Let's Get Real

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) -- Now that the Red & Blue game, the not-so "secret scrimmage" vs. Illinois and the "let's pretend" tilt with Southern Indiana are in the rearview mirror, it's time for the University of Dayton Flyers to get real. Which is exactly what they will be doing come Friday night when they kick off the 2014-15 season by hosting Alabama A&M.

This is the best time of the year in college hoops, next to Opening Round Thursday. Every team is undefeated. The season lies before us, nothing but pure potential. It could be an absolute thrill ride (last season says hello) or the equivalent of death by slow digestion over a thousand years by a Sarlacc from Star Wars. (I'm looking at you, Jim O'Brien)

Let's hope that this year is more of the former!

-- Speaking of UD's Elite Eight run, the game that got it all started is ranked #10 in RushtheCourt.net's "30 Reasons Why We Love College Basketball" feature:

http://rushthecourt.net/2014/11/05/w...source=twitter

-- After Alabama A&M the Flyers head straight to Puerto Rico to play Texas A&M. That is two "Agriculture & Mechanical" universities in a row. Not sure what agriculture and mechanical have to do with each other, but there you go.

-- Boy genius Ken Pomeroy has released his pre-season rankings and Dayton checks in at #50, which sounds about right: http://kenpom.com/

-- Not to get way ahead of ourselves here, but how many of you took a peek at the NCAA Tournament sites for next March to see where the Flyers might be playing if they are fortunate enuf to make the Big Dance again? (Raises hand)

-- Longtime college hoops analyst Bill Raftery has filed trademarks on some of his favorite catchphrases like "Onions!" and "With a kiss!":

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...iss-trademarks

No word on whether Raf copyrighted "Scoochie Coochie Coo" for when he is describing UD's point guard or "A kiss to be remembered in Dayton" when calling a game winning UD bank shot.

-- A Dayton Flyer is ranked #10 in Sports Illustrated's Twitter Top 100 and to no one's great surprise, it was not Archie Miller:

http://www.si.com/sports-illustrated...4?noroute=true

-- The NCAA is expected to announce the future site for the First Four next week:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/ne...k.html?ana=twt

-- Wednesday is the first day that HS hoopsters can ink their National LOI. The Flyer Faithful are looking forward to having Xeyrius Williams, Ryan Mikesell, Sam Miller and John Crosby sign on the line which is dotted.

-- Ibi Watson, a 6'4" 2016 SG prospect out of Pickerington Central (OH) HS is the latest to get an offer from the Flyers. Let's go to the videotape:

http://www.courtsidefilms.com/news_a...t-invitational

-- Say what you will about Dickie V, but the man has given back much more than he has taken from college basketball:

https://medium.com/the-cauldron/neve...t-9b8d8423a596

I look forward to the day that Vitale does a game from UD Arena for ESPN, because that will mean that the Flyer program is finally back where it belongs -- in the national spotlight.

-- Former Purdue Head Coach Gene Keady's legendary combover was so bad it cost him $300 a week in upkeep and almost killed him:

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports...tten/18805373/

-- The best NBA promo in, well, forever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjY6pDQ0CZg#t=37

-- "The Not-So-Sweet Tweet of the Week" comes to us courtesy of Mark Adams known here in Flyerland as "The Hometown Coach" on the subject of graduate transfers:

NCAA tracked 353 graduate transfers 2011-12, 1/4 football and 1/3 basketball participants earned grad degrees, most withdrew after last game

Don't be one of those guys, Ryan Bass.

-- "The Sweet Tweet of the Week" was posted by Boston Herald Celtics beat writer and UD grad Steve Bulpett on Stanford alum and C's rookie Dwight Powell:

Every time I see Dwight Powell, I'm thankful he took just 9 shots against Dayton in the Sweet 16

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at swampy@udpride.com