CHANDLER (AZ) — Seeing the name Dayton scrolling at the bottom of any program on ESPN is usually thought of as being associated with the men’s program, but no longer. The women are for real and doing their best to climb up the polls and find themselves a nice seed in the NCAA tournament. Yet, when we all saw it for the first time it was a wonderful feeling.

“My first reaction when I found out that we had made it into the top 25 was one of numbness. I started thinking about all of the people that made this happen and all of the people that would be excited about our success. Almost immediately, though, I started thinking about what we needed to do to sustain that feeling. We had a game that night and I wanted to make sure that the ranking wouldn’t affect the way we went about preparing for the game. I was proud of what the team had been able to accomplish. My phone just blew up with texts. There were just so many people that were excited.”

From the outside, it looks easy. Just recruit better players and you will do better. After the program started winning, it did get easier to grab players’ attention, but sometimes it just takes the recruitment of one player to really start things in motion. If there was one player that signified a change in recruiting at Dayton, it was the addition of Kendel Ross to the class of 2010. Ross was one of the top players coming out of Canada her senior year. She had been a part of the Canadian National team that had met with some level of success. She was a different type of recruit.

“Kendel Ross has never been the leading score or rebounder but she is the kid that will do whatever you need. She does the dirty work, she finds ways to get things done. That has always been her gift. She helped create a level of play that others could model. She helped us become credible. When others such as Kristen (Daugherty ) saw that she was here and could see that we were making strides, it makes the decision to come to Dayton that much easier. She exemplifies the kind of kid that we want and need.”

Much like the men’s program, Jim Jabir looks for much more than just a good basketball player. The University of Dayton is about much more than winning. It’s not just that you win, it is how you win and how the players conduct themselves.

“We have been able to identify the type of kid that will be successful at Dayton. We may not be recruiting the same type of kid that UConn does but so many of our kids like Kendel Ross, Kristin Daugherty and Justine Raterman could have gone to more successful programs but came here and have made a real difference. The biggest thing for me and always will be is the character of the kid we are recruiting.

“Coach Gregory has the same approach. He has some really great athletes but they put the same type of emphasis on what the kid brings with him other than playing ability. It is very evident when you talk to these kids that they are doing the right things. They are going to class and graduating. I think this is very indicative of what Dayton is all about. I don’t think Dayton would support a coach who would bring in the wrong kind of people, no matter how successful they are. It is part of our philosophy at UD. If there is a great player that is a bad kid, I don’t want her in our program. I think our strength is our character and I am not going to compromise that for anybody. Our style of play lends itself to a certain type of player, but there is never a reason for compromise on character.”

The team has reached levels certainly unexpected at this point in their development (number 20 in the December 7 AP poll). It is a very young team and at times their performance shows that lack of experience. They have been turning the ball over at an alarming rate and the shooting is not yet to the point of being able to compete at the highest levels. However, their defense and rebounding have becomes strengths.

“I don’t think we execute particularly well at times and the better teams we have played have forced us into some shots that you were prefer not to see. I want us to play fast and with that style of play you are going to see some additional turnovers and quick shots. They are still learning the philosophy of “looking quick.” There is a difference in playing fast and shooting fast.

“We have been sloppy with the ball and we have to be smart with the ball. We are still very young and you are going to see mistakes. We spend a good deal of time talking about and working on those problems.”

The truly exciting part of the equation is the relative youth of the team. This is a team that started four freshmen at times last year. Although led by Senior Kendel Ross and Junior Kristen Daugherty, the team is primarily sophomores and freshman as only three upper classmen are on the playing roster.

“Patrice Lalor has been so steady. She is very athletic and quick, but her steadiness and maturity has really helped set her apart this year. She has become very confident in her abilities . She is a very intelligent and level headed kid who has become integral in our success. We are very fortunate that she has come back from her knee problem as well as she has.

“Kristen has a real chance of becoming a very special player. Her sister Kari and Brittney Wilson actually won the Purdue game for us. Sam McKay has an opportunity to be very good. Her court vision is amazing but she still needs to learn how to defend and be tougher. She also has a chance to be a special player. Olivia Applewhite still needs to learn the defensive scheme more, but she is a special athlete. She is so strong and when she completely figures it out she will be very good.”

As they mature, the depth of this team will increase the ability to set themselves apart from the rest of the league. Unlike past years where there were only one or two teams in the league that had a legitimate shot at the regular season title, that group has expanded. There are currently 2 teams in the top 25 polls and five teams in the top 50 of the RPI. This is no longer Xavier and the eleven dwarfs.

“I’m really looking for a certain level of consistency the rest of the year. I am looking for more fight from our players and we work to get even better. We have to remain unselfish and be prepared to battle every night. They have a special level of confidence. They believe that they can win every game that they play. The league is more competitive as ever and we have to be ready every night.”

This is a team that is built not only for today, but for the future. The only recruit for next year, Cassie Sant, brings her own set of skills that will mesh well next year.

“Cassie Sant is in some rating services is as high as #60 so we are starting to see some higher rated players come our way. Cassie is a stronger Justine Raterman. She can shoot the ball, handles it very well with special passing skills. Her understanding of the game at this stage is very good. She will play a lot here.”

Jabir has taken care of the winning, but there still seems to be one other area that is lagging behind and that is attendance. Although it has been rising in recent years, there is still a good deal of room for growth. When 1,000 show up in an Arena that holds 13,000, it is noticeable. Certainly, everyone in the program is realistic enough to know that the women’s program will never rival the men’s in attendance, but goals exist and there is no time like the present.

There are certain demographics that have helped other programs become more popular. There have been a number of successful programs such at UConn that have reached out to the more mature crowd for support. Getting young female basketball players and their parents to attend is also important. Unlike tickets for the men’s games that with seat license can average in the $50 range, the women’s ticket prices are in single digits for courtside seats.

“We have become very involved in the Marketing of our program. We have players going to retirement homes and handing out vouchers for our opening weekend at men’s games. We are putting together a committee of some very prestigious people in the community to try to get the word out there. We are starting a process to attack the attendance issue. I feel that now is the time to get it done. If we can’t do it now, it is going to be difficult to make it happen.

“I’m not sure what the number is, if it is 5,000, 4,000 or 3,000, now is the time to make it happen. With the added press we are receiving and help from some very important people, I think now is the time.”

As the coach states, “now is the time” for the women’s basketball program. They are getting publicity on ESPN.com in addition to having their scores scrolled on the bottom of all of the ESPN channels broadcasts. The Dayton Daily News is actually publishing articles on the players and the team. This is a team that will only get better with age and experience. This is a program that could see the Sweet 16 the very first year that it receives an invitation to the dance.

There has never been a more exciting time to be a follower of the women’s program. Let’s hope that the rest of Dayton realizes just how special this team can be.