Before the season started, I posed the question, “Is it time for OP to go?” This article was not meant to say that we should start looking for another coach. My intent was to bring up some points that needed to be answered. The only way these questions could be answered would be through performance. Performance had to come from Oliver Purnell, his coaches, and his players. It is important to mention HIS players and HIS coaches because he is no longer living with hand-me-downs. What Oliver Purnell has reaped comes from what he was sewn.

At the beginning of the article I mentioned a five-step plan and just where OP needed to go during his stay at the University of Dayton. The five-step plan is as follows:

Get the team to respectability.
Get the team into the NCAA.
Get the team into the NCAA every year.
Get the team into the final four.
Win a national championship.

This is not just an issue at UD but at over 100 Division I basketball universities. I stated that if you don’t begin to move down the list fairly quickly, you could find yourself on the hot seat and eventually out the door. Although coaches tend to get a little more slack at UD, the pressure to produce is still there. Since 1985, we have been to the NCAA tournament exactly one time. During that time, Dayton has posted 183 wins and 227 losses — hardly acceptable. Even the die-hard basketball fans that fill the arena game after game will only continue to support mediocrity for so long. It was time to start moving down the list.

Two years ago, it appeared that we had reached stage one. This was not easy due to the fact that Jim O’Brien left the cupboard bare. Aside from Ryan Perryman, there wasn’t a player on the team that could have started at any of our main recruiting rivals, Xavier, Miami, UC, and Ohio State. After an exciting 1997-1998 season that saw UD playing in the post season for the first time since 1990, anticipation was high for the new season. Allegations of fights with other students and teammates, missed curfews, a late transfer, and season-ending injuries highlighted a season of disarray and begged the question of who was in control. Shortly after the season mercifully ended, a new and potentially damaging discovery was made: the father of the highest-rated recruit of the Purnell years received a significant loan by a trustee of the university. Through no fault of the coaching staff, fears of NCAA probation and loss of scholarships have plagued the athletic department for well over a year now.

A mediocre record and possible probation put us back to square one. We had no longer attained respectability in the five-step program. At least two things had to happen this year. We needed to have a good recruiting year and have a good season on and off the court. Because of unacceptable slowness by NCAA officials, we still don’t have a decision concerning possible probation. As a result — aside from Sammy Smith — successful recruiting has been non-existent. Despite being mentioned with a number of top players, that dark cloud continues to scare players away. It will only be when the NCAA Violations Committee decides to stop keeping us twisting in the wind that players will actually sign. With that decision due in the next two months, OP and his staff will hopefully have a successful spring. When I wrote the article I was hoping for a winning season. With that and a good recruiting class, we would once again be heading in the right directing. Two years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined a winning record would be acceptable for the class of 2000, but it’s amazing what one bad year can do to a struggling program. But things have changed. We are currently on the verge of winning 20 games – a fact that might get us into the tournament. With three more wins, we will maintain our low 30’s RPI ranking and an 8-10 seed. Should this happen, all is forgiven with regard to last year’s flop and we are on to stage two.

When Oliver spoke about last year, he referred to it as a hiccup. He found a cure for that hiccup and has us, once again, moving in the right direction. Whatever happens with the rest of the year should not change our perception of what he has done. People are now talking about the University of Dayton and they are talking about it in the right way. We are no longer just a school with a proud tradition. We are talked about with some of the better schools in the country. We don’t get highlights on Sports Center just because we have a 5-foot guard on the team. Oliver Purnell is a good coach. If anyone ever doubted that, all they have to do is take a close look at this season to see just how good he really is. We were 7-0 when Cain Doliboa was lost for the season. At the time, I felt that we would be fortunate to win half of our remaining games with only two wing players on the roster. Since then, the Flyers have gone 11-6. Although we have some very good players, they should not have won nearly two-thirds of those next 17 games. We can attribute the success to the knowledge that OP and his staff bring to the game and the sheer determination to succeed and not give up.

Last Thursday the Flyers played Temple, one of the hottest teams in the country (and conqueror of No. 1 UC) to a virtual standstill for 35 minutes. With 20 seconds left, Hall has an open three that would have pulled us to within a point and brought the house down and probably Temple with it. It didn’t happen and we ended up losing. Many coaches would have been happy with the effort and claimed a moral victory, but not OP. The first thing out of his mouth after the game says a lot about this man and what he expects.

“It was disappointing loss for me because I didn’t think we played tough enough for 40 minutes on the defensive end. I don’t want the team to be satisfied that we played Temple close. That’s not enough for this team at this point in the season,” he said. The man wants more and that is good for all of us. Next year will be even more fun with the returning talent that we have. The nucleus is there. Yes, we have a problem in the middle and at the point, but that can be solved as soon as the NCAA gets off its sorry posterior and lets all of the recruits know that we will survive. Basketball is a game that is controlled by the guards. We have talked and talked about the need for a big man. It is true that we need additional bodies to make next year work, but the talent that will return is enough to get us into the dance once again. David Morris is a fine offensive player. He is 50% better this year. Another significant improvement will make him an All Atlantic-10 player. Tony Stanley has elevated his game to being an all-around player that did not exist last year. Brooks Hall is the real deal and is poised to explode next year. Sammy Smith is the perfect compliment to these two players with his ability to slash to the basket and hit a three when needed. Remember that we lost our third-leading scorer when Cain went down. If he can return at full strength, it gives us one more perimeter weapon.

All is good in Flyer town and it will only get better. The crowds have been explosive. We will end up with the fourth highest average attendance in Arena history and the highest since the third year of operation. The excitement is back and it truly is the place to be on game night. Next year we will see even more sellouts and tickets will be as hard to get as they used to be when we played in the Fieldhouse. If you want to watch these guys next year, I suggest you give Gary McCans a call right now and get your name on the list for season tickets before they become an endangered species. Stage three is at our doorstep.