#227 R.P.I. Dayton @ #24 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s basketball must be butter.

The Hokies are on a hoopology, roll! Because your defending All Championship Conference winners are now a shiny-looking eight-hyphen-one. They are making eyes and seriously flirting with a National Ranking and are only one single solitary shot removed from 2o22 perfection itself. Now we O.O.C. (out of conference) draw the recently pretty dang good Dayton Flyers. Who checks in at a surprisingly lowercase 5 up vs. 4 down on an at least partially grounded 2o22 for them thus far. Meaning… upsetting Vah.Tech would mean a heck of a lot to them; and we are absolutely caught in a classical letdown Applied Sports Psychology trap game here. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to find, out!

Dayton Head Coach: Anthony Duvale Grant: age=56, 299–165 (.644) overall, 106–56 (.654) at Dayton. Has a rep’ for: some Recruiting, offensive and scoring, and free-flowing play.
(and for not looking his, age!)
$1,800,000.oo

After graduating from Miami Senior High School, Baller Grant became an All-City first-team selection and Player-of-the-Year. He played at the University of Dayton from 1983 to 1987 while guiding them to the Elite-8 of the NCAA Tournament before bowing out to eventual national champion Georgetown. As a sophomore, Grant averaged 10.7 points a game and 6.5 rebounds a game, and the Flyers again made it to the NCAA Tournament. As a junior, the 6′5″ Grant moved from power forward to small forward and averaged 7.1 points a game and 4.8 rebounds a contest while the team advanced to the National Invitation Tournament. As a senior, Grant was named a team captain, was awarded team MVP, and won the Sharpenter Memorial Rebounding Award after leading the squad in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.0 and 6.0 respectively. In his 105 appearances, Grant averaged 11.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. In 1987, Grant spent a year playing for the Miami Tropics of the United States Basketball League.

After bouncing around a bit as an assistant coach from Miami High School(s) up through the: Stetson, Florida, and Marshall Jr.Whistle ranks, ass.coach Grant finally got his big-whistle big break. As Coach Grant went 76–25 on three straight conference championships at V.C.U. Then he posted a pretty decent 117–85 mark at Alabama before taking the reins two seasons ago over in Dayton, Oh. This after having been fired by Alabama.

Grant also coached a season (2015) with the N.b.a.’s OK.City Thunder. Grant -per se- only has one Conference Coach of the Year award to his credit (2007 @V.C.U.). Although he has made the post-season ten outta thirteen times so far. He has also only been sized up for 5 C.A.A. and 1 A-10 conference calling championship bling(s). Plus the mere pentafecta of National Coach of the year awards after a stellar 2o2o. Including… Naismith College Coach of the Year (2020), AP National Coach of the Year (2020), Henry Iba Award (2020), NABC Coach of the Year (2020), and the Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2020). He also hit for the obvious Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2020).

Yah; that sucks. #Firebug this guy, STAT!

Maybe I should regrade the ‘coaching’ Excel part?
(As this guy could tie; and possibly even best M.Young for those National COTY licks).

Poppa Grant and his wife Christina have four children.

Dayton at a glance:

• 28th in defensive FG percentage allowed!!
• 29th in Scoring D!!
• 39th most fouls ‘whistled’ against!
• 58th most in Swats/game!
• 60th most in FT-makes/game.
• 66th in defensive-rebounding.
• 3o6th most in spg! (Plays the man, not the ball).
• 312th in Scoring O! (Lowercase/slowercase tempo team).
• 339th in 3-point percentage!!!
• 341st most in bench ppg!!!
• 3 injuries listed! (Coach God thrice bless!!!)

Returning Starters=3

Dayton Strengths:

