Bill Clark, fresh off of committing a bad foul, looks to miss a wide open three!
For your reading pleasure, and living proof that Bluff Divers IS a wildly popular sports blog, and because I am a lazy Bulgarian Blogger....posted is my interview with Tom Blackburn. Tom is editor-in-chief of Dayton's premier fan website slash/blogg...the blackburn review. I highly suggest you check it out as is highly informative and entertaining to boot!(http://www.blackburnreview.blogspot.com/)....
A Interrogatory with: Duquesne
by Tom Blackburn
I had the sincere pleasure of exchanging dreams and fears with Thorton Mellon of the Duquesne blog, Bluff Divers. Mr. Mellon was courteous enough to share his thoughts on the upcoming tilt with Dayton. He explained why Dayton must stop Aaron Jackson, detailed Ron Everhart's affliation with the KGB, decided which four A-10 teams deserve to meet their timely demise, and states which former Flyer he hated the least. You can read the results below, or simply turn your head away and pretend the truth isn't right in front of your face. I can't decide for you.
Q: This game scares the hell out of me. Duquesne plays a style that can quickly take you out of your comfort zone. If Dayton loses this one, I'm not sure the world makes sense anymore. I felt like last year's loss to the Dukes put the final nail in Dayton's coffin, and a defeat Saturday could send this Flyer team into a deep shame spiral. Put yourself in Brian Gregory's size 6 shoes for a moment. What are the keys to beating the Dukes?
A: Let me just say two things about last season first my friend. (A) The Flyers got hosed in not getting a bid to the NCAA tournament. When they lost that game to the Dukes, the Dukes RPI was in the sixties if I recall so it really wasn't a "bad loss." I would have loved to see Brian Roberts in the tourney for sure. (B) Dayton crushing the massively overrated Pitt Panthers last year was one of the season's highlights. It was the first really good opponent Shitt has gone on the road to play in the Howland/Dixon era and they got their butts handed to them. It just astonishes me that local fans can't understand why Shitt gets lower seeds in the tournament and always are an "early out." It went a long way to prove my point that Pitt and the Big East are good....but not that good!
The formula for beating the Dukes this year seems to be quite simple: Pound the ball inside, play an extended 2-3 zone, and don't try to run with the Dukes. The Dukes glaring weakness this season is their size and strength. Damian Saunders at 6-7 is playing out of position at center, and there is really nothing else there. If he gets in foul trouble the game will be a laugher and the Dukes will be completely dominated on the glass. The bad news for all of us BluffDivers is that there is no help on the way until next season, when 6'10 Kentucky transfer Mike (shortened) Williams will be eligible and Brazilian stud Rod Peggau is healthy. Except against Duke, in all of their losses (Pitt, WVU, and Old Dominion) they have been taken out of their game by stifling zone defenses and a slow paced tempo. They have struggled at times to move the ball and find shots against a 2-3 and this forces this very young team into a lot turnovers. That being said, teams cannot play man against the Dukes because they typically are as athletic or more athletic one-on-one at every position. Aaron Jackson and freshman guard Eric "whatch you taking about Willis" Evans can create shots or scoring opportunities almost at will. Against Bowling Green and last night against George Washington, the Dukes staged massive comebacks because both teams went man for some ungodly reason. Ajax actually was quoted after BG saying that he "couldn't believe they went man."
Q: Ron Everhart looks like a former KGB agent. He has that steely stare and body language that indicates he has snapped a neck or two in his day. His mindset is to attack and let God sort 'em out. Last year, Everhart led the Dukes to their first winning season in 14 years. Duquesne was ranked in the top ten nationally in blocked shots, assists, scoring, and steals. What do you attribute this success to? Given their start this year, it must be more than a gimmicky offense. Hit me with it slowly, I'm taking notes.
A: The biggest complement you can pay to Everhart (his real KGB name is Everhartovich btw) is that his teams have always played extremely hard and that he typically gets the most out of his players. He really changed the attitude of the program from day one and he demands that his players will give 100% at all times-which is why walk-ons like Jason Duty see so many minutes. This is also why he basically gave A-10 rookie of the year Robert Mitchell a kick in the bum on his way out the door to Seton Hall, and really was not upset when Kojo Mensah and Shaun James left after one year.
