Dayton adjusts to higher expectations after Elite Eight run
It was no surprise that Shaka Smart drew the largest gaggle of journalists during the morning session of Atlantic 10 media day. When your team is unanimously picked to win the A-10, a six-bid conference last season, this kind of buzz and interest is expected.
But for Dayton coach Archie Miller, an up-and-coming head coach just like his VCU counterpart was a few years ago, the attention is something new.
The Flyers were the Cinderella team of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, knocking off Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford en route to the school’s first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years. It was an improbable run that instantly made Dayton a household name and media daring, but Miller says it has no impact on the Flyers' preparation for the new season.
“We handle the preseason the same [as any year],” Miller said. “Our quest is to be the best we can be and to be a champion.”
Whether Dayton can live up to that lofty goal this winter will depend on how the Flyers cope with the loss of several key players from last season. Guard Vee Sanford, forward Devin Oliver and center Matt Kavanaugh have each departed, but six rotation players return from last season.
The two returning standouts for Dayton are guard Jordan Sibert and forward Dyshawn Pierre, both of whom were voted to the conference’s preseason first and second teams this week, respectively. Expect a big year as well from point guard Scoochie Smith, who played more minutes than expected last season and will inherit the starting job from Khari Price.
The Atlantic 10's preseason poll projected Dayton third, behind only league favorite VCU and a George Washington team that returns four of its top six scorers from an NCAA tournament team. That's a far cry from last season when the Flyers were projected seventh and were able to fly under the radar during most of the season.
“It’ll be challenging [to manage expectations],” Miller said. “It will be very challenging locally for us. Our fans are very passionate. There’s a positive vibe around our kids that probably hasn’t been around our campus before. We’re going to have to really be mindful of that.”
When Miller took over at Dayton four years ago, the Flyers were neither a doormat nor an A-10 powerhouse. They were a decent mid-major that had been to the NCAA tournament four times since 2000 but hadn't reached a Sweet 16 since 1984.
In his three years with Dayton, Miller is 63-37. The Flyers' 26 wins last season were the third most in school history.
“A lot of it has to do with recruiting,” Miller said. “There was a lot of turnover, a lot of graduation in our first couple of years so we played a lot of young people. Now they’re older, they developed, that’s when you believe in developing people and your style mixing.”
Despite Miller’s insistence that nothing has changed within the program and expectations remain the same, the outside perception of Dayton has certainly been altered and the program has benefitted from its Cinderella run. In a region dominated by Ohio State, Xavier, Cincinnati and other power conference schools, more recruits are considering the Flyers to be a viable option.
“There has been a lot more acceptance,” Miller said. “There is a wider range of area, even locally in the state of Ohio, there’s more respect. There’s a much different respect level. We are experiencing a lot of benefits for a team that makes that type of run. Teams sell it, they play off it.”
So can Dayton build on last year's success, contend once again in the Atlantic 10 and enjoy another memorable March?
“We’re building, trying to compete and try and win every game we possibly can win doing it our way,” Miller said. “If our expectation is anything higher than that, I’m not necessarily saying it’s impossible but, we’re trying to be who we are. It’s nice to be recognized, but at the same time [March] is very very far [away] there’s a lot of room for other programs to do the same thing.”
