Professional and College Basketball Forums banner

Dayton Recruiting

605K views 4K replies 168 participants last post by  KYFlyer 
#1 · (Edited)
Top-100 Recruit Likes Flyers (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 25, 2009)

(Article about Brandon Spearman)


Flyers Going After Guards (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 27, 2009)

(Article about Jalen Steele, Jesse Berry, Brandon Spearman, and Cameron Wright)


Flyers aim for a great class (Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News - June 28, 2009)

(Article about Jesse Berry, Jalen Steele, and Brandon Spearman)


Dayton Flyers 2009-10 Depth Chart with 2008-09 Scoring (5 Seniors):

PG: London Warren (6-0 Sr./ 4.1 PPG), Rob Lowery (6-2 Sr./ 7.5 PPG)
SG: Marcus Johnson (6-3 Sr./ 11.8 PPG), Mickey Perry (6-2 Sr./ 4.6 PPG), Paul Williams (6-4 Soph./ 2.2 PPG)
SF: Chris Wright (6-8 Jr./ 13.3 PPG), Chris Johnson (6-5 Soph./ 6.3 PPG), Luke Fabrizius (6-9 Soph./ 4.3 PPG)
PF: Devin Searcy (6-10 Jr./ 2.8 PPG), Josh Benson (6-10 Fr./ DNP)
C: Kurt Huelsman (6-10 Sr./ 3.6 PPG), Matt Kavanaugh (6-10 Fr./ DNP)

Brian Gregory has 6 scholarships available for the 2010 Class (the 5 present seniors plus Stephen Thomas’ scholarship) and the following wish list:

1 point guard
1 shooting guard
2 combo guards
1 combo forward
Adreian Payne

The point guard scholarship went to Juwan Staten.

At the present time, Brandon Spearman and Jalen Steele are the front-runners for the shooting guard scholarship.

Both combo guard scholarships have now been awarded, the first going to Drake transfer Josh Parker, who will be a junior in 2010-11 (Josh Parker video) and the second to Jesse Berry.

The combo forward scholarship went to Ralph Hill, who appears to be a slightly bigger version of multi-skilled, athletic Chris Johnson. Brian Gregory was in early on both Ralph Hill and Chris Johnson, and both flew under the national radar (i.e. head coaches of BCS-conference schools and the basketball recruiting websites) before committing to Dayton. As you recall, Chris Johnson was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team in March 2009, which was quite an accomplishment for a reserve SF playing behind Chris Wright. At 6’-5” Chris Johnson is quite capable of playing the SG position against opponents’ taller SGs. Brian Gregory is very keen to stock his roster with players who can play 2 positions – “interchangeable parts” as he calls them – and is doing a great job of so.

The sixth and final scholarship available for 2010 is being held for PF/C Adreian Payne, who may or may not commit to Dayton. As many of you know already, Payne is still very raw, but has incredible upside potential. If Payne commits elsewhere, Brian Gregory may offer it to another 2010 prospect or hold the scholarship for a 2011 prospect.

PF # 2 Adreian Payne (Rivals.com)

PF # 7 Adreian Payne (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

C # 4 Adreian Payne (Scout.com)


It is relevant to ask how much UD’s recruiting has improved since Brian Gregory was named head coach of the Dayton Flyers.

This question is best answered by looking at the last two recruiting classes that were signed by Oliver Purnell before he left for Clemson:

University of Dayton Prospects: HS Class of 2002 (Scout.com)

University of Dayton Prospects: HS Class of 2003 (Scout.com)


If Chris Wright has a monster season in 2009-10 (i.e. 18 PPG, 8 RPG, 50% FGs, and 40% from 3-point range) he may well forego his senior year at UD and head to the NBA a year early as a first-round draft pick. However, given the very strong field of players who will likely be in the 2010 NBA Draft, coupled with Derrick Brown's disappointing # 40 selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, I consider it far more likely that Wright will play his senior year at UD.

