BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — As if the bizarro ending to last season wasn’t bad enuf. Now the annus horribilis known as 2020 is attempting to kick Flyer Fans in the keister yet again, as the Red and Blue struggle to get their 2020-2021 campaign off the ground.

Cedarville exhibition game? Nope.

Bellarmine? Not gonna happen.

Alcorn State? Not so fast, my friend.

Eastern Illinois? Quick, before something else happens!

Jablo has the details here:

https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/dayton-flyers-to-open-season-tuesday/62SAWCTHXRHPJCRDFZEYG3GEEQ/

UD’s official press release:

https://daytonflyers.com/news/2020/11/30/mens-basketball-to-open-the-season-with-eastern-illinois-tuesday.aspx

ESPN+ is still planning to stream this bad boy, so it should mark the color analyst debut of Ryan Mikesell. Here’s a free tip for ya, Chip: Send a text message to Mark Adams on game prep pronto!

Let’s Go!

— In case you were wondering, AG is a class act. Case in point:

https://twitter.com/DaytonMBB/status/1329857564843053060

— To no one’s surprise, UD is one of the teams that will miss a true homecourt advantage during the COVID crisis:

https://collegehoopstoday.com/index.php/rothstein-files/10-teams-that-will-miss-a-true-home-court-advantage-during-the-20-21-season/

— Grant Kelly over on A-10 Talk provides a full roster breakdown on your 2020-2021 University of Dayton Flyers:

https://www.a10talk.com/dayton-flyers-2020-21-season-preview-full-roster-breakdown-and-starting-lineup-predictions/

— Andy Katz says don’t sleep on the Flyers because Jalen Crutcher is back and talks to #10 about the upcoming season:

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1331349897342296064

— Speaking of “Clutcher” Mid-Major Madness named Jalen their POY:

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2020/11/25/21718580/mid-major-madness-preseason-awards-jalen-crutcher-player-of-the-year-makur-maker-bones-hyland

Jeff Goodman at Stadium has Crutcher as a 2nd Team All-American:

https://watchstadium.com/jeff-goodmans-2020-21-college-basketball-preseason-awards-10-27-2020/

— Matt Norlander at CBS Sports ranked every college basketball program in each of the 50 states:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/united-states-of-college-basketball-2020-21-where-every-team-ranks-in-each-state-from-top-to-bottom/

— Recruiting-wise, AG’s incoming class of 2021 recruits ranks #17 in the land, according to Rivals.com:

https://n.rivals.com/team_rankings/2021/all-teams/basketball

— Meanwhile, on the Obi Toppin front:

AG explains to the MSG Network why Obi is special:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ihdK6RL93M&feature=youtu.be

And does the same with Allie LaForce of CBS:

https://app.frame.io/presentations/95269c64-3581-4d2a-b989-f5be2dbb9a9a

Larry Hansgen does likewise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y3Q1soquCA&feature=emb_logo

Flashback video of a very young Obi One:

https://twitter.com/hoopsinthesun/status/1331372703585079296

How ex-Seton Hall star Myles Powell trained with Obi Toppin in South Jersey as Knicks rookies prep for NBA:

https://www.nj.com/setonhall/2020/11/how-knicks-rookies-myles-powell-obi-toppin-trained-together-in-south-jersey-to-prepare-for-the-nba.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

— Growing up with a bunch of French Canadian kids in Leominster, MA there were certain surnames that were pretty unique to our hometown. When I read that the guy who replaced Billy Donovan as head coach of the OKC Thunder was a Massachusetts native with the last name “Daigneault” I thought to myself “Now that’s a Leominster name.” Sure enuf, we grew up in the same town:

https://www.telegram.com/story/sports/pro/2020/11/11/leominster-native-mark-daigneault-named-coach-nbas-thunder/6254342002/

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