After all, those types of runs are what ultimately led to the Big East breaking from their ideal profile in 2013 to bring Butler into their conference.
It was said to me that the Big East likes the way Dayton has positioned themselves since 2013. Eric Spina and Neil Sullivan have both made it one of their highest priorities. With Gonzaga (because of distance) and UCONN seemingly out of the picture, it’s likely going to be between SLU and UD for that 11th spot. Lets hope that Spina and Sullivan get done what Wabler and Curren could not. One thing is certain, the current AD/President have been working at it a lot harder than their predecessors.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room… A formal welcome and thank you to the new subscribers, and as always thank you to all of you long-time, loyal subscribers! You guys are the reason this is the best place to talk Dayton hoops all year round! There is a buzz and excitement around Dayton basketball for the 2019-2020 season that I haven’t felt ever during a preseason—and that includes after the Elite Eight run. The Flyers will hopefully be starting another deep NCAA run around this time next year. Until next time… WE ARE…
