The University of Dayton Men’s Basketball Program
There have been many historical moments with the University of Dayton Flyers Men’s Basketball team, but Mark Weaver recalls of the one that meant most to him. It took place on March 24, 1967, in Louisville’s Freedom Hall for the Final Four of the NCAA (National College Athletic Association) tournament against the highly favored North Carolina Tar Heels (Collett 228). This was the third straight NCAA tournament appearance for the Flyers, but their first ever Final Four (Collett 228). It turned out that the Flyers smashed North Carolina, seventy-six to sixty-two. Don May hit a record thirteen straight field goals and scored thirty-four points (Collett 228). Mark Weaver, a lifetime fan said, “I remember that game like it was yesterday, it almost brings tears to my eyes. I have never seen UD party like we did the night of that game. I have been following Dayton basketball since the mid-1960s and I have yet to witness the team getting a greater win than the one over the Tar Heels.”
The basketball program, at UD, started back in 1903, when the school was called St. Mary’s Institute (Collett 17). The boys only played six games, and won five of the six (Collett 17). In 1920, the school changed its name to the University of Dayton; it had an unsuccessful season with only five wins and eight losses (Collett 13). The turning point of the program took place in 1950 when the team began to bring in more fans and more wins. Coach Tom Blackburn was in control of his Flyers better than anyone could have ever imagined. In 1950, he led the team to a twenty-four and eight season (Flyers). He demanded that it was time for the University to build a new field house that could seat many more fans (Collett 13). Fundraisers began to take place led by alumni and current students. Finally in November of 1950, a brand new five thousand seven hundred seated field house was built (Collett 13). The team kept on bringing in more wins and more fans, and the field house was filled every night (Collett 13). This was the beginning of a new dynasty for the University of Dayton Flyer’s Men’s Basketball program.
The basketball games at the University of Dayton are unique in their own special way.
In basketball, the National Championship game is the dream of every kid that plays basketball in college. NC State’s basketball team wasn’t well known in 1983. Jim Valvano was the coach and he knew he had a great group of kids. When they won the ACC tournament against the great Ralph Sampson and Virginia, people thought that the win was just luck and they probably wouldn’t make last when they got into the tournament. Throughout the tournament, NC State kept surviving and advancing. In Johnathan Hock’s documentary “Survive and Advance”, Hock uses stock footage of the games that were played during the tournament, different points of view from the players, and the sequence of the documentary to prove that NC State’s basketball team were the underdogs during the whole tournament; however they were able to win despite their adversity
Jim Wells was assisted by coach Graham, coach Wheeler, coach Frick, coach Renne, coach Palmer, coach Stumpf, and coach Bolheimer(Kennerknecht). The Lancers had a ten game season in 2006. They had thirty eight players on the varsity roster(General McLane High School 06-07 Football Schedule). The coaches and the players were ready for the season(Wells). The Lancers previous season they made it to the semifinals and were beaten(Kennerknecht). Players like Drew Astorino, Bobby Stauffer, Dan Skelton, Ryan Skelton, and Shawn Walker were returning. “I think we all believed we had the talent necessary to compete at the state level.”(Kennerknecht).
...ers football team. Completes “A Dream Unfolds”, commission for National Basketball Association commemorating their 50th anniversary. Private commissions (5). Receives Treasure of Los Angeles award, Central City Associatio
This tournament, apart from entertaining students and other fans, highlights what stuff different colleges are made of. This comes at a critical time when high school seniors are considering what colleges to attend once they graduate. Thus, it is not surprising that this package of sporting events brings glad tidings to the people as it helps usher-in the beautiful spring season. However, a critical evaluation of the different teams and schools reveal the series of events -both good and not so good- that occur as they prepare for this all-important tournament.
But that was as close as the Sooners would come. Holy Cross scored 10 of the last 12 points in the game for a 58-47 victory. A team without a campus gymnasium reigned over college basketball. Tucker was the game's high scorer with 22 points, but no other Oklahoma player was in double figures. Kaftan finished with 18 points and was Holy Cross' rebounding star, while O'Connell added 16 points and Oftring 14 for the Crusaders.
