Welcome to the 3rd installment of The War Room for the off-season of 2016. 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 the 2016 off-season!
IT IS GOLD
Here’s the latest I have on A.J. Harris. I have confirmed that Ohio State has faxed over his official release. From what I was told, A.J. and his mom have not been on campus yet for an official discussion with the coaching staff.
From what I hear, A.J. is very high on Dayton and the Flyers like A.J., but also want to make sure they get the best fit they can with only one scholarship available right now. That scholarship is gold with so many transfers and graduate transfers looking for a new chapter. Plus, there’s so many guys that Dayton was recruiting at one time that are now available- Jalen Hudson and Howard Washington all come immediately to mind.
A.J. would be a great fit for Dayton because of the need to get a 2017 point guard, but they have more needs than just a point guard. Not to mention, Dayton has invested a lot of time and are in a good position with Simeon guard Evan Gilyard.
The Flyers will lose a shooting guard, a combo guard, a point guard, and a 4/5 after next season. They have to balance the 2017 prospects they are after, how confident they are with those targets, and weigh the transfer market. Next week will be evaluation so it’ll be interesting to see what prospects Dayton coaches will have their eyes fixated on while trying to see fits for their program a couple years from now.
CAN’T BEAT EM, JOIN EM
Jon Rothstein reported earlier this week that Alabama Graduate Transfer Michael Kessens said he is considering Florida International, UC-Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, Wichita State, Dayton, and UC-Riverside. Four warm weather schools and two powerhouse basketball programs. Kessens got a first-hand look of UD Arena at it’s finest—during an 80-48 dismantling of his current school.
In that game, he scored 7 points and grabbed 2 rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. He started 21 games, shot 55.8% from the floor for 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He started more games this past season under Avery Johnson, but saw his numbers and minutes decline.
As I stated in an earlier War Room, the Dayton staff wants only a graduate transfer that they feel can be an all-league type player next season. Kessens will be on his third school after transferring at the conclusion of his freshman year.
He was previously at Longwood University and was an All-Conference type player, which may lend to why the staff is showing interest. He averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 33 games played. In his final game at Longwood, he put up 36 points and 16 rebounds against VMI. He was Big South Freshman of the Year and CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Freshmen All-American team.
SWEET HOME, CHICAGO
Dayton will have three active players next season from the Chicago area with seniors Kyle Davis and Kendall Pollard along with redshirt sophomore Josh Cunningham. Although there is three of them, the Flyers worked on scheduling a game in Chicago for the two seniors.
UD will face Northwestern next season, and it’s rumored to be a part of a doubleheader at the United Center in Chicago. The other game would see Illinois face BYU.
The Wildcats, under Chris Collins, finished 20-12 on the season. They have almost everybody back next season, including five players that were recruited by Dayton during their high school careers.
A source told FlyerHoops that the date for the doubleheader is tentatively set for December 17th. That would be a Saturday, and one of the last big non-conference games before Atlantic 10 play begins. Last season, the Wildcats were 115th in the RPI and should be a Top 100 opponent next season with what they have coming back.
FOOTBALL NEWS
A story that I’ll always remember Don Donoher telling me is the night that Dayton upset North Carolina in the 1967 Final Four to reach the NCAA Final, Tom Frericks said, “I think we got ourselves a new arena tonight!” Taking Dayton basketball to heights it never experienced before led to the approval from donors to fund the building of University of Dayton Arena.
Dayton football reached heights it’s never experienced before when they won the PFL and reached the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history this season. A couple of sources have said that Dayton is close to getting donor backing to build a new home for Dayton football.
Sources have told me they are looking at a couple smaller scale football stadiums in the FCS to model it after. They’re looking to build a new stadium that will seat between 5,000 and 7,500 people. They averaged a little over 3,000 fans for their six regular season football games last season.
Part of that may be that the games are not played on campus, but at Welcome Stadium next to UD Arena. They don’t have the busses to the games like they do basketball. That’s why UD is presenting to donors a rather inexpensive football stadium that would be built on campus at Brown and Stewart Street. It would be an intimate setting that should attract more students to games and may be able to boast sell-outs for nearly every home game.
WHERE NOW?
One last thing… As you all know by now, Brian Gregory was relieved of his duties at Georgia Tech. I’ve talked to a couple of people about where he may end up. One thought he may find his way back to Izzo and the Michigan State bench as an assistant. Another has said he is squarely in the mix at the University of Detroit. A source said that Izzo may be pushing him for that job, too. It would put him back in his comfort zone, recruiting in the Midwest. He was a good ambassador at UD, in the community, and won a lot of games. He obviously didn’t reach the NCAA tournament enough, but he could be the best coach in the Horizon League.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room. The college basketball season is officially over, but it was a great year. Villanova is proof that a small Catholic school that loves their basketball can win a national title! Here’s to making the tournament four years in a row for the first time in school history!
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and a formal welcome to those new subscribers to the site. It's all of you that make this the best place to talk FlyerHoops all year round!
