Welcome to the 4th 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 4th edition of the War Room for 2019!
2019 EFFORTS
With Frankie Policelli deciding to transfer, that leaves two scholarships possibly to fill for the 2019-2020 season. Before the question is asked, Sean McNeil told me that there has been no communication with him and Dayton since the text he received that the two parties should head in different directions.
When I’ve asked my sources about this upcoming season, even before these two scholarships opened up, I was told how much depth they have and it may prove difficult to keep everyone happy. I have heard that may have been the worry with McNeil’s situation, and they don’t want chemistry issues because they really like the group that they have assembled. I was also challenged to do a minutes breakdown for the entire roster for next season and I knew exactly where that was going. That's why I stressed after what transpired with Sean that there is only one basketball and five spots on the floor available at a time.
My gut tells me that they will have at least one person sit out next season so I am sure the staff is actively vetting the transfer portal. I was asked about Jayvon Graves the other day and why I am following him. Obviously with Coach Oats leaving Buffalo, there may be some players that are looking to move on. Graves was a nice player this season for the Bulls, athletic (10 ppg, 4rpg) and can shoot from the outside (37%). I really think he could help UD right now, and with a sit-out year, his development could be a tremendous addition to the team.
St. John’s wing LJ Figueroa is another player in the transfer portal that Dayton is keeping an eye on. The 6-6 wing just completed his sophomore season, averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 for SJU. He will continue to view a return to St. John’s as an option, but it will depend on who they hire to replace Chris Mullin.
And yes, there has been some internal discussion about Obi Toppin's little brother, Jacob. Like Obi, he has seen a growth spurt in the last few months, adding intrigue to the prospects of him following his brother to Dayton. I'm unsure if he is at the level they are recruiting at, but the staff will at least strongly give him a look and be honest with the family with their feedback.
Another guy to keep an eye on is Olentangy Liberty wing Ben Roderick. He averaged almost 30 points a game this season in leading Liberty to the state semifinals. Roderick tore his ACL in January of his Junior year and missed AAU ball last summer so his recruitment is just now starting to really heat up. He has high major interest, but his offers are confined mostly to the Mid-American at present. I’m told Dayton will likely do their due diligence on this potential hidden gem.
2020 EFFORTS
So much of Dayton’s recruiting efforts have been focused on 2020 targets. Dayton continues to be in strong pursuit of Posh Alexander. He missed the remainder of his season after breaking his arm, but Dayton has continued in hot pursuit for his services. They were the first school to reach out to him after the injury and hosted him as the first junior to make an official visit to UD. The Flyers are working on him hard and are hoping their persistence and dedication will pay off.
A couple other guys came in and made official visits later, Isaiah Rivera from Illinois was one along with the Champagnie twins from Brooklyn. Dayton was one of a few schools that wanted the two as a package deal, but Justin committed to Pitt for 2019. Julian, however, remains uncommitted but has reclassified for 2020. The Flyers are still recruiting him hard for 2020 class, but it’s possible that he decides later that he wants to go 2019, in which case Dayton would have an available scholarship for either class.
Rivera and Keon Ambrose are guys that are still squarely on Dayton’s radar. Both guys seem to be enjoying the process and do not seem to be close to making a decision any time soon.
Lastly, I am told Dom Penn is one they are continuing to recruit. I think they’ll try to get him and his father down for a visit soon. From there, I think they’ll have a better understanding and feel for where they stand with Penn and how much time they’ll invest in him this summer.
COACHING SPOT
For the second consecutive year, the Flyers are searching for an assistant coach on the staff. Both years have proven to be big shoes to fill as James Kane and Donnie Jones made a huge impact in their one year on the Dayton bench.
I’m told that while there may have been some initial thought to promoting from within, Anthony Grant will “likely” hire externally for this spot. One bit of good news I was given was Brett Comer, who I was initially told would follow Donnie Jones to Stetson, will in fact stay at Dayton after receiving a nice bump in pay.
Word leaked out yesterday that Dayton is looking at Jalen Crutcher’s AAU coach from the Memphis Magic Elite, Eric “Cowboy” Robinson. Robinson started the Mid South Prep Academy in Memphis to help give kids a second chance through basketball. The one thing he preaches that will be music to Anthony Grant’s ears is Robinson believes it’s all about relationships as well. Whether or not Robinson gets the job remains to be seen, but there are more than a couple colleges interested.
