Whacker
11-30-2009, 11:15 PM
CINCINNATI (OH) – Dayton travels to Oxford, OH to face Miami University (2-4) in the 127th meeting between the long time rivals. Dayton leads the series 65-61.
Typically, head coach Charlie Coles has been able to assemble a roster with at least one playmaker and surround them with role players. This year, the Redhawks lack that premiere player.
Senior point guard Kenny Hayes (6-2 183) could be that player, but for every assist he dishes out to a teammate he sets up the other team just as well. The scrappy guard is fearless, but has never learned to pick his spots or when to play it safe. Shot selection continues to be a problem, but Hayes does get to the free-throw line.
Coles expected junior Nick Winbush (6-7 226) to play a more prominent role in the offense coming into the season, and he has done just that shooting the ball as well as any one in the country making 29 of 49 three-point attempts and almost 60% of his shots overall. Winbush has proven to be a competent ball-handler and match-up problem at the power forward spot.
Junior wing Rodney Haddix II (6-3 220) has been steady, if unspectacular knocking down open shots and finishing around the rim when needed. While other Miami players draw the defensive attention, Haddix calmly makes them pay whenever the defense misses an assignment or overplays.
Sophomore Julian Mavunga (6-8 245) has taken over the starting center position, despite Coles reticence to play him early on.
"I thought he played well in spots," Coles said of Mavunga at the end of last season. "He has a tough time getting that ball to the rim. He is really going to have to work on his agility, and he probably has to lose some weight to be better."
Well, Mavunga dropped a few pounds and has certainly improved his shooting touch. He’s making 54% of his field goal attempts including 6 of his 11 three-point attempts. When he establishes position, he’s nearly impossible to move and plays nearly as wide as he is tall. If he receives the ball on the blocks it’s almost an automatic bucket or a foul. Mavunga leads the team averaging seven rebounds per game.
Red-shirt senior Adam Fletcher (6-9 241) might be the only player on the roster not capable of knocking down the triple, but he finds plenty of other ways to contribute. Fletcher is an excellent low-post defender who plays hard and will take a charge or dish out a hard foul when needed. Fletcher is the kind of player who wants to win at all costs and has embraced his new role coming off the bench.
Red-shirt junior Antonio Ballard (6-4 222) is another high-energy player who goes hard to the offensive glass and is a solid defender.
The RedHawks aren’t as bad as their record indicates, but Coles doesn’t have many options until his highly touted freshmen are ready to contribute regularly. That means defending well enough to stay on the floor and diversifying the offense. Until then, Miami will remain a team of slow-footed jump-shooters that have trouble keeping quicker players in front of them.
Recently freshman guard Orlando Williams (6-4 173) has begun to show promise, earning his first start of the season in Miami’s home opening win against Evansville. He replaced sophomore Kramer Soderberg (6-0 174) who struggled with his shot and has been turnover prone. Ultimately, Williams has a good chance to remain there because of his defense and his slashing ability – adding a sorely needed dimension to the MU offense.
The RedHawks are most effective on offense when they feed the post generating open three-point opportunities. And they have the capability to drain them in bunches – just ask Kentucky who watched them make 15 of 26 attempts at Rupp Arena in a 70-72 loss. For the season Miami is making over 40% of their three-point attempts, but when the triple isn’t falling the RedHawks have few options to generate a bucket.
Miami is going to slow the game down and run their offense as long as they need to until they can generate an open shot. Dayton has had trouble keeping opposing guards in front of them all year, so this will be a good test. If the Flyers can’t contain the MU guards, the sloppy rotations we’ve seen all year will lead to a plethora of open looks for the Miami sharpshooters.
At the other end, Miami will try to force Dayton to score in the half-court – which they have struggled to do all season. The Flyers need to harass the turnover prone Hayes and Mavunga on defense and control the glass. If they can generate consistent offense from second-chance opportunities and fast-break from defensive rebounds Dayton will fare well. Miami is a solid rebounding team especially on the defensive end, but their inability to create off the dribble and lack of quickness hurts them on the offensive glass.
I’d consider this a gut-check game for the Flyers. They have obviously struggled with defensive and rebounding through their first five games. If Dayton tries to outscore the RedHawks settling for triples instead of attacking the rim, they concede their advantage in athleticism and quickness. The hallmarks of last year’s 27-8 team were defense and rebounding and if Dayton doesn’t rediscover them they’ll lose another one at Millet Hall where they have only won twice since 1988.
