It seems like yesterday when Oliver Purnell was announced as the new basketball coach at the University of Dayton. As Purnell settled in and began the task of rebuilding the Flyer program, he had his eye on a kid from Maryland who stacked up small in size but large in ability, capable of taking UD from doormats to competitors. Fours years later, 5-4 Shawnta Rogers is playing his final season for George Washington and could end up as A-10 Player of the Year. While Dayton came within a whisker of nabbing the diminutive spark plug, Flyer fans sometimes wonder what could have been. Fortunately, UD landed solid guards in Edwin Young and Josh Postorino during this time and went on with the task of revitalizing the program.

To be truthful, Shawnta Rogers’ career has been as up and down as a Cedar Point roller coaster. In his first year, Rogers one of the league’s best newcomers, but struggled last year with poor shooting and numerous turnovers. This season, his 19.8ppg and 7.7apg averages put him head and shoulders above any other guard in the A-10. Throw in nearly 5rpg and over 3spg and its no secret why Rogers could be the best point guard in the country. His only weakness is shooting the basketball (.382%).

Tom Penders, taking over for Mike Jarvis after several outstanding seasons at Texas, walked into a cushy situation. Not only does he inherit a great point guard, but a compliment of other players capable of being All-Conference picks as well.

Teaming up with Rogers in the GW backcourt is 6-5 sophomore Mike King. King and Tony Stanley might be the two best sophs in the entire conference and have stat sheets that look nearly identical. King’s strength is driving to the basket and shooting off the dribble. He thrives in Penders’ transition game and has a wealth of athletic ability to finish with authority on the fast break. King’s major weakness is shooting the ball (.408%). In fact, King is only 3-23 from behind the arc. Keep King’s shots on the perimeter and his game goes south. Give him room to penetrate and slash and he will break defenders down all night.

In the frontcourt, GW sports a trio of foreign players left over from the Jarvis era. At the wing forward is 6-8 Yegor Mescheriakov, a tall, athletic player who can shoot, dribble, and move better than just about every other player his size. Mescheriakov had an excellent season to years ago, but struggled in 1997-98 with injuries that hampered his game. His weakness has been consistency for his entire career. One night he’ll score 25 and follow it up a few days later with 5 points and 5 fouls. Mescheriakov is the most overrated and underrated player in the league.

At the power forward slot is 6-8, 252lb, Antxon Iturbe. Slowed down by an injury this year, Iturbe has only played five games but should be ready for Thursday’s contest against the Flyers. He is a physical player who does most of the pushing and shoving in the paint and rarely gets outmuscled for loose balls or positioning. Iturbe is strictly blue collar, but his hustle and effort allow him to dominate more talented players.

With the graduation of 7-0 Alexander Koul, Penders has little choice but to field a team comprising no legitimate center. Likely to be the third forward is 6-9 Francisco DeMiranda, a player with enough hustle and talent to give taller players a stiff test in the post. Last season, Jarvis’ deliberate style allowed for a player the size of Koul to camp out in the paint and cause problems for opposing teams. This year however, Penders will force the tempo and can ill-afford a player of mammoth proportions to slow things down. Hence, DeMiranda is a good fit — small enough to run the floor but big enough to be taken seriously. Most fans feel Koul’s absence will actually be a blessing.

Despite excellent career numbers, many believe Koul underachieved for a man his size.

Off the bench, expect Patrick Ngongba, Andry Sola, Roey Eyal, and Albert Roma to play the bulk of the minutes in relief.

Ngongba, 6-8, 224lb, is very much like DeMiranda in talent and style and can play either center or power forward for Penders. Sola, 6-7, 205lb, is a tall wing player who likes to shoot the trey but needs to improve his accuracy (.358%). Eyal, 6-2, 160lb, comes off the bench to give Rogers a breather at point guard. Eyal is a decent passer but a poor shooter and is nothing more than a temporary answer until Rogers is back in the game.

Roma, 7-0, 225lb, is GW’s only true center. Unfortunately, Roma is a freshman and has yet to develop an offensive game that draws respect from opposing teams. He’s a promising young center but needs more experience and refinement to be an impact player.

For Dayton to pull out the big victory on the road, the Flyers must play aggressive defense and have patience in the offensive set. The Colonials do not shoot the ball well (.405%) but look to hurt teams in other ways. GW forces turnovers, plays physical, and rarely loses at the Smith Center.

With Sunday’s loss to URI, Dayton cannot afford to let this golden opportunity slip away. There are only a handful of quality road games left to demonstrate Dayton’s ability to win a big contest away from the UD Arena.

Edwin Young, Tony Stanley, and Mark Ashman must all play well for the Flyers to have a chance. Furthermore, Coby Turner must finally show critics why he deserves more playing time after several poor games of late. If Purnell’s can find contributions off the bench and the starters avoid foul trouble, there is no reason to think that Dayton cannot win.