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 the 2016 off-season!
IT IS GOLD
Here’s the latest I have on A.J. Harris. I have confirmed that Ohio State has faxed over his official release. From what I was told, A.J. and his mom have not been on campus yet for an official discussion with the coaching staff.
From what I hear, A.J. is very high on Dayton and the Flyers like A.J., but also want to make sure they get the best fit they can with only one scholarship available right now. That scholarship is gold with so many transfers and graduate transfers looking for a new chapter. Plus, there’s so many guys that Dayton was recruiting at one time that are now available- Jalen Hudson and Howard Washington all come immediately to mind.
A.J. would be a great fit for Dayton because of the need to get a 2017 point guard, but they have more needs than just a point guard. Not to mention, Dayton has invested a lot of time and are in a good position with Simeon guard Evan Gilyard.
The Flyers will lose a shooting guard, a combo guard, a point guard, and a 4/5 after next season. They have to balance the 2017 prospects they are after, how confident they are with those targets, and weigh the transfer market. Next week will be evaluation so it’ll be interesting to see what prospects Dayton coaches will have their eyes fixated on while trying to see fits for their program a couple years from now.
CAN’T BEAT EM, JOIN EM
Jon Rothstein reported earlier this week that Alabama Graduate Transfer Michael Kessens said he is considering Florida International, UC-Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, Wichita State, Dayton, and UC-Riverside. Four warm weather schools and two powerhouse basketball programs. Kessens got a first-hand look of UD Arena at it’s finest—during an 80-48 dismantling of his current school.
In that game, he scored 7 points and grabbed 2 rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. He started 21 games, shot 55.8% from the floor for 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He started more games this past season under Avery Johnson, but saw his numbers and minutes decline.
As I stated in an earlier War Room, the Dayton staff wants only a graduate transfer that they feel can be an all-league type player next season. Kessens will be on his third school after transferring at the conclusion of his freshman year.
He was previously at Longwood University and was an All-Conference type player, which may lend to why the staff is showing interest. He averaged 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 33 games played. In his final game at Longwood, he put up 36 points and 16 rebounds against VMI. He was Big South Freshman of the Year and CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Freshmen All-American team.
SWEET HOME, CHICAGO
Dayton will have three active players next season from the Chicago area with seniors Kyle Davis and Kendall Pollard along with redshirt sophomore Josh Cunningham. Although there is three of them, the Flyers worked on scheduling a game in Chicago for the two seniors.
UD will face Northwestern next season, and it’s rumored to be a part of a doubleheader at the United Center in Chicago. The other game would see Illinois face BYU.
The Wildcats, under Chris Collins, finished 20-12 on the season. They have almost everybody back next season, including five players that were recruited by Dayton during their high school careers.
A source told FlyerHoops that the date for the doubleheader is tentatively set for December 17th. That would be a Saturday, and one of the last big non-conference games before Atlantic 10 play begins. Last season, the Wildcats were 115th in the RPI and should be a Top 100 opponent next season with what they have coming back.
FOOTBALL NEWS
A story that I’ll always remember Don Donoher telling me is the night that Dayton upset North Carolina in the 1967 Final Four to reach the NCAA Final, Tom Frericks said, “I think we got ourselves a new arena tonight!” Taking Dayton basketball to heights it never experienced before led to the approval from donors to fund the building of University of Dayton Arena.
Dayton football reached heights it’s never experienced before when they won the PFL and reached the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history this season. A couple of sources have said that Dayton is close to getting donor backing to build a new home for Dayton football.
Sources have told me they are looking at a couple smaller scale football stadiums in the FCS to model it after. They’re looking to build a new stadium that will seat between 5,000 and 7,500 people. They averaged a little over 3,000 fans for their six regular season football games last season.
Part of that may be that the games are not played on campus, but at Welcome Stadium next to UD Arena. They don’t have the busses to the games like they do basketball. That’s why UD is presenting to donors a rather inexpensive football stadium that would be built on campus at Brown and Stewart Street. It would be an intimate setting that should attract more students to games and may be able to boast sell-outs for nearly every home game.
WHERE NOW?
One last thing… As you all know by now, Brian Gregory was relieved of his duties at Georgia Tech. I’ve talked to a couple of people about where he may end up. One thought he may find his way back to Izzo and the Michigan State bench as an assistant. Another has said he is squarely in the mix at the University of Detroit. A source said that Izzo may be pushing him for that job, too. It would put him back in his comfort zone, recruiting in the Midwest. He was a good ambassador at UD, in the community, and won a lot of games. He obviously didn’t reach the NCAA tournament enough, but he could be the best coach in the Horizon League.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room. The college basketball season is officially over, but it was a great year. Villanova is proof that a small Catholic school that loves their basketball can win a national title! Here’s to making the tournament four years in a row for the first time in school history!
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and a formal welcome to those new subscribers to the site. It's all of you that make this the best place to talk FlyerHoops all year round!