If Wright does leave early for the NBA, the Flyers will still have junior Chris Johnson, junior Luke Fabrizius, and freshman Ralph Hill available to man the 3-spot in 2010-11. This means that Brian Gregory will not find himself in Chris Mack's situation of having to waste a valuable scholarship on a career pine-jockey in a desperate attempt to fill a hole in the roster after the unexpected departure of the team's best player.


Dayton has not passed Xavier as a program yet, but as each season goes by, Brian Gregory has been building a stronger roster and closing the gap between the Flyers and the Musketeers. I believe it is likely that the Flyers will win the Atlantic 10 Conference this season and continue to improve relative to Xavier and the rest of the Atlantic 10 basketball teams. However, that is only one man's humble opinion. As always, we'll see . . .


Related Threads:

PG Chooses Dayton (Juwan Staten) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started February 27, 2008)

Spring Period Signings in the A-10 (Josh Parker) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started April 18, 2009)

Ralph Hill, 2010 SF commits to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started April 28, 2009)

Class of 2010: ESPNU Super 60 (Juwan Staten) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 1, 2009)

Overview of Your Team Next Year (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 20, 2009)

Dayton vs. Xavier in 2009-10 (Atlantic 10 MB thread started May 29, 2009)

2009-10 Preseason Rankings (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 16, 2009)

July 2009: AAU Tournaments and Evaluation Period (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 26, 2009)

2010 NBA Draft (Atlantic 10 MB thread started June 26, 2009)

Berry to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 2, 2009)

Chris Wright on Yahoo! homepage (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 7, 2009)

Dayton Flyers Land Another Top 100 Recruit (Brandon Spearman) (Atlantic 10 MB thread started July 17, 2009)

SF Devin Oliver Commits to Dayton (Atlantic 10 MB thread started October 18, 2009)

Today is National Letter of Intent Day (Atlantic 10 MB thread started November 11, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2008 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2009 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

Atlantic 10 Commitments: HS Class of 2010 (ESPN / Scouts Inc.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Atlantic 10: 2009-10 Predicted Order of Finish (A10 MB thread started October 6, 2009)

Rivals.com Ranks All 347 Division I Teams (A10 MB thread started September 11, 2009)

CHN's 144 Teams in 144 Days (A10 MB thread started July 23, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dayton Recruiting (A10 MB thread started July 2, 2009)

Thinking About ... DAYTON (WH MB thread started October 17, 2009)


2009-10 Season Predictions: Flyers Lead the Way (A10 MB thread started September 29, 2009)

ESPN's Top Basketball Programs of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000 (A10 MB thread started October 5, 2009)

A-10 Non-conference Records Predictions (A10 MB thread started October 10, 2009)

A10 Media Day (A10 MB thread started October 20, 2009)

Early Season Tournaments (A10 MB thread started August 6, 2009)

Dayton's 3-Point Shooting to be Upgraded for 2010-11 Season (A10 MB thread started November 21, 2009)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dayton Flyers 2009-10 Schedule & Results (DaytonFlyers.com)

Game 1: # 21 Dayton 90, Creighton 80 (Flyers 1-0):
CU/UD Game thoughts (A10 MB thread)

Game 2: # 18 Dayton 63, # 22 Georgia Tech 59 (Flyers 2-0):
Puerto Rico thread......UD/GA Tech (A10 MB thread)

Game 3: # 5 Villanova 71, Dayton 65 (Flyers 2-1):
UD/Nova game thread (A10 MB thread)

Game 4: Kansas State 83, Dayton 75 (Flyers 2-2):
UD/Kansas St. game thread (A10 MB thread)

 
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: _Loki_
#116 ·
I don't think you give these kids as much credit as they deserve. Just looking at the past 3-5 years is lip service. They look at who is already playing the position they want to play. They look at who else is being recruited both at the same position and who they would play along side. They look at the relationships they have with the coaching staff. They look at the academics. They probably look at what there is to do during the off season. There is a plethora of things the look at far beyond what the last 3-5 years have produced.
 
