They come and they go. We get excited, we get frustrated, and we second-guess, but we always come back for more. In the months that have passed since our hearts were broken from the first round defeat in the NCAA Tournament, we have been on a virtual roller coaster. The die-hard University of Dayton basketball fan has had plenty to talk about since March Madness joined our lives for what seemed like the briefest of moments. We have gained players and lost players. We have gained a coach and lost a coach. We have gotten more ink in the local paper than you can even imagine. What it all says is that the program is alive and well and not part of the disaster of the previous decade.
When the players walked off the court with their heads hanging after the one-point defeat at the hands of Purdue, none of us were sure what kind of team we would revisit in November. UD had yet to hear of the final penalty from the NCAA concerning the loan to Chuck Hall, and it continued to hang over our heads like the blade of a guillotine. The lack of a decision had been a part of our seemingly constant struggle for 18 months without the exorcism we wanted. It was obvious that the potential for penalty was hampering recruiting. Only one player had signed a letter-of-intent and we had massive holes to fill. The team had a great run and a lot of fun during the season, but would it continue?
With the season over and the recruiting wars heating up, we heard a lot of names and had a lot of opinions, but all we really had was hope and a fistful of available scholarships. The weekend of April 7-9 just might have been the turning point that we all can look back upon as the salvation of the upcoming season. We knew we were short in a number of areas, but the front line was of greatest concern. It was during this weekend that Jason Osborne, Sean Finn, and Lamar Hill visited the campus. Something clicked during those three days because all three of them liked what they saw and decided to cast their lot with the “U” as one of our favorite scribes likes to write.
In a matter of days, the Flyers went from having a starting line-up that would have to be quick to compete to one that could bang with the big boys. We went from asking, “Where’s the beef?” to “What are we going to do with all of these guys?” But that wasn’t the end as the flow of players continued into the system. The other big hole was point guard. Oliver Purnell had his starter in David Morris, but we still needed someone else to log seven to ten minutes per game. As a result, the guards began to make commitments. First it was Ramod Marshall. Within one week, Nucleus Smith once again signed a letter-of-intent. We were set at point and for the first time in years had all 13 allotted scholarships in use. The fans were secure that we were ready for the 2000-2001 season and that things would quiet down for several months.Once again, fans didn’t have a clue as to what was really going on. We read everything that we could get our hands on, talked to whoever would give us the slightest bit of inside scoop, but as usual, everybody got left behind. That next week an interesting article appeared in the Dayton Daily News about Stan King, a 6’ 4″ combo guard who was in town to talk to Wright State but had some interest in UD. Of course, none of this made sense because we had used up all of our scholarships. Lo and behold, UD announced that Stan King had signed a letter-of-intent and would be attending school in the fall as a 14th scholarship. We knew somebody had to go, but who?
It wasn’t long when the news came out that Nucleus Smith had changed his mind and accused UD of being dishonest with him about the scholarship. There was a little heat in the air, but nothing of consequence, as many believed that Smith would never get the required scores to become eligible. Although he eventually did meet the necessary requirements, Nucleus would eventually wear Billy Tubbs’ TCU colors and not the Red and Blue. Despite the fact that he was possibly the best athlete of the seven recruits, the staff felt that he was not worth the short/long term risks.It was in mid-July when all hell broke loose and we once again found ourselves with less than a full compliment of scholarship players. In trying to do the best for one of his players, Oliver Purnell became the villain. UD successfully petitioned to the NCAA to regain a year of eligibility for Cain Doliboa. However, because of the 12-scholarship restriction from the NCAA- imposed penalty for the 2001-02 season, we would be unable to sign any new recruits for the upcoming year if Doliboa took advantage of his fifth-year scholarship. Because the staff has long been recruiting a number of players in the upcoming senior class, OP decided that it would be best for the long-term well-being of the program to limit Doliboa to four years of free education.
This didn’t sit well with Doliboa and he immediately let the world know that he wasn’t happy about it and would transfer out. The switchboards, message boards, and editorials lit up with disagreement on Purnell’s handling of the situation. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He did what he felt was best for the long-term and decided that the program would be in a better situation with the addition of a 2001-02 freshman rather than two years of Cain Doliboa.I believe Purnell did what he should have done. It is also my belief that Cain was looking for any reason to bolt and this was the best that he could find. He considered transferring after each of his first two years and this year was no different. When Cain signed with OP he was told that he would be given an opportunity to play basketball and receive a quality education. Even though he was really only promised one year, he was given four. When Yuanta Holland came to UD he wasn’t promised anything if he didn’t make the grade. He will have earned his fourth year through hard work and determination and should rightly get it; he isn’t requesting a fifth year of free education like Doliboa wanted. He paid for one and so should have Cain.
The Flyers sorely missed Doliboa after his injury last year. It probably cost them at least three games during the season — including the Purdue game. Will it cost them even one game this year? I’m not so sure. We lost last year because Edwin Young became a shooting guard. That is what really cost us. This year is another story. We have able-bodied replacements and Cain’s departure will only assist in the early maturation of the incoming freshmen.Don’t get me wrong. Cain Doliboa was my favorite player from the minute I saw him play in high school. I loved the way that he would step up to a shot no matter what was on the line. When I interviewed him last year, he was polite and very enjoyable. But in this case, he was wrong. He cut off his nose in spite of his face. He went from being able to play for two years at a potential Top-25 school to playing for one year at a school that is still trying to find itself. In the end, he’ll still only get one year of scholarship basketball at Wright State despite his rantings that he was not treated fairly by the University of Dayton. The issue also had nothing to do with money. By using his fifth year at Dayton, Doliboa would have been a graduate student, fallen under the guidelines of graduate study, and required less credit hours per semester to maintain full-time status. I wish him well, but I wish he had done what he should have done and stayed the course.
I’ve touched upon some of the good, most of the bad, and certainly all of the ugly. The rest of the good happened when one of Purnell’s trusted assistants, Wade O’Connor, got the promotion that he richly deserved and joined the staff at Tulane. Although he will certainly be missed, his place, if not his duties, will be taken by one of our own, Josh Postorino. Josh will bring a spirit to the program that can only be characterized as determined. He will teach the new kids what UD is all about. He will teach them to appreciate every day and to give it your all, because you never know when it might be stolen right in front of your eyes. We have also locked up one of the best coaches in Division I basketball for several more years as UD extended Purnell’s base contract through 2005. Life is good in Flyerland.
I look forward to the next several months. I hope to bring you a little insight, maybe some newfound knowledge, and possibly a smile or two. Along with the rest of the staff, I will be spending some time working with the other sports and other athletes and trying to keep you informed about the comings and goings right here at the home of the Flyers.