• (Lindy’s 2nd-string All-A-1o): Toumani Camara is a: Koufax or lefty 6′8″, 22o lb., P/F or stretch-F, imported Euro-F by way of: Brussels, Belgium. He is also native to Georgia— the Bulldog school, not the Country. Where he netted you 13 and cleared the boards for 8 just the year before. This year Toumani is checking in at: a useful 11.0 ppg with a very useful 9.3 rpg on 2.o apg. This is with a downright crafty 55.8% shooting from the floor and yet a cancel culture of 23.8% from behind the arc. (Which is actually up ∼8% long since we saw him last). That said, Camara is a 4-year starter, and the last full year he only siphoned things for u.G.a. with: 28 of the team’s 64 blocks, 30 steals, and 2o5 deflections! Making this Belgium a pretty fair-to-middling defender; and a very active one from the Four to be sure. He also led the S.E.C. in double-doubles two seasons ago. Camara represented his home country of Belgium in the F.I.B.A. U16 European championships in 2o16 and then moved to the United States to attend high school. Was a four-year varsity player, four-star recruit, and team captain for Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., and was named First Team 5A All-Florida State as a senior. When he got you right at 25 ppg and 11 rpg as well. Do like the lower shaved-top ‘fro, the sneakers are about as freaky as colors (most plural) can get, so there is that too. Fun player, hard-working, stocking-stuffing player, not a dull player— or the kinda player every coach wishes they had one of.
• (Lindy’s 1st-string All-A-10) (Lindy’s A-1o Player of the Year) (Lindy’s A-1o Defender) (Lindy’s Top A-1o N.b.a. Prospect). Or… one #15, and 6′1o″, 225 lb., Daron Holmes II and Malachi Smith G 6′, 17o lb., round out your Flyer’s starting major producers here. Holmes II is merely: the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with the Flyers. A four-star prospect, he was a consensus top-50 recruit. The lowest ranking was 46th from ESPN.com; if that gives you any idea. t-Soph’ year Daron has some ‘tude in him, he will go hard in the paint and dunk on you if he can. In 2o19-2o, he was only the Arizona Gatorade High School Player of the Year after averaging 23.7 points, 1o.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.1 assists per game for the AIA 5A state finalists. He was also only the Regional Defensive Player of the Year! Then he transferred to an FLA hoops factory for the fall, and then back to ‘Zona post-Christmas break. Got to the AZ title tilt twice and went o fer 2 for it. Still yet, only 36 odd games into his collegiate career, and 15.9 ppg with 7.2 rpg are not too bad. In fact, it is climbing as I type. Maybe only scratching the surface? As only 63% of free-throwing needs to practice court throwdown. This is a pretty Gifted 2nd-year kid in the air too, only question is… where is he a Pro’? As the team blue-ribbon at 2.1 bpg and 55.7% from the floor will come in handy be that export or domestic. (UPDATE: Malachi Smith is also listed as: OUT indefinitely. Smith is out of commission due to a lower-body injury, and he will miss an undetermined length of time. As both he and Elvis down below, got dinged up right after Thanksgiving).
  (UPDATE: DHII has been on a tear since Thanksgiving on O… really hot, hot, hot Buster Poindexter offender of late | looks like he has found a little right mass since we saw him last).

  

• 6′9″, 224 lb., Mustapha Amzil is a substitute P/F (actual Pasty) from: Helsinki, Finland. This flavor of Mustapha finds his way to: an improving 11.1 ppg with 4.8 rpg and 1.3 apg on a warming up 38% from trifectaville. Amzil is an r-Soph., who sat a year after finally getting into the U.S.of.A. So, he is older than listed here. Amzil had a strong showing in 2019 playing for Finland at the U18 European Championships in Latvia, where he was the Finnish U18 team captain and averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in seven games. He also helped the Finnish U18 team win the All-Nordic and Baltic Sea Cup championships. in 2o19. At the All-Nordic tournament, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Mustapha has played in 86 international games for the Finnish junior national team. So, experience and matriculation curve effects are very much right-tailed here. Also, a seven-season soccer acclaim honoree, so the Olajuwon footwork factor should be cross-sport tight here. Interesting kid, with a bit more development and P.T., come 2o24 or so…
• …still thinking here… as Eye affirm and avow this is a pretty good club.
  As Eye went back and tried to science-fact Coach Spock objectify. 17 outta 30 Team National Rankings last year of a B+ caliber or better would seem to agry. As Dayton under Coach ‘tony is something of a Ventnor Avenue man historically. Really sharp defense and rebounding with a succinct offense. Kinda like a heavier industry steel mill version M.Young if you will.