The following is an observational essay written while observing the summer’s annual Dyckman Basketball Tournament.
David Robinson majored in mathematics and excelled in all of his classes at the United States Naval Academy. He was an outstanding all-around athlete and chess player. He was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate fraternity for African-American men. He soon chose to try out for the United States Naval Academy basketball team. By the time he played his first collegiate basketball game, he had grown to 6 ft 9 in, and over the course of his college career he grew to 7 ft 1 in. In David Robinson’s last two years, he was a consensus All-American and won college basketball’s two most prestigious player awards, the Naismith and Wooden Awards (Lewis, 30). By the time he left the academy he was viewed by most as the best basketball player in U.S. Naval Academy history! He holds the record of most blocks in a single season in college basketba...
Despite being incredibly lazy, his 1966 team was by far the most talented he had ever coached, and they would win every game with minimal effort. Their talent lead them to NCAA Championship game where they would play against the all white team of the University of Kentucky. In a courageous but controversial mov...
Gregory, Sean. "The Real March Madness?." Time 181.11 (2013): 60. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Coaching style is only one of the factors that set Coach K apart from Coach Williams. In addition, Coach K’s offense and defense coaching style is higher ranked. Duke Basketball is known year after year for its outstanding defense. Coach K says, “A winning basketball team makes the opponent react to them, whether they are on offense or defense. Our philosophy is to attack on defense. Don’t be afraid of making a mental or physical mistake on defense. The only mistake you can make it not playing hard” (Coaching Basketball). At the end of the day all defense really comes down to is effort. Which team is going to “go the extra mile” and go after the loose balls, rebounds, and consistently encourage their teammates. The Blue Devils always have those
As motivation to get ready for this run Valvano scheduled a practice prior to the NCAA tournament, however there were no basketballs being used at this practice. The athletes walked in and seen a ladder positioned under the basketball net, Valvano then talked to his players and had them cut down the net. This was in order to get them to understand what they are working for and what it will feel like to achieve greatness by winning a National Title. Surviving and advancing is exactly what his squad did all the way to the title game. A game that would end in his NC State team cementing their spot in history by knocking off the number 1 seeded Houston on a buzzer beating dunk to take home the National
Vecsey, G. (2009, August 10). Pioneering Knick Relives The Cheers Of Long Ago. The New York Times. Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/sports/basketball/11vecsey.html?hp
Growing up, Krzyzewski belonged to a group of neighborhood sidekicks tagged The Columbos, in which they could always be found taking part in playground basketball. ‘Mickey’, as he was known in this fraternity, had long been interested in sports but street ball with The Columbos is where he first learned to love the game. (Hines-Brigger, n.d.)
...by the Texas Western Men’s Basketball Team of 1966 in emotional abuse, curfew, and stereotypes. The African-American players on the team elicited much harassment and racism. The emotional abuse that the team received threatened to break the team, but the team responded by triumph in the 1966 NCAA Division I National Championship. Then, the concept of curfew was not an important one within the Texas Western Basketball players’ priorities in the beginning of the season. The distraction of partying and girlfriends kept the men up all night and led to them being punished by their coach. In recruiting, Coach Don Haskins overlooked the stereotypes surrounding African-American basketball players and started the first all-black national championship team. This inspirational story is one that explains the reason for the racial equality in the sport of basketball today.
It was neither the opposing teams nor their basketball skills that had changed; they were as talented and fearsome to us as ever. Although our basketball skills drastically improved, it had not been to the extent where we should have surpassed the opposing teams on court and in score. Moreover, we were not perfect or as technically developed in the game as much as the other teams. What did change, however, was our force and power within. We had strengthened ourselves and our friendships to the point where our basketball games were not a battle of talent, but of will . No matter how tough or how large the team we played against was, we fought back with our determination and belief in ourselves and each other. Even long after we were aching and wheezing in each game, our collective wills never dwindled. It was truly mind over