Penn's Fran Dougherty (12) and Tyler Bernardini (4) defend SJU's Halil Kanacevic. (Rick Kauffman/Philahoops)
By TIM MORGAN
Philahoops Staff
Twitter: @zcaptain36
(Ed Note: Read Morgan’s preview of St. Joe’s-Dayton HERE.)
In the latest edition of Philahoops Phive, we welcome back Adam Gutheil of the Blackburn Review to help give us an in-depth look at Dayton in preparation of Wednesday’s Dayton-Saint Joseph’s game.
Philahoops: Dayton has leaped to the top of the conference and is coming off strong wins against SLU, Temple, La Salle, and Xavier. What have been the keys to their recent success against very talented teams?
Adam Gutheil: I could probably write a novel on the keys to Dayton’s success, but I’ll keep it somewhat brief with what I think are the two biggest keys. First, Josh Parker is playing at a very high level. He has always been a combo guard with the ability to shoot you in or out of a game. Since A-10 play began, he’s hitting shots, scoring in transition, and giving strong minutes at the point when Kevin Dillard is on the bench.
Second is the overall effort of all nine scholarship players left. They are short-handed, undersized and have less talent than most of the A-10′s better teams, but they play harder than just about any team in the country. They attack the boards, win loose balls, and just come at you in waves for 40 minutes. Mix that with an efficient offense, and they simply find ways to put more points on the board.
PH: Saint Joseph’s has an extremely long and athletic front-court and a very talented and explosive back-court. How does Dayton match-up in both areas? And how much does the win at Xavier and playing Lyons and Holloway help in playing Galloway and Jones?
AG: Matching up with athletes was the biggest worry for UD going into the season, and it became an outright panic when Josh Benson tore his ACL. But somehow, someway, they’ve been able to get by. Defensively they rotate very well and rarely give a wide open look. When a shot goes up they find bodies and position themselves for the rebound.
It all goes back to the effort I mentioned above. I try to analyze things as best as I can, but even I am at a loss for words at times. They just find ways to get it done despite their very real shortcomings.
PH: I talked to Coach Miller Monday on the A-10 teleconference and he talked very highly of Kevin Dillard. What kind of player is Dillard and what makes him so valuable to the Flyers?
AG: It’s impossible to overstate what Dillard does for this team. He comes off ball screens, surveys the defense, and almost always makes the right decision. He’s the only guy on the team that can create his own points, and on top of that he is tasked with creating for everyone else. He’s not a great percentage shooter, but he’s a big shot maker. The weight on his shoulders is tremendous but he never wilts. He’s been the best PG, if not the best overall player, in A-10 play.
PH: Matt Kavanaugh was named Co-A-10 Player of the Week. His numbers and minutes are way up. What have been the reasons for his new-found success?
AG: Kavanaugh has been a perfect match for Archie Miller’s system. He’s a smart player who understands what he can and can’t do. He can make some moves, but most of his buckets come from simply finding a gap and waiting for a pass from Dillard. He’s an above 80% free throw shooter and a very good offensive rebounder. The biggest thing is that he doesn’t make mistakes. After two years in the doghouse, he’s gotten his chance and run with it. At times you’re not sure how he does it, but it happens.
PH:Dayton is coming off recent big wins and St. Joe’s has been really struggling of late, but they are home at Hagan, a place where they have had great success this season. How do you see this game playing out?
AG: I worry about a hangover effect with UD. The home game with Xavier is the biggest game of every season, and it’s hard to then go on the road and bring the same intensity. It’s a new staff and a new attitude, but Dayton has not played well with a target on their back in recent years. St. Joe is talented and will be ready to go, and will have a raucous crowd in Hagan to see them knock off the first-place Flyers.
I think the Hawks jump out early and make Dayton play uphill all game. UD fights back, but Galloway makes enough plays late to hold them off. Hawks win 79-74.
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Philahoops would like to thank Adam Gutheil for his contribution to the latest Philahoops Phive.
