G- #1 Kevin Dillard (6-0, 170, redshirt junior)
G- #22 Paul Willims (6-4, 212, senior)
F- #5 Devin Oliver (6-7, 200, sophomore)
F- #4 Chris Johnson (6-6, 191, senior)
C- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-10, 250, junior)

Xavier University (19-11, 10-6 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #52 Tu Holloway (6-0, 190, senior)
G- #10 Mark Lyons (6-1, 188, junior)
G- #5 Dezmine Wells (6-5, 215, freshman)
F- #54 Andre Walker (6-8, 225, graduate student)
F- #32 Kenny Frease (7-0, 275, senior)

Pregame Notes:

I’m pretty sure it doesn’t need to be stated how crucial this game is. Not only is this the A-10′s biggest rivalry game. Not only is this big for junior center Matt Kavanaugh on his 21st birthday. And not only is this big for in terms of basketball fans wanting to watch a great game.

ESPN and St. Joseph color commentator Joe Lunardi said Dayton needs two wins to make the NCAA tournament. This is how important this game is. A win and Dayton is one step closer to a NCAA at-large bid. A loss means a third straight NIT. On second thought, this game is also huge for the morale of the city Dayton and the university student body.

Xavier is led by first team All-Atlantic 10 selection Tu Holloway. Holloway can do everything and when it comes to the Flyers even more so. His clutch performance at the end of the last UD-XU game in Cincinnati is verification of that.

Senior forward Chris Johnson needs to be physical and play well like he has down the stretch of the regular. Redshirt junior point guard Kevin Dillard also needs to stay out of foul trouble for Dayton to win.

Welcome to Atlantic City.

First Half Notes:

15:36- UD 6, XU 9- Dayton has struggled shooting in this game, but has turned it on in the last two minutes. The Flyers had a chance for a big momentum swing when Matt Kavanaugh hit sophomore forward Devin Oliver in the lane. Oliver scored his first points agianst Xavier with a emphatic dunk. Only he got called for a technical foul. Now most fans felt the T was unwarranted as Xavier’s Andre Walker was underneath Oliver, but the sophomore did pull himself up on the rim and that folks is a technical. Tu Holloway made only one of the two subsequent free throws.

11:08- UD 16, XU 12- Dayton is on a nice 10-3 run. Xavier’s only points were on an old-fashioned, three-point play by Holloway. Other than that slip up, Dayton has dominated the last four minutes of play.

6:59- UD 21, XU 18- Xavier has regained its penchant for physical play and so far Dayton has matched it. The Musketeers like to bully their way into the psyche of opponents. For the most part this season, Dayton hasn’t budged and it doesn’t look like the Flyers will do it tonight either. Josh Parker has played like a man on a mission in his few early minutes. He and Johnson lead the team with five points a piece.

1:29- UD 32, XU 25- Both teams are trading baskets and fouls. The physical play is causing the 20 combined fouls to be called despite what fans think. Dayton is looking to end on a mini-run and put Xavier at a big disadvantage going into halftime.

:23.1- UD 35, XU 28- The goal for Dayton is not to foul for the rest of the half. Can’t have anyone in foul trouble for the second half with a limited bench.

Half- UD 38- XU 28

Second Half Notes:

17:13- UD 40, XU 37- Xavier has come out on a mission and a 9-2 run. Holloway and Frease are doing whatever they want right now. The best on-ball defender against Holloway seems to be Williams. He is a good defender, but that could be a risky move for Archie Miller. We’ll have to wait and see after this timeout.

15:37- UD 43, XU 39- Dayton is missing on its opportunities to put some distance between itself and Xavier. Of course, silly turnovers and fouls will do that. Kevin Dillard is trying to lead this team to a victory. The question who else will step up in this half?

11:38- UD 48, XU 49- It’s been the TU HOLLOWAY SHOW here in this half. It has low ratings among Dayton fans. Fortunately, he is starting to come down from his hot streak. Now, can Dayton recover and rebuild quickly. Important to note they will be doing it without Johnson, who is out with four fouls.

9:04- UD 54, XU 55- Dayton has managed to shake off its cold streak and is now back to fighting Xavier blow for blow. No, that isn’t a reference to what you think it was. I’m referring to boxing since we are inside a pretty decent venue for the sport.

3:02- UD 67, XU 63- Dayton is feeling good right now. Quick steals on defense, Matt Kavanaugh dunking and Kevin Dillard showing Tu Holloway why he should be a first team selection and not a second team. An amazing sequence of events for UD and Xavier seems lost and dazed right now. Things are going Dayton’s way. Can it continue?

