Courtside Observations: Dayton downs UNC, captures 2010 NIT Championship

By: Ray Floriani, Columnist
Photo Credit: University of Dayton Athletics / Leon Chuck

NEW YORK CITY - The ‘cardiac kids’ are champions. Dayton withstood an early second half rally to hold off North Carolina in the finals of the NIT. The 79-68 victory at Madison Square Garden was Dayton’s third NIT title, the others coming in 1962 and 1968.

Courtside Observations

Pre-Game with UD Assistant Jon Borovich - The points of emphasis per Borovich were rebounding and transition. “We have to keep them (North Carolina) off the boards,” he said. “We also have to get back in transition. Keep them in front of us and make them take jump shots, an area they have struggled.”

Pre-Game with North Carolina’s Steve Robinson - The UNC assistant simply said the Tar Heels focus was on transition. “We have to be aware of and concerned with Dayton’s transition game,” Robinson said.

Tar Heels and the perimeter. In Tuesday’s win over Rhode Island they hit two three pointers. For the game UNC hit 8 of 20 from beyond the arc for a 40% mark. They shot a combined 26% in the previous four NIT games. That three point marksmanship was crucial for Roy Williams’ club. Most dangerous from three was Will Graves who shot 7 of 13 from three and had a game high 25 points. Graves’ shooting led the Tar Heels’ second half surge and kept them right in it until the waning moments.

Dayton quickness. Maybe they weren’t quick enough on a few perimeter close outs but the Flyers were disruptive when UNC big men put it on the floor or guards entered the paint. They forced 10 turnovers in the first half alone.

Tempo free at the break. Dayton held a 45-32 halftime lead.

	Possessions	Points Per Possession
North Carolina	38	.84
Dayton	36	1.25

Significant among the Four Factors was North Carolina’s offensive rebounding percentage where they enjoyed a 38%-21% edge. On the other hand, the Flyers had a tidy 17% turnover rate and forced their ACC opponents into a not so tidy 26% turnover rate.

First Four Minutes. Coaches will tell you the first four minutes of each half are important and can set the tone. UNC came out on a 7-0 run the first two minutes of the second stanza. At the 16 minute mark, the 13 point Flyer halftime lead was cut to three thanks to UNC’s 14-4 run.

“I think our guys came out ready to cut down the nets,” Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. “That doesn’t mean they were complacent but they tried to do things too fast. They gave up two threes (both by Graves) and several transition baskets, something we prevented the first half.”

Dayton’s Marcus Johnson hit the only Dayton field goal the first four minutes. It was a three pointer that got the lead back to four and seemed to lift the Flyers’ spirits. “No doubt,” Gregory said. “That shot temporarily stopped their (UNC) momentum and gave us a chance to regroup.”

Answering the call. Championship teams need a player to rise above the norm. Paul Williams, a sophomore guard averaging five points per game, logged 26 minutes on the night and contributed 16 points. He hit a some big shots the second half and provided offense when Chris Johnson was on the bench with a hip injury.

Never give the lead up. As noted early in the second half North Carolina got the deficit to one. They never took the lead nor drew even. A big factor for the Flyers in those final 20 minutes.

Tempo free at the conclusion.

	Possessions	Points Per Possession
North Carolina	72	.94
Dayton	68	1.16

Great offensive night and a solid job on the defensive end by the Flyers. UNC improved its ball handling the second half but still ended with a 21% turnover rate. Another major factor was the offensive boards. Dayton tightened up the final 20 minutes and wound up with a 32% - 27% advantage over UNC in offensive rebounding percentage. In raw numbers, the Tar Heels had nine offensive boards the first half and just two the second. For the game, both teams had 11 offensive boards but Dayton, led by Chris Johnson and Chris Wright with nine rebounds each, clearly owned the glass in the second half.

Carolina’s concern. “We got right back in the game but did not get over the hump,” UNC mentor Roy Williams said. “We had one stretch where we had three turnovers out of four possessions. Those kind of things always kill you.”

Williams also noted several times the Tar Heels got an initial stop but Dayton ran down the long rebound thus extending the possession.

The A-10. Williams said he did not know much about the conference but did admit, ”Rhode Island had us scared to death and we were fortunate to beat them. Dayton, I loved their pace, intensity and unselfishness.” Williams also pointed out Dayton defeated Georgia Tech, something UNC did not do in three tries this year. “Some people (in the A-10) beat them (URI and Dayton) regularly,” Williams said. “I’m glad we do not play those people.”

Gregory’s reflection. “This game was like our season,” the Dayton mentor said. “Start off great, have tough times and fight through to be successful at the end.” The third title was very special as Gregory noted, ”this tournament gave our program its national brand right back to the days of coach (Tom) Blackburn and (Don) Donoher. Our players have been successful here at the Garden and it is important for us to play here.”

Gregory also pointed out his club defeated a team from the Big East (Cincinnati), the Big Ten (Illinois), the SEC (Mississippi) and ACC (North Carolina) en route to the NIT crown. “And all away from home,” he added.

Numbers and Honors. As noted, Graves paced all scorers with 25 points. Dayton had four players in double figures. Marcus Johnson had 20 points while Williams had 16 and Wright and Chris Johnson had 14 each. North Carolina finished 20-17 while Dayton improved its final record to 25-12.

2010 NIT All Tournament Team

Delroy James, Rhode Island
Will Graves, North Carolina
Deon Thompson, North Carolina
Marcus Johnson, Dayton

Most Outstanding Player: Chris Johnson, Dayton

Celebration. Let’s say Dayton and their rabid fan base rocked the Garden. A great sight was seeing UD players high five band members and cheerleaders then go into the stands to do the same with their fans. Just a great show of fan devotion and player appreciation.

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