When he first arrived on the Bluff, he cleaned house of all the slunk meat garbage the Dukes had on their roster and with the help of Bill Barton, and Kim Lewis (assistant coaches), the Dukes have really started to recruit better talent. AJAX and Keiron Archara were the only players to hold over from the Danny Nee era. Everhart also plays a very fun style of hoops: pressing defense, wide open offense, and lots of minutes are easy recruiting tools for those slasher type players who grew up on the black top. The Dukes, when playing well, are fun to watch and score a lot of points, which helps them recruit on a national level. A 2.5 to 1 female to male student body ratio also helps. I saw on your site that the Dukes remind you a little of those Kentucky teams under Pitino. Spot on, as Everhart and Pitino are good friends. Pitino recommended him for the Dukes job and is quoted in our media guide. Pitino's son was on our staff until this year.
Q: Which Dayton player, past or present, would you have like to have seen in a Dukes uniform? On the flip side, was there a UD player that you hated with fiery passion? Please show your work.
A: Without a doubt Brian Roberts would have looked great in the Blue and Red....wait a minute....well, our blue and red for that matter. He was not only a great player who would have fit in well in Everhart's system, but seemed like a class act as well. A backcourt last year with Jackson and Roberts would have been almost unstoppable and would have taken the Dukes to the tourney for sure.
As far as a Dayton player I have hated, or currently hate, I really have no answer. When you are so bad for so long and have absolutely no shot of beating teams like Dayton, it really makes you numb to disliking other A-10 teams and their players. As the Dukes get better, I am hopeful that A-10 rivalries will start to develop and therefore garner some ill will...but basically when you average single digit wins for five plus years, your loins are pretty devoid of passionate hatred (except for the Pitt Panthers, Duke Blue Devils, and New York Yankees, of course! ). Its been so bad, I have actually loathed many Duquesne players and coaches for being so awful. Being an avid Dukes fan for most of my 28 years has really been a sadistic and masochistic affair! So, to not answer your question, I do wholeheartedly cheer for all A-10 teams to do well so that the conference garners some much lacking respect. Phil Martelli can go make sweet love to a sheep, but I won't get started on that. Oh yeah, at Bluffdivers we use cliff notes and don't show our work!
I will say this much, wait till you guys play UNCC. Thay have a point guard Ian Anderson (#11) who blows a kiss in the air after every made shot. Apparently he is a newlywed and its for his wife, which makes it just that much more gay. Its ridiculous. I think you play them on the road this year but if you stream on your computer or if its on t.v., you will want to drive to Charlotte and punch him in the nads.
Q: Aaron Jackson--Ajax to the ladies, Mr. Jackson to his enemies, is a freakish athlete. Put him in Pizza Hut and he is making the most pies, put him on Iron Chef and he is going to embarrass Morimoto with his work on the wok. As a keen follower of the A-10, I certainly don't think he gets the recognition he deserves. AJ has shifted to point guard this year, what's your take? You likey, you no likey?
A: All things run through AJAX on this Dukes team, which is a very good thing as long as he stays healthy. Jackson has been splitting time at the point with freshman Eric Evans and Jason "he could marry my daughter" Duty, but in critical moments the ball is in AJAX hand. He is without a doubt the team leader and almost like a second coach on the floor. It is astonishing that he was not voted to one A-10 preseason team! Love the ball in his hands and his ability to drive to the lane and finish. His touch around the basket is unparalleled in the A-10 for a guard. His line drive jump shot leads him to be streaky at times, but as he goes the team goes and he always seems to be the brightest star at the biggest moments. He had two critical steals, an assist, and hit a huge three in [wednesday] night's comeback against GW (who shot 80% from three point land btw) after a fairly vanilla overall performance. He is a very, very underrated defensive player who, because of his athleticism, can match up against smaller true point guards and power forwards as well.
Q: Hypothetical time. Marcus Johnson is guarding Aaron Jackson so tight that not only can he tell what flavor bubble gum AJ is chewing, Marcus somehow ends up with it in his mouth at the end of the game. Jackson is Lehman Brothers, non-existent. Who steps up for the Dukes and makes up for Jackson's off night?
