When Andy Metzler announced a few months ago that he’d played his last basketball game as a Flyer, Oliver Purnell lost more than just a another shooting guard – he lost a major portion of any fire and attitude still burning inside the bellies of his players after a disappointing 11-17 season. With perseverance, toughness, and machismo already at a premium, finding ways to make up for Metzler’s loss will be harder to do than simply replacing points and rebounds.

As disappointing as it is to see Metzler not return, his career was filled with as many ups and downs as an amusement ride at Cedar Point. In so many ways, Metzler defined the overachiever who underachieved because of extraneous circumstances that many of us have yet to explain. Metzler arrived at Dayton as Oliver Purnell began the arduous process of taking a program that was a perennial loser and turning it competitive. Metzler showcased his skills at nearby Fairmont High where he earned Dayton Daily News POY honors and an All-State selection, but few schools came calling. In fact, were it not for Dayton’s offer, Metzler’s only other Div-I alternatives were a couple creampuff programs on the east coast. For many UD fans, handing him a scholarship was a step backwards, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Metzler finished his career as the master carpenter, capable of hammering out a little bit of everything. While style and form were never strong suits, everyone soon realized Andy’s bottom line was in the finished product. Where other players – more skilled players – dared to go, Metzler volunteered. Whether driving to the hoop like a Japanese Zero or adding floorburns to his knees, Metzler put on the warpaint and led by example. Though he scored less than 500 points in his Flyer career and averaged just 5.6ppg before his knee injury in 1998-99, his ability to come up big at the important times make his stats and overall contribution to the program remarkably deceiving. Off the court however, Andy’s career was a myriad of confusion, question marks, and speculation. He sat out his sophomore season due to chronic fatigue that doctors have yet to explain. Along with Nate Green, he earned a two-game suspension last year after being involved in a campus fight that later made national headlines after a UD freshman filed charges. And just as bad times seemed to be behind him, Metzler tore his ACL in a mid-season contest that ended his 98-99 campaign. After months of positive rehab and summer league play in which several witnesses spoke of Andy’s amazing recovery and grit, Metzler announced that the sneaks would stay in the closet and that his playing days as a Flyer were done.

Andy Metzler was a vital cog in Dayton’s attack and became such a dependable player off the bench that Purnell played him more than his starters on several occasions. No one else drove the baseline, went to the charity stripe, flashed to the paint, and made bigger shots than Andy. In a sense, Metzler was the unlikeliest of heroes. Through hard work and determination, he made himself into a Div-I player; a very good Div-I player. He will be missed.