Mark Adams, host of 1290 WHIO’s Flyer Feedback, took time out his schedule to answer a few questions about the upcoming Dayton basketball season. A former head coach at Central Connecticut State, Adams returns for his third season as the frontman for Dayton’s best local sports talk show and encourages everyone to participate in the show and voice their Flyer opinions over the phone or in person at Flanagan’s Pub near the UD campus. Adams can also be seen in front of the camera this year as he teams with Mike Hartsock to bring you Flyer coverage on WHIO-TV.

Mark also asks that you take part in ‘Mark’s Mailbag’ at UDPRIDE and send him your questions or comments about the Flyers. Selected e-mails will be read on his radio show as the season gets underway.

UDPRIDE: What are your expectations of the Flyers this season?

MA: I expect the Flyers to be a much improved team if they learn their lessons from last year. There is no reason the Flyers cannot compete for the A-10 Western Division championship. Xavier and GW have both lost a lot. LaSalle should be a factor this year. It is a wide open division.

UDPRIDE: What went wrong last year and what needs to be done to correct it?

MA: Last year the Flyers never had team chemistry. Injuries and off-the-court behavior negatively affected the team. I saw a selfish team that under-achieved. The injuries to Josh and the nagging injuries to Coby hurt this team in many ways. We struggled at the point guard position and certainly Josh would have been a viable option at that position.

Our perimeter play was very suspect as Coby never really got it going and Tony became in my view a very selfish person on and off the court. Then Metzler went down and we had no options off the bench. No depth usually makes starters more comfortable as starters and that lack of competition can become a coaching nightmare. Oliver was definitely having a bad dream all season long.

Our 4 spot was a major disappointment until late in the season when Yuanta rose his level of play. It is still a question mark. Can Yuanta carry the load or will Nate or someone else step up and help? Those are critical questions that will determine this team’s post-season fate.

UDPRIDE: Which player will surprise fans next season and why?

MA: I hope it is Tony Stanley but only time will tell. He needs to become a true team player. Hopefully he developed his mental game more in the offseason than any other player. He has talent but I feel he became a selfish player last season. This young man is at a crossroads and he needs to focus on his team, not himself! If he matures and decides that winning is more important than his NBA future then the Flyers will have a much better chance for success!

UDPRIDE: Xavier and GW lost several key performers to graduation. Does this open the door for teams like Dayton and Virginia Tech to move up in the A-10 West or is the talent pool at Xavier and GW deep enough to patch the holes?

MA: Don’t count Xavier out but I think the Western Division is the toughest of the two A-10 divisions. Watch out for LaSalle, VT and Dayton to make great improvements. GW will still be very talented. Any one of these five teams could rise up and win this division. Temple is the hands down favorite in the East.

UDPRIDE: Was 1998 the inevitable “hiccup year” or was it 1997?

MA: I don’t know which season was the hiccup, but I do know this. The key to
this team’s success in the win column will be how well they execute in late-game situations. This conference is very balanced. Temple is the only team heads above the rest. Everyone else will battle every night and determine their fates in the last two minutes of the game. Defense and rebounding are keys! The biggest question is ‘will this team be a selfish team?’ I used to ask my players, “Would you rather sit and win or play and lose?” If these players make a commitment to be selfless they will be a great success. If not expect more losses than wins.

UDPRIDE: What are your impressions of the 99-00 non-conference schedule?

MA: It is a great schedule for fans but may be too challenging for a team trying to rebound from such a tough season last year. I feel the A-10 as a group is over-scheduling their teams. I like a balance of tough games and a few laughers where you can play some of your other guys and give them chance to gain some experience against lesser competition. I understand the A-10 scheduling philosophy but as a former coach I wanted developmental games for all my players, not just the starters.

UDPRIDE: What should Flyer fans expect from Brooks Hall and possibly Keith Waleskowski this season?

MA: Brooks Hall is special! Trust me. Give him time to develop but this kid can flat out play! Regarding Keith Waleskowski, I like his size and hands. Big guys with good hands usually find a way to contribute. I predict he will not redshirt this year as I have a feeling he will compete very favorably for playing time with the returning front line players

UDPRIDE: Ron Jirsa was hired in the off-season. What does he offer the Dayton program?

MA: Ron Jirsa is a great addition to this program. We missed Pete Strickland more than most people can understand. Ron brings another head coach onto the floor everyday. It means another authoritative voice for the players to listen to and respond to over the course of the season. Ron also brings maturity and experience on and off the floor. This team needs more off-the-court supervision and I do not think there is much you can get past Ron Jirsa. Ron’s coaching resume speaks for itself.

The guy has recruited successfully everywhere he has been. Look for great things from Ron Jirsa!

UDPRIDE: How will Oliver Purnell’s World University coaching benefit the Flyers, if any?

MA: It is a great honor for Oliver but I do not think it adds to recruiting. It must be difficult juggling summer competition with summer recruiting. Having Ron Jirsa was a big help as this summer’s recruiting period approached.

UDPRIDE: What can we expect from Flyer Feedback this season?

MA: Flyer Feedback has developed into a sports talk show that I am very proud of. Fans make it great and I feel I improved my game last season. Doing the show in front of a live audience was a great move as it brings fans closer to the show and the game. We have discussed some pre-game types of shows, but time will tell. Flyer Feedback will start immediately following the games this season except for TV games when we will come on as soon as I get there from the arena.

UDPRIDE: The NCAA determined three minor violations and one major violation occurred within the mens basketball program. What, if anything, could have been done to prevent these mistakes and would you have handled the situation differently?

MA: One of my greatest fears in coaching was having a booster who may have had his heart in the right place while his brain was on vacation. That is exactly what happened in the Hall case. You cannot control thousands of boosters regardless of how vigilant you are in enforcing the rules. I feel UD reacted in a forthright way. I never questioned the integrity of Ted Kissel or anyone else associated with the university. I think Gary Nuhn is typical of some media members who love to throw stones in order to create controversy and draw attention to themselves. Mr. Nuhn in my view went too far. He questioned Ted Kissell’s and Bro. Fitz’s integrity. I believe he could learn a lot about integrity from these two fine men!

UDPRIDE: What’s the best piece of coaching advice given to you and who said it?

MA: “Always be yourself and coach the things you really believe in.” Digger Phelps, ND “You can’t put a price tag on fun!” Sam Milanovic, the late great coach of Dickinson State, North Dakota, talking about how some coaches do it for money and forget that basketball is still just a game. “Never box a midget!” Marty Holly, Albertson’s College of Idaho, on his scheduling philosophy. If you are going to schedule “East Cupcake” make sure they are cream filled as in cream puff.