2:02- UD 69, XU 68- Here comes the Xavier cavalry charge. Dayton just needs to hang on.

Final- Dayton 69, Xavier 70

The University of Dayton will have two surprise guests at the First Four next week.

President Barack Obama will be in Dayton for the first set of NCAA tournament games Tuesday, March 13, along with British Prime Minister David Cameron. The White House confirmed Thursday, March 8, that the two will join in on the basketball activities surrounding UD.

“The University of Dayton Arena is steeped in basketball history, serving as the stage for many great tournament moments and as host to more Division I men’s games than any other arena in the country,” said an anonymous White House official to Dayton Daily News. “The President and the Prime Minister look forward to a great game between some of our nation’s finest collegiate athletes.”

There is no confirmed word on how long Obama and Cameron will be at UD Arena or campus. The Dayton Daily News article said the White House will release more details in the coming days.

The First Four is the opening round of the 68-team Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The four games over two days at UD Arena will be between four automatic qualifiers and the last four at-large teams to qualify for the tournament.

Dayton Daily News reported Tuesday, March 6, that UD had sold about 10,000 two-day tickets for the games, a number similar to last year’s attendance. UD Arena seats 13,455 fans, but the article said that will be lowered by 900 because of additional media, so over 2,000 tickets likely still remain for the games.

In addition, UD administrators are encouraging students to take part in the First Four Festival Sunday, March 11, in the Oregon District.

Dean of Students Christine Schramm emailed students Thursday about the event. She said there will be free parking downtown, and free bus shuttles through the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority that will run every 15 minutes from UD Arena with stops on Stewart and Brown streets.

The First Four Festival will run from noon to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, and a university press release said thousands of fans are expected to attend the free event. More than 300 volunteers will be organizing the day’s activities.

Some of the highlights include big-screen TVs showing conference championship games and then the Selection Show for the NCAA tournament at night. Also, there will be free food, live entertainment — including a basketball tournament with former local players — Air Force displays and other family-friendly activities.

For more information including parking maps and a full list of First Four Festival activities, visit firstfour.daytonflyers.com.

———–

For more about the First Four, check out these previous Flyer News articles:

“First Four Festival kicks off NCAA activities” – Feb. 26, 2012

“Overtime: First Four chairman recalls UD memories” – Oct. 11, 2011

“First Four names new chairman, sets high goals for future in Dayton” – Sept. 29, 2011

“UD Arena’s NCAA run comes to end” – March 28, 2011

“UD Arena hosts nation with NCAA First Four” – March 18, 2011

“First Four preparations underway at UD Arena” – Jan. 23, 2011

“UD Arena selected to host NCAA tournament’s First Four games” – Sept. 13, 2010

University of Dayton (19-11, 9-7 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #1 Kevin Dillard (6-0, 170, redshirt junior)
G- #22 Paul Willims (6-4, 212, senior)
F- #5 Devin Oliver (6-7, 200, sophomore)
F- #4 Chris Johnson (6-6, 191, senior)
C- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-10, 250, junior)

George Washington University (10-20, 5-11 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #3 Tony Taylor (6-1, 192, senior)
G- #20 Lasan Kromah (6-5, 197, junior)
G- #5 Bryan Bynes (6-3, 173, junior)
F- #13 Jabari Edwards (6-10, 223, graduate student)
F- #00 Dwayne Smith (6-6, 227, junior)

Pregame Notes:

Well, tonight is the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament and thus begins the start of every basketball fans’ favorite time of year. A win and Dayton gets to face archrival Xavier University in the quarterfinal round in Atlantic City on Friday. Again.

Dayton and George Washington played Saturday, March 3, with UD winning 75-59 at UD Arena. Senior forward Chris Johnson led Dayton with 20 points  and four rebounds. Sophomore Devin Oliver added nine points and nine rebounds in the victory.

George Washington owns the all-time series record at 15-13. The Colonials haven’t won in UD Arena since this win in 2005.

GW is led by senior guard Tony Taylor who is averaging 13.2 points per game and 4.4 assists. On Saturday he had 17 points and two assists. GW was led by junior forward David Pellom’s 18 point, nine rebound performance.

The Colonials have lost nine of their last 11.

First Half Notes:

15:35- UD 9, GW 2- Dayton is dominating right now. In the half court set, UD is getting open looks and attacking the offensive glass. Freshman forward Alex Gavrilovic recorded his first dunk as a Flyer to cause GW head coach Mike Lonergan to call a timeout. Defensively, Dayton has forced four early GW turnovers. This is the kind of stretch Archie Miller has been seeing in his team since getting over a four-game losing streak.