#127 ·
Dubious rumor on many counts.

Is Payne going to WVU? Maybe?

Does WVU already have a Top100 Point Guard for Class of 2010 (per Rivals, some have Cottrill ahead of Staten)? Yes. Even if Staten were looking (which I don't think he is), why would he pick WVU?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recruiting/player-Noah-Cottrill-67791

Has there been anything you have more than "heard" that would lead you to this "idea"? (e.g. Did he not wear a UD t-shirt to his last event?)
 
#123 ·
Cincy Muskie,

Would this be a false rumor that you heard from one of your envious Xavier buddies or a false rumor that you just started yourself ?

The last hot rumor that a Muskie posted here was that Payne was committing to Ohio State and was trying to convince Juwan Staten to go Columbus.

Another hot rumor is that Payne will commit to Tom Izzo at Michigan State. No doubt, he will be trying to convince Juwan Staten to go there as well (if he hasn't already talked Juwan into committing to West Virginia).

Why do you waste your time posting pure crap like this ?

 
#125 ·
Muddy,

Rumors are abound the point guard savior isn't completely sold on UD.

In your head, maybe . . .

BTW Cincy Muskie - Xavier grammar really makes me cringe.

 
#133 ·
#134 ·
I think UD's chances are very good with Jakaar. 3 reasons, #1 is Juwan Staten, and #2 & 3 are closely related Marcus Johnson and Jakaar's high school coach. Marcus has had a great experience at UD...he's a fan favorite and you can tell how much Marcus likes playing for Brian Gregory.
 
#135 ·
#136 ·
Dayton Daily News coverage of the Flyers Media Day:


UD's Lowery Begins Road Back (DDN - October 13, 2009)

Expectations High for Wright (DDN - October 13, 2009)

NCAA Tourney Win Leaves Flyers Wanting More (DDN - October 12, 2009)

29 Media Day Photos (DDN - October 12, 2009)


I would also like to thank Flying Elvis for his excellent Dayton Flyers 2009-10 Preview on another thread.

Excellent work, Elvis !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was one interesting difference between Elvis's Preview and the Media Day Notes. Elvis quite reasonably had Devin Searcy starting at PF and Chris Wright at SF.

The Media Day Notes has Chris Wright starting at PF and Chris Johnson starting at SF (although he is listed as a 6'-6" guard).

Chris Johnson has certainly earned a spot in the starting line-up, but I still expect to see Devin Searcy, Josh Benson, and Matt Kavanaugh get a significant amount of playing time in 2009-10.

A key to the Flyers success during the non-conference part of the schedule will be the ability of Mickey Perry to effectively play the reserve point guard position during Rob Lowery's recovery / rehabilitation.

PROBABLE STARTING FIVE (Page 1 of the Media Day Notes)

Pos. No. Name PPG, RPG, APG / MISC

G 1 London Warren (Sr., 6-0, Jacksonville, FL) 4.1, 2.8, 4.4 / 1.6 spg, 2.33 a/t ratio

G 4 Chris Johnson (So., 6-6, Columbus, OH) 6.3, 5.2, 0.6, / 72 off reb, .772 FT%

G 32 Marcus Johnson (Sr., 6-3, Cleveland, OH) 11.8, 3.1, 1.5 / 28.3 mpg, .360 3-pt%

F 33 Chris Wright (Jr., 6-8, Trotwood, OH) 13.3, 6.6, 0.9 / 1.3 bpg, .478 FG%

F 41 Kurt Huelsman (Sr., 6-10, St. Henry, OH) 3.6, 4.1, 0.7 / 0.6 bpg, 21.9 mpg

 
#138 ·
Without question having the 2 Chris's on the floor at the same time is an interesting lineup the only problem is neither are very good on the ball defenders and both are foul prone because they are so aggressive offensively. BG will tinker with his options in replacing Charlie...I see Devin remaining as Kurt's backup.
 
