Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2007 23:22:27 GMT -5
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/14/ddn031507wsunotes.html
WSU notes
Pitt gearing up to take on Wood tonight
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 15, 2007
BUFFALO — Even though their last game was a loss, 65-42, to Georgetown in the Big East title game on Saturday, the Pitt Panthers have struck that from their minds.
"I don't even know what happened," said 7-foot Aaron Gray. "Right now, it's all Wright State."
Pittsburgh actually limped home, splitting its final six games, losing to Georgetown twice and Marquette.
The Panthers know they have to stop DaShaun Wood, WSU's 19.8 scorer and Horizon League Player of the Year.
"Definitely we're going to have to focus on him," said Pitt senior guard Antonio Graves. "We're going to have to stick to our defensive principles."
Kettering's Long proud
Pitt's athletics director, Jeff Long, a Kettering native who graduated from Fairmont East High School, said he's proud to be from the Dayton area and have his team face Wright State. "Certainly with Dayton and Wright State, that makes Dayton a good basketball town," Long said.
Duke still hot
Duke lured the biggest crowd of the day to HSBC Arena, but only about 1,000. Of course, there weren't any real local teams to see. Pittsburgh, more than three hours away, is closest.
A year ago, a crowd of about 6,000 watched Ohio State practice at UD Arena and several years ago, an official at Butler said, an NCAA game practice in Indianapolis involving Indiana and then coach Bob Knight attracted more than 35,000.
After that practice, Knight had his players lie down on the court and spell out, "Thanks."
Wright State recognized
Butler coach Todd Lickliter gave more props to the Wright State Raiders than the NCAA selection committee, which seeded Butler No. 5 and WSU No. 14.
"We lost six games this year," Lickliter said, "and two of them are to them. What more can I say?"
Well, a little more.
"I think they have good personnel, they have great coaching and they play with the kind of enthusiasm and emotion you have to play with."
In two of the previous four years, Horizon League teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 (Butler in 2003 and Milwaukee in 2005). Yet the league remains a good, if quiet, achiever.
"People don't know it," Lickliter said of the Horizon's success. "I know it. I say it all the time. Wright State will advance, and it will be exciting for Wright State, and it will still be, 'We're the little Horizon League.' "
LeCrone at another venue
Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone, a member of the NCAA tournament selection committee, was assigned duties at the Winston Salem first- and second-round site instead of here, where Horizon League members Butler and Wright State are playing.
Kissel calls
Before he left on this trip, WSU athletics director Mike Cusack heard from University of Dayton athletics director Ted Kissel.
"He congratulated us," Cusack said.
Unfortunately, Cusack only heard the message on voice mail, and his return call also went to voice mail. That means the two never got to talk about a possible game between the two schools.
Maybe when Cusack returns to Dayton ...
Oops
Wright State had more than 100 tickets available for sale at the Nutter Center Wednesday morning, except the NCAA sent the tickets to the game site in Buffalo, rather than Dayton. For the several Wednesday morning purchasers, vouchers were issued for the tickets to be picked up at a Wright State window at the HSBC Arena.
WSU sold about 400 of its eventual allotment of 550 tickets and had to turn in the unsold tickets at the game site. Should the Raiders beat Pitt tonight, the school will have 550 tickets available for Saturday's game, which will be sold at a WSU window at the arena.
Cola rules
Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the NCAA, which means only its products can be visible at courtside. That means Powerade is the official drink of the tournament. The Raiders use Gatorade, and will have to cover that name on their bottles.
Short items
• Rich Bly, an usher at HSBC Arena, expects to visit the Dayton area a few times during the next year. His son, Mark Bly, is a backup quarterback for the Silverbacks indoor football team that will play in Troy.
• Nick Keyes, owner of Key Ads, had a 'Good Luck Raiders' sign pasted to a billboard between the Buffalo airport and arena.
WSU notes
Pitt gearing up to take on Wood tonight
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 15, 2007
BUFFALO — Even though their last game was a loss, 65-42, to Georgetown in the Big East title game on Saturday, the Pitt Panthers have struck that from their minds.
"I don't even know what happened," said 7-foot Aaron Gray. "Right now, it's all Wright State."
Pittsburgh actually limped home, splitting its final six games, losing to Georgetown twice and Marquette.
The Panthers know they have to stop DaShaun Wood, WSU's 19.8 scorer and Horizon League Player of the Year.
"Definitely we're going to have to focus on him," said Pitt senior guard Antonio Graves. "We're going to have to stick to our defensive principles."
Kettering's Long proud
Pitt's athletics director, Jeff Long, a Kettering native who graduated from Fairmont East High School, said he's proud to be from the Dayton area and have his team face Wright State. "Certainly with Dayton and Wright State, that makes Dayton a good basketball town," Long said.
Duke still hot
Duke lured the biggest crowd of the day to HSBC Arena, but only about 1,000. Of course, there weren't any real local teams to see. Pittsburgh, more than three hours away, is closest.
A year ago, a crowd of about 6,000 watched Ohio State practice at UD Arena and several years ago, an official at Butler said, an NCAA game practice in Indianapolis involving Indiana and then coach Bob Knight attracted more than 35,000.
After that practice, Knight had his players lie down on the court and spell out, "Thanks."
Wright State recognized
Butler coach Todd Lickliter gave more props to the Wright State Raiders than the NCAA selection committee, which seeded Butler No. 5 and WSU No. 14.
"We lost six games this year," Lickliter said, "and two of them are to them. What more can I say?"
Well, a little more.
"I think they have good personnel, they have great coaching and they play with the kind of enthusiasm and emotion you have to play with."
In two of the previous four years, Horizon League teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 (Butler in 2003 and Milwaukee in 2005). Yet the league remains a good, if quiet, achiever.
"People don't know it," Lickliter said of the Horizon's success. "I know it. I say it all the time. Wright State will advance, and it will be exciting for Wright State, and it will still be, 'We're the little Horizon League.' "
LeCrone at another venue
Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone, a member of the NCAA tournament selection committee, was assigned duties at the Winston Salem first- and second-round site instead of here, where Horizon League members Butler and Wright State are playing.
Kissel calls
Before he left on this trip, WSU athletics director Mike Cusack heard from University of Dayton athletics director Ted Kissel.
"He congratulated us," Cusack said.
Unfortunately, Cusack only heard the message on voice mail, and his return call also went to voice mail. That means the two never got to talk about a possible game between the two schools.
Maybe when Cusack returns to Dayton ...
Oops
Wright State had more than 100 tickets available for sale at the Nutter Center Wednesday morning, except the NCAA sent the tickets to the game site in Buffalo, rather than Dayton. For the several Wednesday morning purchasers, vouchers were issued for the tickets to be picked up at a Wright State window at the HSBC Arena.
WSU sold about 400 of its eventual allotment of 550 tickets and had to turn in the unsold tickets at the game site. Should the Raiders beat Pitt tonight, the school will have 550 tickets available for Saturday's game, which will be sold at a WSU window at the arena.
Cola rules
Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the NCAA, which means only its products can be visible at courtside. That means Powerade is the official drink of the tournament. The Raiders use Gatorade, and will have to cover that name on their bottles.
Short items
• Rich Bly, an usher at HSBC Arena, expects to visit the Dayton area a few times during the next year. His son, Mark Bly, is a backup quarterback for the Silverbacks indoor football team that will play in Troy.
• Nick Keyes, owner of Key Ads, had a 'Good Luck Raiders' sign pasted to a billboard between the Buffalo airport and arena.