BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — There are many dramatic sequences in the epic WWII movie “Saving Private Ryan” but none more so than this scene depicting the dying words of Capt. John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) to Pvt. Ryan (Matt Damon):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv-67DFlOsM

“Earn This”

And so it is with the #24 ranked Dayton Flyers…they need to hit the road on Saturday for DC and ‘earn this’:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2016/poll/2

Elsewhere in hoopdom:

— Nice to see that the Flyers re-shot the team pic to include senior Dyshawn Pierre:

https://www.facebook.com/GoDaytonHoops/photos/a.10150658828472372.416377.147064647371/10153921832582372/?type=3&theater

— Those legendary capes that the Flyers wore pre-game during the 1950s made NCAA.com’s list of the “Top Warmups in Men’s College Basketball”:

http://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2016-01-27/high-five-mens-basketball-top-warmups-ucla-marquette-dayton-houston

— Don’t recall seeing this Flyer hoops hype video before the LaSalle game, but here it is now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQvkeglsGlk&feature=youtu.be

— Pickin’ Splinters says Charles Cooke is answering the call at winning time:

http://www.pickinsplinters.com/2016/01/26/cooke-heeds-daytons-call-at-winning-time/

— One lesson SBU learned from their loss to UD is that they can’t disappear in an A-10 game:

http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2016/01/20/bona-knows-it-cant-disappear-in-an-a-10-game/

— Twitter reactions to the latest UD victories:

SLU: http://daytonflyers.blog.daytondailynews.com/2016/01/28/twitter-reacts-dayton-73-saint-louis-37/

LaSalle: http://daytonflyers.blog.daytondailynews.com/2016/01/30/twitter-reacts-dayton-59-la-salle-44/

— On the recruiting front, here are some names to remember:

2017 big man Sterling Manley from Pickerington Central who has already attended two UD games thus far (Manley is #1 in the video):

http://270hoops.com/video-pickerington-central-upsets-westerville-south-at-jared-sullinger-play-by-play-classic/

Class of 2016 recruit Danny Davis of Springfield:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za_7bE3TfjU

Class of 2019 prospect Amari Davis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlSzQ32f4i4

Obviously, Archie sees the need to reload the roster with kids named ‘Davis.’

— These UD basketball socks look terrific and a portion of the proceeds go to charity and to scholarship funds:

http://www.udcrewsocks.com/

— Great profile by “The Hometown Coach” Mark Adams on cancer survivor Derrick Colter of the Duquesne Dukes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjClNEy0Axo

— The late Abe Vigoda had his own baseball card. Of course he did!

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/01/26/162895780/abe-vigoda-dies-at-94-has-his-own-baseball-card?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]