Typically, head coach Charlie Coles has been able to assemble a roster with at least one playmaker and surround them with role players. This year, the Redhawks lack that premiere player.
Senior point guard Kenny Hayes (6-2 183) could be that player, but for every assist he dishes out to a teammate he sets up the other team just as well. The scrappy guard is fearless, but has never learned to pick his spots or when to play it safe. Shot selection continues to be a problem, but Hayes does get to the free-throw line.
Coles expected junior Nick Winbush (6-7 226) to play a more prominent role in the offense coming into the season, and he has done just that shooting the ball as well as any one in the country making 29 of 49 three-point attempts and almost 60% of his shots overall. Winbush has proven to be a competent ball-handler and match-up problem at the power forward spot.
Junior wing Rodney Haddix II (6-3 220) has been steady, if unspectacular knocking down open shots and finishing around the rim when needed. While other Miami players draw the defensive attention, Haddix calmly makes them pay whenever the defense misses an assignment or overplays.
Sophomore Julian Mavunga (6-8 245) has taken over the starting center position, despite Coles reticence to play him early on.
"I thought he played well in spots," Coles said of Mavunga at the end of last season. "He has a tough time getting that ball to the rim. He is really going to have to work on his agility, and he probably has to lose some weight to be better."
Well, Mavunga dropped a few pounds and has certainly improved his shooting touch. He’s making 54% of his field goal attempts including 6 of his 11 three-point attempts. When he establishes position, he’s nearly impossible to move and plays nearly as wide as he is tall. If he receives the ball on the blocks it’s almost an automatic bucket or a foul. Mavunga leads the team averaging seven rebounds per game.
Red-shirt senior Adam Fletcher (6-9 241) might be the only player on the roster not capable of knocking down the triple, but he finds plenty of other ways to contribute. Fletcher is an excellent low-post defender who plays hard and will take a charge or dish out a hard foul when needed. Fletcher is the kind of player who wants to win at all costs and has embraced his new role coming off the bench.
Red-shirt junior Antonio Ballard (6-4 222) is another high-energy player who goes hard to the offensive glass and is a solid defender.
The RedHawks aren’t as bad as their record indicates, but Coles doesn’t have many options until his highly touted freshmen are ready to contribute regularly. That means defending well enough to stay on the floor and diversifying the offense. Until then, Miami will remain a team of slow-footed jump-shooters that have trouble keeping quicker players in front of them.
Recently freshman guard Orlando Williams (6-4 173) has begun to show promise, earning his first start of the season in Miami’s home opening win against Evansville. He replaced sophomore Kramer Soderberg (6-0 174) who struggled with his shot and has been turnover prone. Ultimately, Williams has a good chance to remain there because of his defense and his slashing ability – adding a sorely needed dimension to the MU offense.
The RedHawks are most effective on offense when they feed the post generating open three-point opportunities. And they have the capability to drain them in bunches – just ask Kentucky who watched them make 15 of 26 attempts at Rupp Arena in a 70-72 loss. For the season Miami is making over 40% of their three-point attempts, but when the triple isn’t falling the RedHawks have few options to generate a bucket.
Miami is going to slow the game down and run their offense as long as they need to until they can generate an open shot. Dayton has had trouble keeping opposing guards in front of them all year, so this will be a good test. If the Flyers can’t contain the MU guards, the sloppy rotations we’ve seen all year will lead to a plethora of open looks for the Miami sharpshooters.
At the other end, Miami will try to force Dayton to score in the half-court – which they have struggled to do all season. The Flyers need to harass the turnover prone Hayes and Mavunga on defense and control the glass. If they can generate consistent offense from second-chance opportunities and fast-break from defensive rebounds Dayton will fare well. Miami is a solid rebounding team especially on the defensive end, but their inability to create off the dribble and lack of quickness hurts them on the offensive glass.
I’d consider this a gut-check game for the Flyers. They have obviously struggled with defensive and rebounding through their first five games. If Dayton tries to outscore the RedHawks settling for triples instead of attacking the rim, they concede their advantage in athleticism and quickness. The hallmarks of last year’s 27-8 team were defense and rebounding and if Dayton doesn’t rediscover them they’ll lose another one at Millet Hall where they have only won twice since 1988.