11:34- UD 17, GW 12- The offensive hot streak Dayton was on earlier is now over. Both teams are playing just about even right now. The offenses aren’t as sloppy as they were on Saturday, but they’re still far from perfect.

7:10- UD 25, GW 12- Things are coming apart for GW. Defensively, offensively and now Bynes is out of the game with an apparent arm injury. This could get ugly, but UD has a nice habit of making ugly games close again.

1:43- UD 29, GW 17- As the score tells you, not much has happened in the last several minutes. The biggest thing to happen was during the previous media timeout when the UD women’s basketball team was applauded for winning the A-10 tournament yesterday in Philadelphia.

Half- UD 31, GW 17

Second Half Notes:

15:30- UD 35, GW 28- The Colonials opened the second half on a 9-0 run and are continuing to attack. Defensively, GW has switched to a full-court press and its giving UD all kinds of fits. Archie Miller called a timeout in hopes of correcting the issue. Will it work?

11:11- UD 42, GW 33- This game is getting chippy, especially on UD’s side. Players, coaches and fans are not happy with the officiating even though its been fairly decent tonight. Somtimes you just have to play and not worry about what other people, like the refs, are doing. That’s what Chris Wright always told me and what other former Flyers have said to me.

1:15- UD 63, GW 50- Josh Parker finally showed up and good thing for the Flyers. Parker scored eight of UD’s points in a crucial spot, including a dagger three to ice this game.

Final- UD 67, GW 50

Player of the Game: Devin Oliver- 19 points and nine rebounds. The sophomore was one board shy of his first career double-double and he was big for UD down the stretch.

University of Dayton (18-11, 8-7 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #1 Kevin Dillard (6-0, 170, redshirt junior)
G- #22 Paul Willims (6-4, 212, senior)
F- #5 Devin Oliver (6-7, 200, sophomore)
F- #4 Chris Johnson (6-6, 191, senior)
C- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-10, 250, junior)

George Washington University (10-19, 5-10 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #3 Tony Taylor (6-1, 192, senior)
G- #20 Lasan Kromah (6-5, 197, junior)
F- #34 John Kopriva (6-8, 205, freshman)
F- #15 Aaron Ware (6-5, 208, senior)
F- #00 Dwayne Smith (6-6, 227, junior)

Pregame Notes:

Dayton needs a win today. A win ensures the Flyers have a chance at a first-round bye in the A-10 Tournament next weekend. IF Xavier University loses at home to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, then Dayton gets the bye. A loss and, depending how several others team do this afternoon, UD could find themselves playing on the road for the first round.

Today is also Senior Day for UD and Chris Johnson,Paul Williams, Luke Fabrizius and Josh Parker don’t want a result like former Flyers Chris Wright and Devin Searcy ended their careers on a 69-51 loss to Saint Louis.

George Washington owns the all-time series record at 15-12. The Colonials won the last contest 60-58 in Washington, but UD has won the last three meetings at UD Arena. GW does hold the honor of crushing Flyer Faithful hearts with this win in 2005.

GW is led by senior guard Tony Taylor who is averaging 13.2 points per game and 4.4 assists. The Colonials have lost eight of their last 10.

First Half Notes:

17:43- UD 6, GW 0- Dayton is on a 6-0 run with strong defense and Matt Kavanaugh to thank.

15:27- UD 6, GW 2- Dayton has cooled off after its hot start, albeit a 90 second hot start. George Washington has yet to get any type of offense started. Senseless fouls and four quick turnovers have stifled the Colonials. Give credit to the Dayton defense though. UD has been pressuring the perimeter and is asking for GW to try to take the ball inside.

11:11- UD 14, GW 10- Both teams have seemed to settle in to a rhythm that starts and stops with defense. Both GW and Dayton are trying to start offensive possessions on the defensive end. This could turn into a track race very quickly if both teams look to get easy transition baskets.

7:36- UD 24, GW 14- Hustle plays have giving the Flyers an advantage so far in this game. Josh Parker, Devin Oliver and others are looking to get on the ground for any loose ball in hopes of starting a fast break in UD’s favor. Dayton has seven points off of six GW turnovers in the first half. The UD defense has been pressuring and swarming all game. Dayton just needs to find an answer for Tony Taylor, he’s getting off any shot he wants whenever he wants.

3:46- UD 29, GW 25- George Washington is sneaking back into this game. Taylor and David Pellom are leading the way with a combined 19 points. If Taylor misses, which hasn’t been often, Pellom is getting the offensive board and put back. Kavanaugh and the other bigs need to be more physical in the paint on defense with the guards doing a solid job on the perimeter.