A: No need for the hypothetical, it happened [wednesday] night against GW and really worked in the Dukes favor. Jackson and Saunders were asleep for about thirty minutes of the game and were neutralized defensively by a surprisingly athletic GW team. Bill Clark-my current arch nemesis-was in foul trouble the whole game (side note: If they kept stats on bad fouls and/or charges per game he would undoubtedly be number one in the nation!) and was on the pine for most of the second half. Melquan "Willis" Boldin, who initially committed to Louisville and is the Dukes first ever top 150 recruit, stepped up with a career high 26 points. Defensive lapses aside, he has progressed nicely and will be a candidate for A-10 rookie of the year when its all said and done. He has a nose for the basket, can jump out of the gym, and he really wants the ball in his hands. Fellow freshman Eric "whatch you takin about Willis" Evans ran point for the entire second half as Jackson moved into Clark's small forward spot and Duty had an off night on both ends of the floor. He sank seven of eight foul shots, an Achilles heel for the Dukes, down the stretch to ice the victory.
Q: That bubble gum reference is of course from the movie Hoosiers. (Little known fact: in the original script, Chitwood misses the final shot and ends up committing suicide on Coach Dale's front lawn.) Let's say I host a round-robin tournament in my studio apartment. We got Hickory High lead by Jimmy Chitwood, Western University coached by the legend, Pete Bell, the five teenaged heroin addicts from the Basketball Diaries, and the Beacon Town Beavers led by a werewolf. Who wins the tourney?
A: As long as Happy Kikendorf doesn't fix the game and Tony passes T.V., Pete Bell takes this round-robin in a land slide. Being of Bulgarian heritage, I am now obligated to quote my favorite line from any sports movie ever and something I have always wanted to hear at a Dukes post-game press conference...
Happy Kikendorf: "Stick a fork in the creep! Because he's done! He's dead meat! You're finished! You will never coach in America again, you got that?! Why don't you try BULGARIA?! Hear they're looking for wimps like you!"
I wonder if Happy knows that Everhart is a K.G.B. agent? I also wondered why they would pick on Bulgaria, considering its history of Olympic Wrestlers, Weightlifters, Drug-Users, Hairy Women, and World's Strongest Man competitors?
Q: There's been some discussion on the blog regarding the possibility of cutting some teams from the A-10. I feel like you and I have become fast friends. Problem is, we have 12 other friends in our circle. We're getting older, time to simplify our lives. Let's cut 4 people from our group. Can't cut Mr. Xavier, he gets us girls. Mr. Temple has a great reputation and knows all the doormen. Mr. Saintjoe beats the shit out of tough guys when we mouth off in bars. So, who do we stop calling? I want the four names. Briefly explain your choices.
A: 1) Ms. Fordham- the A-10's fat friend who you still wouldn't go home with after bonging a fifth of whiskey!- this is a horrible program that really has no shot of being good. While the same could have been said about the Dukes a few years back, they are a charter member with a storied history and are now on the rise.
2), 3), and 4) Charlotte, Richmond, and St. Louis....The Blue Collar Comedy Friends- They really seem out of place in the league. Not that they are bad programs, far from it, but the A-10 is the bye product of the EASTERN 8 (what a great league btw). These Budweiser drinking, NASCAR watching buddies really don't fit the Atlantic-10 school build. Plus I believe that with ten teams, you could play everyone twice which would heat up the rivalries and be good for the league.
Q: Make a prediction. Dayton is 1-1 in the A-10, with a big loss to UMass, and a disturbingly close win over Fordham. The Dukes enter Saturday first in the conference, but those wins have come against the bottom of the league. Who wins? Give me the score and the game's MVP.
A: I like the Dukes to split with Dayton this year. My basketball knowledge warns me against picking Dayton to lose at home, but the Dukes have won there in the past (sorry if that stung a little)! I like the Flyers on Saturday. AJAX is a little banged up and while the Dukes are playing at a high level, I just think they are due for a down performance. I also think that the Flyers will be fired up to avenge last years upset and their experience will ultimately be too much for the youngest team in the nation to handle! Looking forward to the game, but think Dayton takes the Dukes by ten on Saturday. Love my Dukes coming back to Dayton on the final game of the year! Hopefully they won't damage Dayton's tourney hopes two years straight.
