Welcome to the 5th installment of The War Room for 2018. 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 5th edition of the War Room for 2018!
NOT THE POLICE CHIEF
I didn’t want to wait until this War Room to let you know that former UTC point guard Rodney Chatman began an official visit on Sunday night. I’ve been burnt waiting until a War Room to post information before only to see it go public by one of the national guys.
With that being said, I did save some of the info about Chatman for this thread. Chatman told me that he knows Dayton has made him a high priority right away as evident by them getting him to visit less than a week after he announced his transfer.
Chatman came to Dayton with his mother and his father and his little brother. This is his first visit and the only one he currently has setup. He told me that the next visit he is contemplating is Virginia Tech, but that’s not for sure. He’s already heard from Bradley, Clemson, Loyola (Chicago), Rice, UAB, and Virginia Tech.
With the love that Dayton has shown him since his transfer announcement and with a point guard a priority, I’d be surprised if Chatman and his family is not blown away by the visit. Hopefully that’s the case and we all hear some good news sometime on Tuesday.
ANOTHER VISITOR?
From what I’ve gathered, it’s very possible that Chatman is not the only visitor this week. But, like I alluded to last week, sources are being very quiet. Little clues I’ve been told would lead me to believe that there’s another one lined up.
Like I said last week, I was told that no visitors were going to be on campus because it was finals and graduation weekend. It still remains to be seen whether or not this mystery recruit from the Bahamas actually was on campus because I have yet to be able to confirm it.
I was first told that the next couple of visits were going to be held close to the vest because the importance and sensitivity of them. Secondly, I heard that they may have asked for a couple of permits to show off the arena construction.
My guess would be if they are confident in landing Chatman, a second visitor would most likely be a big and someone that can rebound. I’ll continue to work and find out possibilities of who might be their next priority and will reply to this thread when I do.
UNDER THE RADAR 2018 OPTIONS
Here’s a couple of intriguing names that I have heard over the past couple weeks as under-the-radar possibilities. Shea Feehan and Marlon Ruffin, both are not household names for good reason.
Let's start with Shea Feehan, the NCAA Division III guard from Eureka College. He's averaged over 20 points per game all three years at Eureka, including over 30 in 2017-2018. He's a career 42% three-point shooter as well. He'd be a grad transfer and would be eligible immediately in the fall. There were rumors of Dayton interest last week on our board, but Feehan told me late last week that he had yet to hear from Dayton.
Another possibility is 6-3, 185-pound Sun Prairie (WI) combo guard Marlon Ruffin. He averaged 20 points a game as a junior and 17.3 points as a senior this year. There was some talk after he only received one Division II scholarship offer that he may walk on at Wisconsin. He's starting to get late Division I interest though including being contacted by the Dayton staff, he told me.
With multiple scholarships still available and wanting to get their culture right, they may take a chance on a one-year scholarship with a shooter like Feehan or a bottom of the roster guy like Ruffin. There's plenty of talent still out there, but they are concentrating on getting the right fits.
AAC
First, let me preface this topic with I’m getting mixed signals and I am not sure what to believe. The whispers that I am hearing right now is telling me that the AAC possibility is getting real. A lot of smoke right now. At the same time, I was cautioned by a high level source that the noise may in fact be just be that- noise.
Starting in the middle of last week, I was contacted by a couple of different sources that seem to indicate that the AAC was on the verge of happening. One stated, "Dayton is in final negotiations with the AAC" The second source sent me a text that read, "Get ready... AAC... soon." All of that was before I was cautioned to pump the brakes. Of course, though, a situation like this, nobody from UD would want it leaked until the papers are signed.
The other thing I started hearing last week for the first time in a year is that Dayton may very well have a partner in VCU that would join with them. The current makeup of the league is 12 teams and these additions would take them to 14 which the Atlantic 10 has had for quite some time. Even if a UCONN and UC left because of football, you'd be back down to 12. Sure, you'd hope the league would include those two, but it's still a step up in my opion from the Atlantic 10 with all the other teams.
One more thing of note that I was told was Neil Sullivan and Eric Spina are working on this together. There is no big committee trying to make this new marriage happen, it's mostly Neil. From what I am told, Sullivan is listening to his other Men's and women's basketball coaches and they think the move would benefit their recruiting in a big way. And from Spina's perspective, this move would be good exposure to the South and Southwest United States in terms of undergrad enrollment. Lets hope that the old saying is true. Where there is smoke, there is fire.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room. Let’s hope that Dayton can land another big commitment this week with Chatman. Welcome and thank you to all the new subscribers and of course, thank you to all the loyal subscribers that help make FlyerHoops the best place to talk Dayton basketball all year round! 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 5th edition of the War Room for 2018!