Half- UD 38, GW 27- Kevin Dillard hit a three in the waning seconds to extend Dayton’s lead on a 9-2 run.

Second Half Notes:

16:24- UD 49, GW 29- An 11-2 run is not a bad way to start the second half. Dayton is having its way with GW in the halfcourt set. The Colonials can’t seem to matchup on defense and UD is still stifling GW from creating any flow on offense. This could really turn into a lopsided affair. And that’s saying something seeing as it’s a 20-point Dayton lead.

10:38- UD 54, GW 41- GW has made a run just when it seemed Dayton had pulled away. Sound familiar?

7:30- UD 57, GW 45- If it weren’t for the occasional Paul Williams basket, the Colonials might be down by single digits right now. Fabrizius is still the only senior not to score today.

3:59- UD 64, GW 50- The last four minutes have been sloppy and rather uneventful for fans as some are starting to leave. Both teams have started playing defense with their hands rather than their feet and the turnovers. Oh, the turnovers. Dayton just needs to make free throws and play defense as both teams are in the bonus and UD has the 14-point advantage.

Final- UD 75, GW59

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chris Johnson- 19 points and four rebounds. Although, all the seniors are deserving of this prestigious honor on Senior Day.

This past week, I wrote a feature story on the 10th anniversary of Daniel Curran’s arrival as University of Dayton president. While working on the story, I had the rare opportunity to sit down in Curran’s office for 45 minutes to ask him dozens of questions about how he arrived at UD, what he likes best about campus now and the school’s future.

As the final part of a three-part outtakes series of extended quotes from my interview, this post covers Curran’s thoughts on the future of the university and his legacy at the school.

Flyer News: What’s next for UD? People are seeing, like you said, the buildings on Brown Street, the new cafeterias and all the other things over the past five to 10 years.

Daniel Curran: “I think what’s new for UD, at the undergraduate level, is we have the right size community at UD, we do not need to grow even though the demand is great. It would be easy for UD to go up to 10,000 [undergraduate] students, but that’s not in the plans, that’s not in the cards because you don’t want to jeopardize what’s the foundation of the UD experience and that’s community. So I think what I reflect on where we need to go with undergraduate [experience] a lot of it comes down to improving programs for the students. Looking, making sure – we had a great success rate in placing students last year – that students get out and have the opportunity to interview or get the internships or get the co-ops while they’re here, that’s where we got to go. …

“And again it’s just continuing to improve what we’re doing, opportunities for students, and then the other thing is build reputation. And we’ve done a lot, I mean, people we’ll be like, ‘What’s important about this GE complex for the average student?’ First, there’s going to be a lot of job opportunities, internships, co-ops, GE picked that  location over about eight others because they wanted to be near the University of Dayton. And they wanted the student, they wanted the intellectual talent. …”

FN: What do you want your legacy to be here at Dayton?

DC: “So 10 years, when I think back about when I came in, Brother Ray [Fitz] had just really created a wonderful platform for Dan Curran or whoever to be successful, and it paid off for the students. And I think that’s the key as I look forward to what I have to do sometime in the future is I know we’ve acquired all this property and that’s one of the foundations for presidents in the future. … So for me, I would be happy that they say Curran did a lot of things to create the platform for success and that he’s made sure that UD stayed in connection with the Dayton community. …”

FN: So 10 more years?

DC: “Oh I don’t think I could do 10 more years. Listen, if I’m healthy, and we’re being successful, I’ll go as long, I don’t want to match Brother Ray. Just say I have no ambitions to exceed Brother Ray’s record [23 years]. It really comes down to again health, and right now I have tons of energy and I just want to finish the fundraising campaign and look forward to the future. It really keeps you young, interacting with students. …”

This past week, I wrote a feature story on the 10th anniversary of Daniel Curran’s arrival as University of Dayton president. While working on the story, I had the rare opportunity to sit down in Curran’s office for 45 minutes to ask him dozens of questions about how he arrived at UD, what he likes best about campus now and the school’s future.

As the second part of a three-part outtakes series of extended quotes from my interview, this post covers Curran’s thoughts on some of his favorite stories, most difficult moments and top UD picks.

Flyer News: What’s one story that you think is seminal of the 10 years here?

