Raiders arrive early, hope to stay longer
Mar 14, 2007 1:20:12 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2007 1:20:12 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/14/ddn031407wsuweb.html
Raiders arrive early, hope to stay longer
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
BUFFALO — The stewardess tried to point out Niagara Falls to Wright State basketball players, band members, the dance team, cheerleaders and assorted athletic administrators and coaches as the charter jet approached the Buffalo/Niagara Airport.
"It's right over there," she said, waving her hand. "Well, it's over there somewhere. Usually, you can tell by the steam coming off."
Oh, well, maybe next time, although WSU coach Brad Brownell said he might — MIGHT — take his team to see the region's No. 1 attraction sometime Wednesday. In the morning, the Raiders have a practice scheduled at nearby St. Mary's High School, where the team practiced from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Later Wednesday, there is a media conference scheduled at the HSBC Arena and a public shoot-around for the Raiders, who play Pittsburgh in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at 9:40 p.m. Thursday.
All of the travel party assembled at 10:30 a.m. at the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center on WSU's campus, boarding two buses that took everyone to the charter area of Cox International Airport. The flight was scheduled to leave at 1 p.m., but left about a half hour early. The flight to Buffalo lasted less than an hour.
Wright State's party was then bussed to a nearby hotel, not the most luxurious. But that's the way it is when you're a No. 14 seed and there are seven other teams in town who get priority.
At least two of those teams have Dayton connections, and I'm not talking about Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon's flirting with the WSU job when Paul Biancardi got it four years ago. Pitt's athletic director is Jeff Long, a Kettering native, and Virginia Commonwealth's coach is Anthony Grant, a former basketball star at UD.
Oh, and Maryland's coach is Gary Williams, who once coached an Ohio State team that played UD in UD Arena — and lost.
Once the Raiders arrived, they checked into their rooms, had lunch, rested, then went to practice.
The only bad part was on the way back to the hotel. Two cars in front of their bus slammed into two fawns trying to cross the street.
It wasn't a pretty sight, according to sports information director Bob Noss.
By the way, despite predictions of worse weather, except for some stiff wind, it was about 55 degrees, enough for a sweatshirt but overcoats were not necessary.
Ah, Buffalo near spring time. Maybe the Raiders can make an extra couple of days out of it.
Raiders arrive early, hope to stay longer
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
BUFFALO — The stewardess tried to point out Niagara Falls to Wright State basketball players, band members, the dance team, cheerleaders and assorted athletic administrators and coaches as the charter jet approached the Buffalo/Niagara Airport.
"It's right over there," she said, waving her hand. "Well, it's over there somewhere. Usually, you can tell by the steam coming off."
Oh, well, maybe next time, although WSU coach Brad Brownell said he might — MIGHT — take his team to see the region's No. 1 attraction sometime Wednesday. In the morning, the Raiders have a practice scheduled at nearby St. Mary's High School, where the team practiced from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Later Wednesday, there is a media conference scheduled at the HSBC Arena and a public shoot-around for the Raiders, who play Pittsburgh in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at 9:40 p.m. Thursday.
All of the travel party assembled at 10:30 a.m. at the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center on WSU's campus, boarding two buses that took everyone to the charter area of Cox International Airport. The flight was scheduled to leave at 1 p.m., but left about a half hour early. The flight to Buffalo lasted less than an hour.
Wright State's party was then bussed to a nearby hotel, not the most luxurious. But that's the way it is when you're a No. 14 seed and there are seven other teams in town who get priority.
At least two of those teams have Dayton connections, and I'm not talking about Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon's flirting with the WSU job when Paul Biancardi got it four years ago. Pitt's athletic director is Jeff Long, a Kettering native, and Virginia Commonwealth's coach is Anthony Grant, a former basketball star at UD.
Oh, and Maryland's coach is Gary Williams, who once coached an Ohio State team that played UD in UD Arena — and lost.
Once the Raiders arrived, they checked into their rooms, had lunch, rested, then went to practice.
The only bad part was on the way back to the hotel. Two cars in front of their bus slammed into two fawns trying to cross the street.
It wasn't a pretty sight, according to sports information director Bob Noss.
By the way, despite predictions of worse weather, except for some stiff wind, it was about 55 degrees, enough for a sweatshirt but overcoats were not necessary.
Ah, Buffalo near spring time. Maybe the Raiders can make an extra couple of days out of it.