#139 · (Edited)
Yes, in my review, I admit that I have difficulty knowing exactly how our starting line-up will look at the beginning of the season, considering Little's departure. I thought they were more likely to fill it with a big man, but maybe that isn't the case. Putting CW at the four, and getting CJ in the line-up probably gets our best talent (as we know it now) on the floor together.

Searcy is a defacto-guess based on seniority. I don't think he has a good chance of being a starter. I think the starting line-up decision is down the road, after about a month of practice.

One thing I am confident in, is that wholesale substitutions are going to be a way of life again. It's about sustaining the energy level.
 
#140 ·
I believe we offered Devin Oliver
There may be some more news about this fairly soon.

Oliver has been flying under the national recruiting radar, but he is a baller who can shoot and defend well.


Devin Oliver (Rivals.com profile)

Oliver's Recruitment Hits New Peak (Matt Schwade - Premium Article - October 15, 2009)


Kalamazoo Central's Oliver is Dazzling (mlive.com - January 30, 2009) Excerpt:

Kalamazoo Central junior wing Devin Oliver is 6-foot-5 with a reach more proportionate to a 7-footer.

His long arms and quick feet make him a pest on defense. His smooth, left-handed shooting touch makes him effective from long range, and his wiry body and long strides allow him to slice through the lane and get to the rim with ease.

"I ask him, when he's out there, 'I need you to never take a play off.' Not just by scoring and passing the ball, but defensively," K-Central coach Mike Thomas said of Oliver, who totaled a game-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including a trio of 3-pointers and a handful of tip-ins. Oliver also pulled down a game-high six rebounds.

"One of the things I must point out is, he's averaging about six steals a game. That's amazing, to be at his size, to be all over the court. That's what I ask him to do -- just bust your butt on defense.




Kalamazoo Central's Devin Oliver breaks loose for an open lefthanded dunk early in the second quarter of Thursday's game against Mattawan. Oliver scored 25 points in the Maroon Giants' win.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sounds a lot like Chris Johnson, who also flew under the national recruiting radar before being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Newcomer Team.

Watch this space.

 
#141 ·
So, about this Devin Oliver...

The first thing I look at when evaluating potential recruits is competing scholarship offers. There are conflicting reports, but it looks like Oliver has only been offered two scholarships: Western Michigan (where both his parents played) and Dayton. He has received "interest" from Michigan and has attended at least one of their development/recruiting camps. From reading some Michigan fan sites, I get the feeling that the Michigan coaches like the player but view him more as a recruited walk-on than a scholarship player. From that perspective, I do wonder if Devin Oliver is good enough to be considered A10-starter quality as a prospect.

The second thing I'll do, if I can, is trust my own lying eyes. I found a stream of Oliver's high school team playing in the Michigan state semi-finals (you can watch it here for free: http://mhsaa.tv/events/6063 ) from last spring. Also playing in this game was another Dayton prospect, Matt Kamieniecki, who was recruited by our staff (but was probably not offered a schollie and ended up committing to Ball State in the MAC). Both Oliver and Kamieniecki were juniors at the time, and another prospect of note, Doug Anderson, was a senior playing on Oliver's team (Kalamazoo). Anderson ended up committing to a JUCO, probably due to grades.

What I found really interesting in this game was the contrast between these three high school players:

Kamieniecki is a 6'7" post player with tenacity and toughness, obviously well-coached, and more than willing to get floor burns. But he is also athletically limited and probably just undersized enough to be a non-factor in a High Major DivI conference. Case in point: Kamieniecki had one of his jump shots from around the free throw line blocked back into his face in this game. And to be truthful, he is a lot like a number of post players Dayton has had over the years: Keith Waleskowski and Andy Meyer come to mind.

Doug Anderson is a 6'5" burly power forward with high major athleticism but limited skills. He is known for spectacular dunks and not much else. Basically, he is Charles Little.