Daniel Curran: “I have so many interactions with students it’s hard to pick one out. You know, I think when I go back, I think one of the most interesting, when you talk about where the university is going, is where my family and I were in Tibet and we know there is a UD group there. And we were walking in Lhasa, and all of a sudden I hear, ‘Dr. Dan, Dr. Dan.’ And a group of students run up to me, and here you are on the other side of the world, your students are excited to see you and your excited to see your students. And I think that’s one of the interesting interactions; I have multiple interactions where students have bumped into me: I’ve bumped into our students in Venice, I’ve had people in China come up to me and say, ‘I have two degrees from the University of Dayton and I’m so proud to be here.’ …

“And the other thing, the flip side, when you have a student get hurt or something when you had that accident earlier this year with the two Chinese students was, any loss of a student is hard and sometimes you don’t hear from it from a graduate, but that really when it’s a student that’s here you feel like you left the family down. ….”

FN: How many times have you been to China?

DC: “I’ve lost count. You know, I did research in China since the mid-‘80s and when I was doing research, I could be there three times a year. I bet approaching 40 times, approximately 40 times. I go much less now, I will probably go once this year. I think it’s more important now for other people to go from the university because China is all about relationships and at some point I’ll have to leave. ….”

FN: What’s one of the hardest things for you? You mentioned the November crash.

DC: “Certainly, you know, we’ve had this year the death of those two students here was very hard and I think it was compounded by the fact their parents came from such a distance but, you know, we’ve had several students take their lives and that’s hard to understand and that has a tremendous impact on the community also. I think that’s one of the hardest things. I think at a much less significant level, I always feel bad when a student spends two years here, has borrowed money and just can’t make it in the long-run. They might not be able to make it academically, they might not be able to make it financially, we’ll even try to help financially, but if it’s an academic issue, I feel bad for the students, I’ve said this at first-year orientation but I’d like to see 100 percent of students graduate. ….”

FN: What’s your favorite place on campus?

DC: “My favorite place on campus, you know, I actually on campus here, I actually like the [Central] Mall now. I think there’s so many places where you can look out, if you look out from Marycrest, you look out from the Science Center, it’s just something that was missing and it’s the heart of the campus, it’s always great to see people just sitting around, just the flow of students. …

And the other place I like a lot is the arena, I obviously do like basketball and I think it’s a great thing for the campus. … So I like the arena, sometimes I will go and watch the practice, the men practice and it’s relaxing. Because at the games it’s people coming all the times, it’s really work at the games, except when the ball is tossed up, then I don’t want to be bothered, I want to watch the game. …”

FN: What is your favorite place to eat on campus or on Brown Street?

DC: “Oh I’ll tell you, I go to Dewey’s quite a bit on Brown Street. My son told me the new place FUSIAN is pretty good but I haven’t been there yet. I eat most of my meals here in Kennedy Union on the third floor. … There’s some days where I’ll eat on campus breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thank God the food’s good, Chef Herbert [Schotz] does a good job. So I guess Kennedy Union’s my favorite place but I guess they probably do special things for me, I know they do, they take care of me. But I go to Dewey’s a lot, my wife and I used to go to Dewey’s like twice a week, it was embarrassing. ….”

This past week, I wrote a feature story on the 10th anniversary of Daniel Curran’s arrival as University of Dayton president. While working on the story, I had a unique opportunity to interview about a dozen individuals who know Curran in a multitude of different lights.

But in order for anyone to actually enjoy the fruits of labor from my 200 interview minutes, there had to be some great quotes that just didn’t make the final cut. Thus, this post covers some of the top thoughts on Curran from many of the individuals connected to UD who know him best.

1. Teri Rizvi, university vice president of communication, on Curran’s personality: “I think he has very strong instincts about people. And you know, he’s very accessible, he has a son who is a student here and beyond being the president of the university, he’s also a parent, you know, and he’s very, I think he’s a champion of students in my viewpoint.”

2. Jeff Firestone, a fifth-year senior accounting and finance major working on his Master of Business Administration, on Curran’s ability to market UD: “His favorite part of his job is definitely interaction with students and it shows. … Speaking to him, his vision hasn’t changed very much as far as standards for the university go as far as the years I’ve had the opportunity to interact with him.”Firestone also is a member of President’s Emissaries and the CEO of Flyer Enterprises.

3. Elizabeth Reeves, a senior communication management major, on Curran’s personality: “He has the same kind of respect and the same kind of appreciation for everyone, and when he is listening to you, he really is listening. And he takes you seriously, again whether you are a student or not. So really it’s just that personal touch that makes UD what it is and he’s kind of put the cherry on top.” Reeves is a member of President’s Emissaries and the executive vice president of Student Government Association.

4. Lisa Lin, a senior international business and finance major, on Curran’s efforts toward globalization and growth: “He’s been working hard to make UD known to the world. … I think we’re slowly moving up, we’re still in the development stage, but I think one day UD will be a world-known school like hopefully Harvard or Yale.” Lin is a co-facilitator of the President’s Emissaries group on campus.