I’m told to keep an eye on Sean Dwyer because of possible movement with John Brannen. AG’s former assistant, now the head coach at NKU, might find himself on a new bench after a few good years at Northern Kentucky. If he does leave, Dwyer could be in line to take over at Northern Kentucky. And if not, he could find himself reunited with Anthony Grant after working for him at Alabama.
All in all, I think the hire will be done in the next couple of weeks. I’ll update this thread as I hear things trickle in.
BIG EAST
What would a War Room be like without any talk about Dayton possibly changing conferences. We all know by now that the Big East is ultimate goal for the leadership at the University of Dayton. It’s a basketball centric school, they want to be in the premiere basketball centric conference.
What I earlier had stated about the Big East adding a team in the next year or two, I was told a couple weeks later that the timeline may be too aggressive and really might be more realistically anywhere between this year and the next three years. Sources still believe that it could be announced as early as this summer, but warned as we get closer to the summer and people are setting next season's schedule, the more unlikely it is.
I am told that Neil Sullivan and Eric Spina are all-in on trying to position Dayton into the Big East. So much so, they were so disappointed in Dayton’s performance at the A10 tournament because of the lost opportunity to grab the Big East’s attention. There was a really strong feeling going into Brooklyn that the Flyers were going to win the automatic bid and optimism grew more when they watched VCU go down in the first game on Friday. They were both dejected by the outcome as I am told both Spina and Sullivan are “pouring their heart and soul” into their efforts to get Dayton into the Big East unlike the previous President and Athletic Director combination who may have been a little bit over-confident.
One thing that has been consistent from all of my sources, the Big East has been completely quiet to everyone about expansion. Every source has told me they feel like they will be in the dark until an official invitation is extended (to UD or someone else – hopefully not the latter). Judged on the fact I think the A10 might be worse next year than it was this year, they need to get out as soon as possible in my opinion.
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! I keep hearing nothing but good things about Chase Johnson and the other sit-out transfers as the excitement keeps building to next season! 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 4th edition of the War Room for 2019!
2019 EFFORTS
With Frankie Policelli deciding to transfer, that leaves two scholarships possibly to fill for the 2019-2020 season. Before the question is asked, Sean McNeil told me that there has been no communication with him and Dayton since the text he received that the two parties should head in different directions.
When I’ve asked my sources about this upcoming season, even before these two scholarships opened up, I was told how much depth they have and it may prove difficult to keep everyone happy. I have heard that may have been the worry with McNeil’s situation, and they don’t want chemistry issues because they really like the group that they have assembled. I was also challenged to do a minutes breakdown for the entire roster for next season and I knew exactly where that was going. That's why I stressed after what transpired with Sean that there is only one basketball and five spots on the floor available at a time.
My gut tells me that they will have at least one person sit out next season so I am sure the staff is actively vetting the transfer portal. I was asked about Jayvon Graves the other day and why I am following him. Obviously with Coach Oats leaving Buffalo, there may be some players that are looking to move on. Graves was a nice player this season for the Bulls, athletic (10 ppg, 4rpg) and can shoot from the outside (37%). I really think he could help UD right now, and with a sit-out year, his development could be a tremendous addition to the team.
St. John’s wing LJ Figueroa is another player in the transfer portal that Dayton is keeping an eye on. The 6-6 wing just completed his sophomore season, averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 for SJU. He will continue to view a return to St. John’s as an option, but it will depend on who they hire to replace Chris Mullin.
And yes, there has been some internal discussion about Obi Toppin's little brother, Jacob. Like Obi, he has seen a growth spurt in the last few months, adding intrigue to the prospects of him following his brother to Dayton. I'm unsure if he is at the level they are recruiting at, but the staff will at least strongly give him a look and be honest with the family with their feedback.
Another guy to keep an eye on is Olentangy Liberty wing Ben Roderick. He averaged almost 30 points a game this season in leading Liberty to the state semifinals. Roderick tore his ACL in January of his Junior year and missed AAU ball last summer so his recruitment is just now starting to really heat up. He has high major interest, but his offers are confined mostly to the Mid-American at present. I’m told Dayton will likely do their due diligence on this potential hidden gem.