Dayton Weaknesses:

• Health! Or, the lack thereof… Godspeed @Dayton as these Flyers are frequenting Training Room miles of late.
• Lindy’s called this: “the youngest rotation in the Nation (last year). So, experience itself is not yet in the double bonus here.
• Kobe Elvis (double grate name) is a Pt.Guard or One, who stands 6′2″, and tips the Toledos at 17o lbs. A DePaul transfer baller in his second r-Fresh. season after the freebie last year. Pure scoring One in H.S. terms. High 20’s ppg and he turned that up to 37 ppg in the post-season whereby he went to the Brewery and pocked the Elsinøre Brampton, Ontario championship ring, ‘eh‘. The book says him to be a pure-shooting One, and right now This is a pretty good N.A.F.T.A. One folks. The outburst scoring should lower-48 cook soon enough. However, Kobe -name champion- Elvis, has left the building and is OUT indefinitely. (Elvis is out of the lineup with a lower-body ailment, and team officials have yet to provide an exact return date.) Out as well would be his 10’ish ppg on his ∼ 40% ‘ish 3-point shooting. Kinda a streaky former Sub’ now a part-time starter. St.Nikon bless (as the whispers say: ‘knee’). And this is one of the few kids who seemed bigger than listed upon breaking tape.
• #1 football Bulldog transfer (UGA), 6′9″, 21o lb., second-season, Tyrone Baker has decided to redshirt for the 2o22-23 season. The 268th 247Sports recruit last year; who has a very slight “sleepy” Sam Perkins look working. Seemed to be a bit raw for Georgia between the hedges last season on O. More of a project or defender/rim-protector at this stAGE of his career. Time=tell here…
• This team -if healthy- is okay on Depth. Now? Not so much…

Flyers Hanger: (depth=2’ish)

(Lindy’s 3rd-string All-A-1o): Malachi Smith, G, 6′, 18o lb., is a Bronx bomber by way of the always crusty Big Apple inner-city ‘hood. Great handles, (4th best Assist:Turnover ratio in program history may be a… hint). A cat-quick Qb1; does get to or sniff up on double-doubles. 2o2o’s New York Catholic High School Athletic Association AA champion. Solid on-the-ball defender at least/worst. Big bro’ (Scoochie, grate name) was only an All-Atlantic 1o guard in 2o17; so, hoops run in the fam’. **** or 4-star recruit who was an all-’round lead-One in scholastic terms. Seems to have a little bit of ‘clutch’ in him as post-season meritorious awards already go. Tho’ has a history of dings/dents as well. Coach God Bless. As Malachi needs to mix in a protein shake if he wants to lead the way in Ironman (34 mpg) contributing. That said, this is a good Pt.Guard who could sniff up on all-conference 3rd-string or so for his overall hooping acumen as a senior. (UPDATE: As said above… “OUT” for this one here… Godspeed!) (UPDATE2: …now seen on crutches, Ankle, may St.Philip bless!)

Mike Sharavjamts, Four or P/F. 6′8″, razor-thin, beanpole, 18o lb., rookie or nugget year voting true-Fresh’ by way of: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. And ‘aye’, the next time I take the time to read up on a baller being from there will be the… second. Sharavjamts, (Scrabble points) Mike… is netting you: 8.3 ppg with 2.o rpg and 3.o apg in relief. All on a respectable 39% from 3-point-land.  Did I mention the Mongolian heritage yet?  Mikey is also the very first Mongolian citizen to earn a Division I athletic scholarship; ever! 1st-mover PROPs on dats. Props on being a stunning 51.2% 3-point shooter overseas and in homesteading St.Xenia, OH., terms. His old-man: (Sharavjamts Tserenjankhar) -A.K.A.: The Mongolian Shark- was merely the first Asian Harlem Globetrotter, ever! Interesting marksmanship prospect -at least- here sports fans. As this is one streaky inner-Mongolian baller. Tho’ his warmer nites as something of a stretch or wannabe Euro’ Four from outside make these Daytonians fly higher indeed.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Flyers who could soar @Tech=5 maybe 6.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is...

…Dayton is a strange -nearly difficult- team to glean a lot of traction on.

As they are ranked Atlantic-1o #1 by every one of my pre-season magazines. They are also only a mere two, that’s (2) shots removed from being 7 up against 2 down.

---

---

Or, in other words… they are too top-heavy Talented for this nearly even or .555 start to 2o22.

There is a near Hubble amount of star power here folks; and if/when it does scintillate?

