The Flyers take a 6-0 record to Milwaukee Tuesday night for a 8pm EST showdown with longtime rival Marquette University. But unlike most games in this series, the Dayton Flyers may be favored.

It was just a year ago that Marquette came into the UD Arena and walked out with an 81-49 drubbing that left even the most optimistic Flyer Faithful stunned. So embarrassing were the Golden Eagles that Head Coach Mike Deane could do little more than shake his head after witnessing his own player unintentionally intentionally stick a missed free throw into the Flyer basket on a rebound. But it’s a new season and the Flyers better be ready for a better game.

Last year’s Marquette team is basically this year’s Marquette team. At the heart of all MU team’s is a great point guard. From Tony Smith to Tony Miller to Aaron Hutchins, the program has survived on great leadership and ball handling. Last year, the job was handed over to freshman Cordell Henry, and the young man endured a season of growing pains. What was last year’s Achilles Heel however will still be offset by this year’s strength — defense. Over the last decade, the Warriors and now Golden Eagles have enjoyed one of the nation’s stingiest defenses — good enough to hide other weaknesses and earn the program postseason bids. Mike Deane was given the pink slip in the offseason despite a splendid overall record and postseason resume. New Head Coach Tom Crean is hoping Marquette gets back to where they were just a couple seasons ago.

Cordell Henry, a 5-9, 160lb, sophomore, is averaging 10.4ppg and 3.2apg, but his assist to turnover ratio is less than 1:1 which indicates the freshman mistakes have yet to be ironed out. Henry is a jet-quick guard cut out of the same mold as David Morris, but Henry doesn’t have the jumpshot to keep defenders from creeping into the paint to double-team the post players or plug up any lanes for penetration. Henry has drained just 2 of 19 treys this year and is shooting .380% from the floor. But Henry’s game is getting others to score and the more room you give him, the more effective he becomes.

Alongside Henry in the Marquette backcourt is 6-2 senior John Cliff. A backup a year ago, Cliff is now logging the most minutes of any player on the team, and as a result leads the team in scoring with 14ppg to go along with 5.8rpg. Cliff is by far the best long-range shooter on the team (9-26 for .346% from behind the arc) but doesn’t possess the athletic ability or defending prowess of better off-guards like Tony Stanley. Cliff can be spectacular or miserable but when he’s hot he’s really hot. He dumped 37 points on Memphis last season but averaged under 10ppg for the year.

Brian Wardle, a 6-5 junior, can play either shooting guard or quick forward. Wardle will see the majority of his minutes at quick forward if Cliff continues to lead the team in scoring. Wardle is by far the best shooter on the team (.528%) but isn’t the lanky gunslinger you’d expect like a Cain Doliboa. Instead, Wardle fishes around the basket and camps out on vacant hardwood for medium-range jumpers. At 10ppg, Wardle is the third in scoring. He won’t step out and take a three-pointer often, but when he does he usually makes the most of it.

Occupying one the interior positions is 6-7, 213lb Oluoma Nnamaka, an up-and-coming sophomore who might be the most talented player on the team. With Marquette hurting desperately for athleticism, they won’t find it in Nnamaka, but they do get a tough, hard-nosed player who finds ways to be dynamic on the court. Nnamaka averages 9.6ppg and a team-leading 8rpg while logging the second-most minutes on the club. The fact that he shoots nearly .500% from the floor doesn’t hurt either.

When Marquette wants to play small, they’ll insert 6-7, 213lb Jon Harris into the frontcourt. Harris is hardly a scoring threat, netting just 2.2ppg, but earns his scholarship on the glass by nabbing 8rpg — good enough to tie for the team lead with Nnamaka. When Harris gets the ball down low however, he rarely knows that to do with it. He’s not a gifted passer and doesn’t have the offensive game to scare an opposing coach. He’s a role player in every sense of the word, but does it rather well and stays within himself.

For a larger lineup, Crean will give the nod to John Mueller, a 6-11, 232lb junior who averages 6.2ppg and 6.4rpg. Mueller is the typical widebody stiff who doesn’t move well and can’t get up and down the floor, but he can bust a few chops and alter a few shots for those who wish to take the ball inside and challenge him. Another option is 6-8, 235lb senior John Polonowski. Mr. P. averages 6.8ppg and 3.4rpg while shooting .500% from the field. He’s another slow big man, but Marquette has enough of them to foul considerably and not get into any depth issues.

Greg Clausen, another of the Golden Eagle sequoias, is a 6-11, 265lb junior who started last season but has been relegated to bench duty in 99-00. His numbers are too small to mention.

Other guys coming off the bench include former Northmont standout David Diggs, a 6-4, 200lb sophomore who hasn’t done of anything this season. Diggs, once recruited by Dayton, may have done Flyer fans a favor by electing to skip town and enroll elsewhere. Diggs can nail the outside shot, but he rarely gets the opportunity. He’s taken just eight field goal attempts all season.

Brian Barone, a transfer from Texas A&M, provides a backup to Cordell Henry at the point guard position. Barone is anything but quick and athletic, but he does own 14 assists to just 7 turnovers — easily the best ratio on the team. His job is to hold the fort and distribute the basketball, but scoring isn’t a major part of his game.

The Flyers clearly have better talent. At every conceivable position, Dayton possesses more athleticism, more scoring, and definitely more depth. But in a road contest, that doesn’t always mean a whole lot. Dayton must continue to prove it can win on the road against strong defensive teams that pack a large fan following. Marquette is slow and methodical — not because they want to be, but because they have to be. There are no Stanleys and Hollands and Ashmans on the Golden Eagle roster. With the talent level siding with the Flyers, there’s no reason to think Dayton can’t take care of business and improve to 7-0. But to dismiss Marquette and their 4-1 record against a bunch of cupcakes (only loss was to Minnesota) would be a serious mistake.

With the Top-25 polls released and no mention of Dayton, Purnell’s team may have something to prove. If the Flyers are truly Top-25 material, they’ll take care of business and come home 7-0. If they stumble, then it’s probably just as well that a ranking yet be earned.