2020 EFFORTS
So much of Dayton’s recruiting efforts have been focused on 2020 targets. Dayton continues to be in strong pursuit of Posh Alexander. He missed the remainder of his season after breaking his arm, but Dayton has continued in hot pursuit for his services. They were the first school to reach out to him after the injury and hosted him as the first junior to make an official visit to UD. The Flyers are working on him hard and are hoping their persistence and dedication will pay off.
A couple other guys came in and made official visits later, Isaiah Rivera from Illinois was one along with the Champagnie twins from Brooklyn. Dayton was one of a few schools that wanted the two as a package deal, but Justin committed to Pitt for 2019. Julian, however, remains uncommitted but has reclassified for 2020. The Flyers are still recruiting him hard for 2020 class, but it’s possible that he decides later that he wants to go 2019, in which case Dayton would have an available scholarship for either class.
Rivera and Keon Ambrose are guys that are still squarely on Dayton’s radar. Both guys seem to be enjoying the process and do not seem to be close to making a decision any time soon.
Lastly, I am told Dom Penn is one they are continuing to recruit. I think they’ll try to get him and his father down for a visit soon. From there, I think they’ll have a better understanding and feel for where they stand with Penn and how much time they’ll invest in him this summer.
COACHING SPOT
For the second consecutive year, the Flyers are searching for an assistant coach on the staff. Both years have proven to be big shoes to fill as James Kane and Donnie Jones made a huge impact in their one year on the Dayton bench.
I’m told that while there may have been some initial thought to promoting from within, Anthony Grant will “likely” hire externally for this spot. One bit of good news I was given was Brett Comer, who I was initially told would follow Donnie Jones to Stetson, will in fact stay at Dayton after receiving a nice bump in pay.
Word leaked out yesterday that Dayton is looking at Jalen Crutcher’s AAU coach from the Memphis Magic Elite, Eric “Cowboy” Robinson. Robinson started the Mid South Prep Academy in Memphis to help give kids a second chance through basketball. The one thing he preaches that will be music to Anthony Grant’s ears is Robinson believes it’s all about relationships as well. Whether or not Robinson gets the job remains to be seen, but there are more than a couple colleges interested.
I’m told to keep an eye on Sean Dwyer because of possible movement with John Brannen. AG’s former assistant, now the head coach at NKU, might find himself on a new bench after a few good years at Northern Kentucky. If he does leave, Dwyer could be in line to take over at Northern Kentucky. And if not, he could find himself reunited with Anthony Grant after working for him at Alabama.
All in all, I think the hire will be done in the next couple of weeks. I’ll update this thread as I hear things trickle in.
BIG EAST
What would a War Room be like without any talk about Dayton possibly changing conferences. We all know by now that the Big East is ultimate goal for the leadership at the University of Dayton. It’s a basketball centric school, they want to be in the premiere basketball centric conference.
What I earlier had stated about the Big East adding a team in the next year or two, I was told a couple weeks later that the timeline may be too aggressive and really might be more realistically anywhere between this year and the next three years. Sources still believe that it could be announced as early as this summer, but warned as we get closer to the summer and people are setting next season's schedule, the more unlikely it is.
I am told that Neil Sullivan and Eric Spina are all-in on trying to position Dayton into the Big East. So much so, they were so disappointed in Dayton’s performance at the A10 tournament because of the lost opportunity to grab the Big East’s attention. There was a really strong feeling going into Brooklyn that the Flyers were going to win the automatic bid and optimism grew more when they watched VCU go down in the first game on Friday. They were both dejected by the outcome as I am told both Spina and Sullivan are “pouring their heart and soul” into their efforts to get Dayton into the Big East unlike the previous President and Athletic Director combination who may have been a little bit over-confident.
One thing that has been consistent from all of my sources, the Big East has been completely quiet to everyone about expansion. Every source has told me they feel like they will be in the dark until an official invitation is extended (to UD or someone else – hopefully not the latter). Judged on the fact I think the A10 might be worse next year than it was this year, they need to get out as soon as possible in my opinion.
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! I keep hearing nothing but good things about Chase Johnson and the other sit-out transfers as the excitement keeps building to next season! Until next time… WE ARE…