It is not unthinkable to think that the Flyers could be poppin’ Brut on the Voyager ride, home.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a pretty soon enuff intra-League A.c.c. ask, back.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… VeeTee is only up +1% in shooting percentage margin (VT was +7 and yet Dayton was +6, although Dayton is saltier on D and VT is smoother on O); with VeeTee up a solid +5% in 3-point percentage margin (VT still shooting better, tho’ Dayton defending 3’s less better than from the floor here), and Dayton is up a nominal +1 in rebounding margin caroms for the duration. (Both are positive, Dayton is just plus one mo’ misfire positive than VT).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… it is now the Flyers who are up +2% in shooting percentage margin. (As their D has really extended and stiffened of late, and their O is just a mite better as well; with the Hokies tailing off just a scosche on O&M O&D alike); with nobody up much of anything in 3-point percentage margin. (Due to both squadrons tallying a 3-pointer deficit of: –4% 3-point shooting margin of lates… with both cooling on O and allowing opponents to warm from 3-point land on D alike), and yet then we nearly shockingly uncover that the F’n Gobblers are now up +2 misses in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of back-boarding itself. (As in… the Flyers are on a near-level flight path above the rim; whereas the Hokiebird had really taken off on the ‘glass of late… go fig’ on this one here?)*

*Eye do wanna say, that there is a Tournament sag for the Hokies here; hopefully that staleness is behind us now. Although it cannot be objectively kicked out to boot.

 

Shuffling 1o1:

The Battle 4 Atlantis {sic: Tournement} was an unmitigated disaster for Dayton. Not only did the Flyers drop all three games in as many days; then they also returned home from the Bahamas with their two backcourt starters on crutches.

After crippling its backcourt duo, Dayton has shifted 6-8 freshman Mike Sharavjamts from the frontcourt to the point. Sharavjamts produced 18 points and 16 assists in the Flyers last two games, while Toumani Camara added 37 in total.

Therefore, ergo, to Whit… the Flyers now start five players who are listed as forwards, all between 6-6 and 6-10.

…and do recall, this is a zoning or mini-me Syracuse at times who will Arkansas press yah as well.

📏

(i.e., this much-added length may have backdoored a good thing on D and off the glass!)

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

Virginia Tech leads the series 8-7, going 5-0 at home. Dayton was a 62-57 winner last year in a game that Young called “the worst five-point beating I’ve ever had.”
Ouch and yikes alikes!

Dayton is actually up a sprite +7 in R&R.
VeeTee is up a decent +5% at the charity stripe for the year.
VeeTee is a 1.oo host; whereas Dayton is .ooo, o fer 2 guest.

The Call...

No.163 Net Ranking Dayton @ no.41 Net Ranking Virginia Tech:

So, and as we all should know— you need not be St.Joseph the Carpenter to realize that: “…lying is for rugs.“

As in… this is assuredly a very squirrely hoops club to net a credible read on; 33o-miles nor-by-nor-west Buckeye State away. Not gonna lie here men… what I found was very predictively mixed.
Nearly entirely; with heterogenous outcome(s) if you will.

As in a lotta canceling-effects were ineffective for Dayton of late here.  Nevertheless, this *is* a very effective hardwood team— if/when they ever figure all effective things back out.

(That, and I would wager nickels to dimes that poor Coach Grant feels the same dang way).

Did Eye mention how: “squirrely” they are, yet?

–oOo–

As this one is @home; that should help.
This one sees the O&M one’s being plum chock-full of big-Mo’ itself.

(As they gotta being feeling their high Q-score flow, and catching their high-Heel’s sexxy).

And yet in all candor?
Same as I.J.N. Admiral Chūichi Nagumo at Midway…

“…I sense danger out there.”

The closer...

…so, in closing… mefears -not: ‘methinks’, mefears- this one will be closer than most anyone thinks.

Although recalcitrant to authour the upsetting pick itself outright… Dayton is not a good match-up look for us. They are, however, the La.Lakers of the A-1o.

As in they too, are just t00 dang Talented, to not be too good for too much longer.

🤰🏀🤰

The only calculus you need to ratify is… “when”?
When does this much Talent (in particular post-Talent) pop clean?

’cause you could deign to say that Dayton is due to pop clean.

Some might even have me say fourth-trimester, o-ver-due.

💯

 

(53% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=73, Dayton=65 (overtime).

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**