NOT THE POLICE CHIEF
I didn’t want to wait until this War Room to let you know that former UTC point guard Rodney Chatman began an official visit on Sunday night. I’ve been burnt waiting until a War Room to post information before only to see it go public by one of the national guys.
With that being said, I did save some of the info about Chatman for this thread. Chatman told me that he knows Dayton has made him a high priority right away as evident by them getting him to visit less than a week after he announced his transfer.
Chatman came to Dayton with his mother and his father and his little brother. This is his first visit and the only one he currently has setup. He told me that the next visit he is contemplating is Virginia Tech, but that’s not for sure. He’s already heard from Bradley, Clemson, Loyola (Chicago), Rice, UAB, and Virginia Tech.
With the love that Dayton has shown him since his transfer announcement and with a point guard a priority, I’d be surprised if Chatman and his family is not blown away by the visit. Hopefully that’s the case and we all hear some good news sometime on Tuesday.
ANOTHER VISITOR?
From what I’ve gathered, it’s very possible that Chatman is not the only visitor this week. But, like I alluded to last week, sources are being very quiet. Little clues I’ve been told would lead me to believe that there’s another one lined up.
Like I said last week, I was told that no visitors were going to be on campus because it was finals and graduation weekend. It still remains to be seen whether or not this mystery recruit from the Bahamas actually was on campus because I have yet to be able to confirm it.
I was first told that the next couple of visits were going to be held close to the vest because the importance and sensitivity of them. Secondly, I heard that they may have asked for a couple of permits to show off the arena construction.
My guess would be if they are confident in landing Chatman, a second visitor would most likely be a big and someone that can rebound. I’ll continue to work and find out possibilities of who might be their next priority and will reply to this thread when I do.
UNDER THE RADAR 2018 OPTIONS
Here’s a couple of intriguing names that I have heard over the past couple weeks as under-the-radar possibilities. Shea Feehan and Marlon Ruffin, both are not household names for good reason.
Let's start with Shea Feehan, the NCAA Division III guard from Eureka College. He's averaged over 20 points per game all three years at Eureka, including over 30 in 2017-2018. He's a career 42% three-point shooter as well. He'd be a grad transfer and would be eligible immediately in the fall. There were rumors of Dayton interest last week on our board, but Feehan told me late last week that he had yet to hear from Dayton.
Another possibility is 6-3, 185-pound Sun Prairie (WI) combo guard Marlon Ruffin. He averaged 20 points a game as a junior and 17.3 points as a senior this year. There was some talk after he only received one Division II scholarship offer that he may walk on at Wisconsin. He's starting to get late Division I interest though including being contacted by the Dayton staff, he told me.
With multiple scholarships still available and wanting to get their culture right, they may take a chance on a one-year scholarship with a shooter like Feehan or a bottom of the roster guy like Ruffin. There's plenty of talent still out there, but they are concentrating on getting the right fits.
AAC
First, let me preface this topic with I’m getting mixed signals and I am not sure what to believe. The whispers that I am hearing right now is telling me that the AAC possibility is getting real. A lot of smoke right now. At the same time, I was cautioned by a high level source that the noise may in fact be just be that- noise.
Starting in the middle of last week, I was contacted by a couple of different sources that seem to indicate that the AAC was on the verge of happening. One stated, "Dayton is in final negotiations with the AAC" The second source sent me a text that read, "Get ready... AAC... soon." All of that was before I was cautioned to pump the brakes. Of course, though, a situation like this, nobody from UD would want it leaked until the papers are signed.
The other thing I started hearing last week for the first time in a year is that Dayton may very well have a partner in VCU that would join with them. The current makeup of the league is 12 teams and these additions would take them to 14 which the Atlantic 10 has had for quite some time. Even if a UCONN and UC left because of football, you'd be back down to 12. Sure, you'd hope the league would include those two, but it's still a step up in my opion from the Atlantic 10 with all the other teams.
One more thing of note that I was told was Neil Sullivan and Eric Spina are working on this together. There is no big committee trying to make this new marriage happen, it's mostly Neil. From what I am told, Sullivan is listening to his other Men's and women's basketball coaches and they think the move would benefit their recruiting in a big way. And from Spina's perspective, this move would be good exposure to the South and Southwest United States in terms of undergrad enrollment. Lets hope that the old saying is true. Where there is smoke, there is fire.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room. Let’s hope that Dayton can land another big commitment this week with Chatman. Welcome and thank you to all the new subscribers and of course, thank you to all the loyal subscribers that help make FlyerHoops the best place to talk Dayton basketball all year round! Until next time, WE ARE…..