5. Victoria Barrera-Garces, a graduate student in college student personnel, on planning Curran’s annual dialogue event: “And so I think that’s what really gave me the insight into Dr. Curran and just how open he wants to be with the students, and especially just on a personal level.” Barrera-Garces is a member of President’s Emissaries.

6. Danny McCorry, a junior biology and philosophy major, on Curran’s impact in 10 years: “Realizing that he is the school’s first outside hire, the first non-Marianist, like he had big shoes to fill because obviously the Marianist values are what makes UD so special compared to other schools. I think he’s really encapsulated that and manifested it in ways that are as good as anyone could have expected.” McCorry is in charge of recruitment for President’s Emissaries.

7. Michael Galligan-Stierle, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, on UD’s growth under Curran: “I know in talking to a number of people at the school that he has given significant support to a number of mission-identity initiatives there that are both Marianist-based and Catholic-based in their foundation. And so he has found a way to keep the academic rigor and strengthen that, and at the same time build on Catholic mission which I think is terrific and a wonderful sign of a Catholic leader in today’s higher education world.”

8. Brother Ray Fitz, former university president (1979-2002) and Ferree Professor of Social Justice, on Curran’s most significant achievements: “I think a big accomplishment is getting [General Electric Co. Aviation Systems] to come. And then I think opening up the university to the China experience has been a very good endeavor. … I think when you write the history and somebody looks back 20 years from now, I think they’ll say he opened up the university to more international students and more international scholars, [and that] was a very good move for UD.”

9. Irene Dickey, marketing professor and UD alumna, on Curran’s leadership: “I think he had a vision, he helped develop a brand and a reputation that went beyond local, it went beyond regional and it’s now beyond national. We have a global presence and a global customer base and I think he had that vision and effectively kept it in focus and built strategy to make that vision happen.”

10. Aidan Curran, a junior electronic media major and Daniel Curran’s son, on what Dayton means to him: “I consider Dayton my home now, I mean I grew up in Philadelphia, but I mean the people here are much more friendly, especially at UD, it’s such a friendly environment.”

This past week, I wrote a feature story on the 10th anniversary of Daniel Curran’s arrival as University of Dayton president. While working on the story, I had the rare opportunity to sit down in Curran’s office for 45 minutes to ask him dozens of questions about how he arrived at UD, what he likes best about campus now and the school’s future.

As the first part of a three-part outtakes series of extended quotes from my interview, this post covers Curran’s thoughts on the back-and-forth search process that led him to Dayton in 2002.

Flyer News: What does 10 years mean to you?

Daniel Curran: “Ten years have gone very fast for me. For me, probably the biggest thing it means is 10 classes have graduated during my tenure. And that’s the most exciting thing for me that all these graduates are going out into the world and making a difference. So again, it’s 10 years of UD graduates.”

FN: What first attracted you to UD as a Philadelphia guy, a St. Joseph’s University guy?

DC: “Well you know, it’s an interesting story. I was approached to be a part of the Dayton search in January of ’01 and I turned down being a candidate. I always liked Dayton, it was one of the top five schools I would consider going to. But the president at St. Joe’s [Nicholas Rashford] had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and we actually were building the house we thought we would retire in, in Villanova. And so when they came to me in January, I said ‘No, I can’t be a candidate.’ And then they went through the search and brought in I think it was three candidates in October of ’01 and it just didn’t work out. They didn’t find someone that would fit the university and I had almost resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to be going to Dayton. ….

“So they came back in December and said, this is the search firm, and they said, ‘Would you consider being a candidate?’ The president of St. Joe’s was feeling better and the head of the search team said, ‘You know, you’re the match for Dayton.’ And I said to her, ‘How many people have you said that to?’ And she said, ‘Dan, you’re really the person.’

“And I said OK, what I want to do is I want you to arrange my whole family and I to go to Dayton and this is right before Christmas. And so I came right before Christmas and I stayed for a day and a half, my wife came and my kids came. … I had the opportunity to meet with Brother Ray [Fitz, then-president] about three times during that day and a half, and he and others were very good at talking about the community at UD. … And so I applied right before Christmas, and for me, it was about six weeks, I was named president on President’s Day. “

FN: Ah President’s Day, that’s very soon.