Devin Oliver is listed at 6'5" and you can see from the game that he is a touch shorter than Kamieniecki but also taller than Anderson. Anderson is probably not 6'5", so the 6'5" height listing for Oliver is probably pretty good (and I realize all of these heights are inflated/measured with shoes, etc.)

Oliver's game is very different from either Kamieniecki or Anderson--he's much more of a perimeter player and ball handler. If I had to sum up what I saw in that game from Oliver is that he did a little bit of everything, and flashed true talent in most areas. He passed well around the perimeter and made sound decisions to find the open man. He defended well with a number of deflections and a steal or two. He rebounded well when he ventured into the paint. He took only a couple of jump shots, but made an NBA-range three-pointer look effortless. He drove to the hoop with a decent-to-good looking handle, but picked up a couple of charges. He didn't jump out of the gym, but with his arm length and glide he can finish well above the rim.

However, throughout the game I got the impression he was a complementary player and was not the focal point for his team. In a game that does not feature elite talent, a high major recruit should dominate play. And if I had to guess, I think this is why Oliver has gotten interest from high major schools but no offers. They probably see him as a role player without eye-popping athleticism or a single dominant skill.

So why did BG offer him? This is pure conjecture on my part, but I think BG is once again shifting the talent on the Flyers roster. His first makeover was to get really athletic, and he sacrificed height and ball skills to get it. Charles Little, London Warren, Marcus Johnson, Chris Wright are all super athletes who struggle with high skill aspects of the game (namely shooting). I think BG realized a couple of years ago that a roster lacking skills is easy to defend in A10 league play where the rest of the coaches know all of your weaknesses.

Starting with last year's frosh, BG has dialed back on the athleticism and upped the emphasis on offensive skills. But since Gregory will NEVER sacrifice defense for offense, he has looked for players with either the quicks to pressure the ball or really long-limbs that can be used to extend defensive pressure and snag rebounds. Paul Williams, Luke Fabrizius, Josh Benson, Chris Johnson...none of them are the level of athletes that Marcus Johnson or Chris Wright are, but they all have really long arms. Josh Parker, Juwan Staten, Jesse Berry are short and without freakish arm length, but they should be high energy pest-types at pressuring the opposing point guard up the floor and thereby contribute to the defensive scheme.

So, bringing this back to Devin Oliver. Based on that one game of film study, I think he is probably offensively skilled and I know he has great arm length for a perimeter player (he would be a perfect fit at guard in John Chaney's old matchup zone). It seems to me he would fit in well with the new roster that BG is trying to build. He may never be a starter or anything other than a role player, but if he can defend and contribute offensively, I think he would play and hold his own in the A10. BG could just get guys like Oliver's teammate, Doug Anderson, and replace what Charles Little gave us, but he's moving away from that. He could also have offered a guy like Matt Kamieniecki to give us more rugged toughness, but I think he's looking for more now.
 
#142 ·
So, about this Devin Oliver...

it looks like Oliver has only been offered two scholarships: Western Michigan (where both his parents played) and Dayton.
According to Steve Bell at BankHoops.com, Butler offered Devin Oliver at the beginning of August, just after the AAU season ended. Rivals.com also lists Devin's offer from Butler.


Those of you who follow Michigan HS basketball already know who Steve Bell is. For the rest of you who may be interested:

About the 2006 Camp Directors:

Stephen Bell has published The Bank: The Michigan High School Basketball Player Databank for ten years and also writes a basketball recruiting blog for MLive. He is formerly the Michigan editor for the Hoop Scoop and the original publisher of Michigan Preps. He is an Associated Press and Michigan Press Association award-winning sports writer for the Petoskey News-Review. Bell is a native of Holland, Michigan.


