Muddy Waters

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Norwich Bulletin Dayshon Smith Putnam January 2013 (Google search)

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Kyle Davis Flourishing at Morgan Park (Chicago Sun-Times - January 3, 2013)

Morgan Park has gotten off to a 14-1 start behind the excellent play of starting guards
Kyle Davis and Billy Garrett.




Morgan Park's Kyle Davis shoots over Stevenson. - Chicago Sun-Times Media


Players are getting the message: when competing against Morgan Park’s Kyle Davis, they better bring their "A" game.

The freakishly athletic 6-foot senior guard is known to use multiple crossovers or thrown down electrifying dunks on his defenders. Davis is enjoying every minute on the court with his Mustangs teammates since transferring from Hyde Park last year.

Before the season, a lingering question was whether Davis and fellow senior guard Billy Garrett Jr. would be able to coexist on the court. They have silenced their doubters, leading No. 3 Morgan Park to a 14-1 record.

Davis and Garrett both are thriving.

Davis is already accustomed to winning, playing with the stacked Mac Irvin Fire summer team, but his swagger and confidence on the court is on a different level than his peers. His mentality is the same every time he steps on the court.

"I need to stay focused and get my team going. I already know I can get to the basket and score at will," Davis said.

Morgan Park coach Nick Irvin knows how important leadership is and wants him to set an example that his teammates can follow.

Davis committed to Dayton in August. He credited his mother and high school coaches for helping him make a decision. He knew the school was a great fit, and Flyers coach Archie Miller built a strong bond with him and made him feel like Dayton will be his new home. Confidence is key in anything you want to be great at, and Kyle Davis’s confidence allows him to strive to be the best.


Losing a excellent guard to graduation like Kevin Dillard always hurts, but I am looking forward to the additions of Jordan Sibert, Kyle Davis and Scoochie Smith to the Flyers' backcourt next season.

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Flyer75

When you lose a player like Dillard, but bring back a bunch of other talent, you just run the offense through a different player. Dillard is replaceable, as much as I like him. 14 pgg isn't otherwordly. It's great but you can find those points in other places. I've been impressed Price this year, not his ppg but his defense and ability to run the offense and stay within himself. Sibert, Davis, Smith, Sanford and Price will make for the deepest backcourt in the A10 next year (or whatever it will be called).

A10fan2

Better find a "go to" player when you really need a bucket. I assume you mean deep as in having a lot of guards because I don't see the depth in talent. Replacing 14 ppg might be doable but it's his leadership and ability to close out games that will be lost next year.

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Muddy's from 2009

He has since made the same "prediction" this year. CLASSIC

bp

Pierre will be the "go to" player, in my opinion.

AdamtheFlyer

The "go to" players next year will be Sanford and Sibert. 5th year senior and 4th year junior, both good shooters and both can create off the dribble. That's everything you want in a guy you are trusting to go get a bucket late.

Possibly Robinson, too, if he continues to develop his post game. His baby hook is already nearing "put two points on the board" when he sets it up. As he adds more and the defense can't sit on one move, he will become a very dangerous post scorer. He's probably still another year from being a high possession % type player, but it wouldn't shock me if he gets there by the end of his sophomore year.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

Medford

If Robinson doesn't improve his free throw shooting, late game situations with the ball in his hands will become "hack a shack" moments.

Flyer75

I think this is the big myth on Dillard. I love the guy but I can't remember in a season and half yet that he has hit a game winning shot yet. He's probably had 8 chances... a few already this year and hasn't made one of them. Yes, he's taken over a few games in the final minutes but he's not been near as clutch as a Tu or Crawford when it comes to having to have that "one" bucket. Hence, three losses this year by 4 total points.

AdamtheFlyer

He wasn't on the floor in the last possession for one of the losses. The outcome may not have changed, but I like their chances with him than I do with the three and quick follow up jumper they got.

The idea of clutch is strange. Some say it doesn't exist, that everything comes down to numbers and they always equal out over time. I believe clutch exists, but the last few possessions aren't always the biggest in a game. Last night Colorado was screwed by the refs, but a big part of that game was letting Arizona back in. If they had a player like Dillard, that game doesn't come to the final possession.

Dillard is awesome. He is irreplaceable this year. No one is irreplaceable from year to year.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

AdamtheFlyer

Teams aren't going to automatically hack a post player in a tie game or with a small lead. That's suicide. College offensives aren't capable of scoring at will like in the NBA. They always prefer to defend through the possession.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

Flyer75

Ya I pretty much agree with this. Dillard is stellar at the line so in end of game situations he closes it out that way. We would be screwed without Dillard this year....next year, dont see it as a huge deal.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using VerticalSports.Com App

xu95

This is all just hopeful speculation. You don't know how any of these guys will turn out.

Medford

Poppycock! Muddy already told me they'd be all conference by the end of their sophomore year. All of them

xavierhoops

Yes, UD fans do know. They'll be the deepest backcourt in whatever league UD plays in next year is what we've already been told.

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Chris Mack in 3 years at Xavier has had twice the NCAA wins (4) of the entire Dayton coaching staff in the modern era of NCAA basketball (2).

xavierhoops

The conversation on Dillard truly is interesting though.

I'm not sure how a program like UD will not miss an "elite" player like Dillard next year. It just simply "won't be a big deal".

I consider Tu and Crawford elite players. Game changers. Clutch players. Play makers. It was a big deal for even a program like Xavier when they graduated/moved on to NBA and Europe.

It's like you want your cake and eat it, too. Dillard is stellar, Dillard is elite, we'd be screwed without him this year, contender for A-10 POY. But, hey, it's no big deal next year. We'll have the deepest backcourt in whatever conference we play in. He's not all that clutch. He can't hit game winning shots. Dillard being a go-to player is a myth.

Just my 2 cents.

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Chris Mack in 3 years at Xavier has had twice the NCAA wins (4) of the entire Dayton coaching staff in the modern era of NCAA basketball (2).

AdamtheFlyer

You do realize that Dillard's spot doesn't just vanish, right? Dayton will still be playing with 5 on the floor at all times (provided Karl Hobbs doesn't join the staff).

Graduation isn't a new concept, it's been around for several years now. You really don't even "replace" graduated players, you create an entirely new team altogether. Xavier isn't down because Holloway and Frease graduated, or some others left, they are struggling because the talent on the team today is wholly average.

I like Dayton's roster for next year. That's why I don't fear Dillard graduating. Archie certainly won't ask Khari Price, Scoochie Smith, or Kyle Davis to do what Kevin Dillard does. Roles will evolve, the offense and defense will be tweaked to match the talent on hand. Like I said, he's irreplaceable for this year, but that's it. He doesn't even exist on future rosters.

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Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.