DC: “Yes, that’s coming up. You know, I think I always liked Dayton, but when I came I learned a lot real fast. You know, Brother Ray and a lot of other people went out of their way and everything, and it was just, when you looked objectively at Dayton, there were so many good things happening, and the possibility to do even more was clear as could be. It was one of those situations where I literally said, I guess I finally reached the age where I could say, ‘If this is God’s will, this is where I’ll be.’ For me, it was very fast. For the entire campus, it was a long process. For Dan Curran, it was real fast.”

FN: So January to December, how would you describe that process? You turned it down and then you eventually end up here.

DC: “Well you know, you resign, it was the right thing to stay at St. Joe’s. There was high probability if I stayed there, who knows what could have happened, but I just sort of resigned myself to the fact it wasn’t going to happen. … So but you know, once, I was so excited about the possibilities and the great thing is, for me, that everything that I thought the community was about here and the faculty and the students and the staff, really has been 99.9 percent true.”

University of Dayton (14-7, 4-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #1 Kevin Dillard (6-0, 170, redshirt junior)
G- #12 Josh Parker (6-0, 187, redshirt senior)
F- #4 Chris Johnson (6-6, 191, senior)
F- #23 Luke Fabrizius (6-9, 228, senior)
C- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-9, 250, junior)

Duquesne University (12-9, 3-4 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #20 T.J. McConnell (6-1, 185, sophomore)
G- #3 Eric Evans (5-11, 205, senior)
G- #32 Sean Johnson (6-2, 195, junior)
F- #23 B.J. Monteiro (6-5, 205, senior)
F/C- #0 Andre Marhold (6-7, 210, junior)

Pregame Notes:

Dayton enters this game on a two-game losing streak, which is never a good thing but is compounded considering the losing streak is right in the heart of the conference season. Last week, Dayton was a game ahead in first place of the conference. Today, the Flyers find themselves in the middle of a wide-open A-10 race.

At a media session on Monday, first-year Dayton head coach Archie Miller said he was looking to shake up the lineups with senior guard Paul Williams struggling. Williams has only scored 21 points in his last 138 minutes of playing time.

Junior center Matt Kavanugh scored more in a 23-point performance against La Salle University on Jan. 14.

Duquesne is led by sophomore point guard T.J. McConnell. Last year, McConnell was the A-10 rookie of the year. So far this season, the 6-foot-1-inch guard is averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.9 steals a game. Miller called McConnell one the most important guards in the league and one of the best.

(Editor’s Note: The original post was made before starting lineups were announced. Josh Parker is starting in place of Williams. Parker has not started since Dayton played Miami University Nov. 15.)

First Half Notes:

14:45- UD 10, Duqesne 16- The Dukes are on a 7-0 run, possibly 8-0 after a Mike Talley free throw. Archie Miller is not happy. After Kavanaugh fouled Talley on the lay up, Miller rolled his eyes and shook his head. Dayton is not taking good shots during this two-and-a-half minute stretch. Also, the perimeter defense has been non-existent much like the student section attendance.

11:55- UD 13, Duqesne 22- The Dukes are shooting 83 percent from behind the three-point line and 73 percent from the field. Dayton needs to ratchet up its defense. But, when Dayton does a foul is called. UD has seven team fouls already. Make that eight…15 seconds after I wrote seven.

7:54- UD 20, Duquesne 30- Dayton is trying to get back into this game before halftime, but the biggest happening of the last game portion was a foul. T.J. McConnell was called for a foul on Kevin Dillard and UD Arena erupted in derisive cheers. Duquesne now has three team fouls to UD’s eight.

2:12- UD 32, Duquesne 43- Duquesne is continuing its impressive shooting display with 57 percent from the field and 63 percent from three. Chris Johnson went down earlier grabbing at his neck/head area. That’s a concern for the Flyers. Also, Devin Oliver has played well with seven first-half points. I think he knows my feature on him is coming out Friday, Feb. 3.

Half- UD 40, Duqesne 49

Second Half Notes:

15:02- UD 50, Duqesne 52- Dayton is on a 10-3 run and the Flyers appear to be on a mission. A third straight conference loss would nearly permanently derail the team’s season. Matt Kavanaugh is playing his best game as a Flyer. He has 17 points and two blocks and becoming a huge threat on both sides of the floor.

11:12- UD 53, Duquesne 55- This is one of those games. One that’s defined by two completely different halves. The Flyers are playing defense and taking good shots and surprisingly it’s making a difference in the score.

7:44- UD 59, Duquesne 64- The Dukes have slowed Dayton’s offense and are now looking to push their lead back to a comfortable margin. There is some concern Dayton might have tuckered itself out trying to get its first lead of the game. Only time will tell.

2:24- UD 68, Duquesne 75- Duquesne is one or two scores away from closing out this game. Dayton needs some fast break points here.

