CCT's 'Five Questions' Series: Jon Borovich, Asst. Coach - Dayton
College Chalktalk: Briefly describe your newcomers (recruits, transfers) and their respective skill sets.
JB: Kevin Dillard - Gifted ball
handler and playmaker. Kevin can play both on and off the
ball. He has excellent vision and play making abilities.
Defensively he has great feet and excellent length so we
expect him to be an excellent on the ball defender.
Ralph Hill - Long, athletic and versatile. Ralph is
a versatile forward who possesses a skill package that makes him
hard to guard. He can put the ball on the floor and make
plays off the dribble and can stretch the defense with his ability
to shoot the three point shot. We think he has a chance to be
a dominant rebounder at both ends of the floor due to his length
& athleticism.
Devin Oliver - Long and athletic wing who won a high
school state championship in Michigan. Devin continues to grow
both physically and as a basketball player. At 6-7 and
205lbs, Devin possesses a unique skill set. He is deceptively
athletic and good with the ball so he can go around defenders but
he also can knock down jumpers from behind the arc. His
length on the perimeter allows him to guard multiple positions and
should make him a very good rebounder as well.
Brandon Spearman - Also a state champion in high school
(Illinois), Brandon's game is defined by toughness and athleticism.
He has the potential to be one of our best perimeter
defenders from day one. His game excels in the open
floor as he is a tremendous athlete and finisher at the basket.
At 6-3 and 205lbs, he has great size and strength for a
freshman.
Juwan Staten - Jet quick with the ball. Has a unique
ability to change speed and direction with the basketball in his
hands. With him being from the area, he is the most familiar
with our system and all that our break and blitz entails.
Juwan makes the guys around him better and has a knack for
being able to control the pace of the game on both ends of the
floor.
Josh Parker (transfer from Drake) - Strong, tough and skilled. Josh brings to the table a level of intensity and passion for the game that is contagious. Nonstop chatter and enthusiasm. He has quickly become one of the more vocal leaders and hardest workers in our program. Josh has the ability to play both the 1 and the 2. His energy on the ball defensively and ability to knock down threes will be valuable commodities for this year's squad.
Another 20 win season for the Flyers and, although you didn't make the NCAA Tournament, you did win the NIT showcase in convincing fashion. Describe the NIT experience and how valuable to your younger players were those extra games, specifically those at MSG?
JB: Having an extra three weeks of practice and five additional games was a tremendous growing experience for our returners. Playing Illinois State at home then going on the road and winning at Cincinnati and Illinois in very hostile environments was really big for our guys confidence. When we arrived to Madison Square Garden our guys were full of confidence and had an expectation that we truly believed that we could win a championship. The games against Ole' Miss and North Carolina really forced our guys to rely on each other and stick to our values as a team. Cutting down that nets after the Championship game was an experience that our graduating seniors and our returners will be able to look back on for a lifetime and have a feeling of tremendous accomplishment. Our returning group now has that much more motivation heading into the school year to take another step forward as a program.
You have Chris Johnson and Chris Wright coming back this year, and
last season they averaged a combined 25 points per game for the
Flyers. How excited are you to have both again this year and where
can they rank in terms of 1-2 punches in the league if they mature
as you expect?
JB: Chris Wright and Chris Johnson have done a tremendous job of pushing themselves, each other and their teammates every step of the way. It was great to see all of their hard work last season pay off with tremendous accolades and opportunities this off season. We believe that the two of them have really taken this program to another level. The best part about those two guys is their work ethic. Not only are they two of our best players they are two of our hardest workers. That raises the level of expectation for everyone in our program. Those guys set the tone every day in the weight room and on the practice court. They are great teammates first and that has allowed them to really have an impact on the guys around them.
Kurt Huelsman was never a big time scorer or rebounder at UD but clearly he was a critical component of your team on both ends of the floor. What needs to be replaced with Kurt now gone and who is most likely to fill his void. Finally, does every good team need a player like Huelsman who is a great role player?
JB: Kurt Huelsman defines what a student-athlete is all about. His presence on the floor and in the locker room is something that can't be replaced by one individual. The key is for our underclassmen to learn from what Kurt stood for as a player and try to pull from how he went about his business. Kurt was the ultimate professional in how he approached every practice and every game. He was a model of consistency in everything that he did. It was a very comforting feeling as a coaching staff to know what we were going to get from Kurt every single day. He was always the first one to arrive to practice and was willing to do whatever the team needed to be successful. He truly was selfless in his approach and it will be critical that our returning players learn from Kurt and do all they can to play with that same type of team first mentality.
Last year Luke Fabrizius shot over 40 percent from three, averaging nearly five points a game. Luke seemed to find a comfort zone late in the season, so do you and the staff view him as a potential breakout guy for the Flyers this year? What areas did he target to work on this summer based upon your exit meeting with him in April?
JB: A big key for Luke this off season was focusing on his strength and conditioning. Luke adds an element to the game that makes us very hard to guard at times. Getting stronger with the ball, more physical on the glass and continuing to develop his ability to shot fake when defenders come flying at him are areas that Luke really has done a great job improving. Luke is a team first kind of guy who really wants to help the team in any way that he can. His ability to shoot the ball really does help us stretch the floor offensively. On the defensive end, Luke has done a tremendous job increasing his ability to defend the post and guys on the perimeter.
*** Bonus Question *** What are your thoughts on the NCAA's decision to only expand the Tournament to 68 teams versus the explosive expansion to 96 squads being tossed around in the early part of the spring?
JB: Expanding the field really is a difficult question. The NCAA tournament is the best event in all of sports. It's hard to mess with perfection. With that being said we all know that without change there is no progress. When the NCAA tournament last expanded the general public thought it was a mistake but it proved to be the right thing to do. With the always growing number of teams that are making the transition from Division II to Division I, the pool of teams starts to exceed that of the tournament so from that standpoint it really does make sense. Personally I think the most important aspect of the tournament no matter how many teams that make the tournament is that the integrity of the tournament remains the No. 1 priority. An even playing field for everyone in the tournament is the most important thing in my opinion. Every team that makes the tournament should have as close to an equal chance of winning the tournament as possible.
* * *
Photo courtesy of Elsestar Images