BankHoops 2010 Michigan HS Prospect Rankings (Steve Bell - April 23, 2009)

Wing

1. Trey Zeigler 6-5 Mount Pleasant
2. Devin Oliver 6-5 Kalamazoo Central
3. Roy Marble Jr. 6-5 Southfield-Lathrup Iowa
4. Patrick O'Brien 6-3 Flint Powers
5. Josh Herbeck 6-5 Ann Arbor Richard
6. Austin Semple 6-6 Zeeland West
7. Lanier Brown 6-5 Detroit Cass Tech
8. Chris Anderson 6-5 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Toledo
9. Justin Edmonds 6-4 Albion
10. Mitchel Vallie 6-4 Goodrich

He may never be a starter or anything other than a role player, but if he can defend and contribute offensively, I think he would play and hold his own in the A10.
I hate to disagree with you Paris, but with SFs Chris Johnson and Luke Fabrizius on the roster and a number of highly-touted Class of 2011 SFs publicly expressing interest in Dayton, Brian Gregory doesn't need a 2010 SF. Therefore, it stands to reason that BG would only offer Devin Oliver a scholarship if he thought that the kid had a real chance of developing into a very high-calibre player.


Atlantic 10: 2009-10 Predicted Order of Finish (A10 MB thread)

Gary Parrish and Blue Ribbon both rank Butler # 11 in their 2009-10 preseason rankings.

 
#143 · (Edited)
#145 ·
#144 · (Edited)
Interesting get. He reminds me a lot of a larger Ramod Marshall with his thin frame, gliding style and long arms.

2010 - 2011 UD roster so far, assuming no losses (Wright to NBA?), and taking my best guesses at position.

pg - Juwan Staten (FR), Josh Parker (Jr)
sg - Paul Williams (JR), Jesse Berry (FR), Brandon Spearman (FR)
sf - Chris Johnson (JR), Ralph Hill (FR), Devin Oliver (FR)
pf - Chris Wright (SR), Josh Benson (RS-SO), Luke Fabrizius (JR)
c - Matt Kavanaugh (SO), Devin Searcy (SR)

It's really futile to try and decide positions, because a lot of these guys can play at least 2 spots. The big question now is if Chris Wright leaves early to go pro. I don't think anyone can say for sure now, but it will, of course have a huge impact on our team next year. I think I heard that if Wright stays, Oliver is likely to redshirt.
 
#147 · (Edited)
Elvis, keep your fingers crossed any time you type Chris Wright and 2010 - 2011 UD roster in the same post. If Wright has the kind of junior-year season that many of us are expecting from him, he's gone.


Congratulations to Coach Gregory and his hard-working staff on a very good pick-up for the Flyers !


Thanks MichFlyer1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flyers Land Another Recruit

By Doug Harris | Sunday, October 18, 2009, 05:43 PM


Devin Oliver, a 6-foot-6 perimeter player from Kalamazoo, Michigan, has accepted a scholarship offer from Dayton, becoming the fifth member of the Flyers’ 2010 recruiting class.

Oliver, who led Kalamazoo Central High School to a state runner-up finish last season, averaged about 18 points and eight rebounds. He also had offers from Iowa, Butler and hometown Western Michigan.

Considered an athletic wing player, Oliver claimed the Flyers’ final scholarship in the ‘10 class. Guards Juwan Staten, Brandon Spearman, Jesse Berry and forward Ralph Hill also have made verbal commitments to UD.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dayton Adds Fifth Commitment (Jerry Meyer, Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting - October 18, 2009)


Oliver Earns Opportunity He's Wanted (Matt Schwade, FlyerHoops.net - October 18, 2009)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
#150 ·
Sounds like a good pickup at this point. Who knows really. Sounds like he's def 6'5" if not taller. He's been listed as tall as 6'7" and looks like he's thin but can play the 2 but more likely a 3 that can really extend the defense. Plays for a good high school program too against quality competition in the state of Michigan. Third player out of Michigan in the last 3 years for BG. According to Rivals offers from Butler, Iowa, Western Kentucky and SMU. USC, Wisconsin, and Michigan all had scheduled visits to Kalamazoo if reports are to be believed.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top