University of Dayton (14-6, 4-2 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #1 Kevin Dillard (6-0, 170, redshirt junior)
G- #22 Paul Williams (6-4, 212, senior)
F- #4 Chris Johnson (6-6, 191, senior)
F- #23 Luke Fabrizius (6-9, 228, senior)
C- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-9, 250, junior)

University of Rhode Island (3-18, 0-6 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups:

G- #4 Mike Powell (5-11, 175, freshman)
G- #20 Billy Baron (6-2, 195, sophomore)
F- #12 Orion Outerbridge (6-9, 210, senior)
F- #35 Jonathan Holton (6-9, 220, freshman)
F- #23 Nikola Malesevic (6-7, 200, junior)

Pre-Game Notes:

Dayton enters tonight’s game on a down note. The Flyers lost 77-63 to Saint Joseph’s University Wednesday, Jan. 25, in Philadelphia. UD at that point in time was in first place of the Atlantic 10 Conference at 4-1. The loss was significant in two ways. One, Dayton dropped into a five-way tie for first and establishes further proof that the A-10 will be down to the wire once again if no team is willing to put itself out of distance from the rest of the pack.

Secondly, the momentous high the Flyers were on is now over. Dayton had started A-10 play by beating St. Louis, Temple, Xavier and, to a lesser a extent, a tough La Salle team. Wednesday’s game halted UD’s streak and the key to getting back on track is senior guard Paul Williams.

Dayton can win without Williams dropping 20 points a game and picking up seven rebounds. But, UD cannot possibly win when Williams has a stat line like zero points on 0-for-9 shooting, two rebounds and no assists in 27 minutes. With such a depleted bench and lack of any substantial depth, Dayton needs all the offense it can get and Williams is integral for the Flyers.

First Half Notes:

15:17- UD 6, URI 10- Sloppy, sloppy start for both teams, but especially Dayton. UD has five turnovers compared to URI’s two with four points off UD turnovers. The Flyers are shooting 25 percent from the field (2-for-8) and Rhode Island is not much better at 3-of-7, but the Rams are 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

11:54- UD 13, URI 14- Dayton has gotten back on thanks to sophomore forward Devin Oliver. He has four points, all on big-time two-hand dunks, and three rebounds in three minutes of playing time. First-year head coach Archie Miller calls Oliver a spark of the bench. Tonight, he’s proving his coach correct.

3:57- UD 27, URI 26- Both teams are essentially playing even, but Dayton has taken this small lead thanks in part to its offensive rebounding. UD has 11 offensive boards while URI only has 10 rebounds total.

Half- UD 36, URI 33

Second Half Notes:

15:54- UD 45, URI 46- Both teams have decided to come out and score. To do so, defense has been sacrificed like a baby lamb. Up-and-down the floor both UD and URI are going at a breakneck pace, but to step in front of the ball handler at this point is pointless to the cause.

11:51- UD 52, URI 58- Dayton has played uninspired in the recent stretch. Rhode Island on the other hand is pumping one another up after every whistle. And the entire bench, including the coaching staff, is constantly communicating with the players on the floor. It’s worked as Billy Baron has hit two big 3′s and picked up a huge player-control foul on Chris Johnson.

6:47- UD 66, URI 65- Before discussing the clutch shots happening recently, it needs to be noted that Matt Kavanaugh just dunked. Repeat, Kavanaugh threw it down with two hands on a fast break. Sure, the excitement inside UD Arena was short lived due to those aforementioned clutch shots, but Kavanaugh dunked. I’ve waited three years to write that sentence.

3:54- UD 73, URI 70- Things are getting interesting. Officials are reviewing a potential game-tying three right now. It looked from my seat like it was indeed a three, but I’m sure Archie Miller’s squad would prefer it be a two. Dayton has been physical on the offensive end, but needs to crank up the pressure on the defensive side. Rhode Island has consistently found open shots under the basket through the use of screens and backdoor pick-and-rolls. UD 73, URI 72. It was only a two.

1:08- UD 75, URI 77- An uncharacteristic bad pass by Kevin Dillard leaves Dayton behind the 8-ball in this game. UD needs a stop here. Otherwise it comes down to being a free-throw shooting contest.

:32- UD 78, URI 81- LUKKEEEE!! Fabrizius with a big three to keep UD in the game. Now the Flyers need to make sure not to foul Baron on this inbounds.

:15- UD 81, URI 82- LUKKKEEEE!!! He strikes again for UD to cut it to one. It’s time once again for UD to foul someone not named Baron.

FINAL- UD 81, URI 86