Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

The University of Dayton men’s basketball team will play its next Atlantic 10 Conference game down another player.

Senior forward Chris Johnson suffered a blow to the head Monday, Jan. 9, during practice and is not making the trip with the team to Olean, N.Y., as Dayton (12-4, 2-0 A-10) takes on Saint Bonaventure University (8-6, 1-1 A-10) Wednesday, Jan. 11.

According to a Dayton athletics press release, Johnson did not suffer a concussion, but the team is taking precautions by not allowing him to travel.

Johnson was UD’s third-leading scorer with 10.6 points per game and the team’s second-leading rebounder with 5.5 rebounds a game. Read more »

Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

University of Dayton (10-4, 0-0 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)

Saint Louis University (12-2, 0-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) Starting Lineups

G- #3 Kwamain Mitchell (5-10, 175, redshirt junior)
G- #23 Kyle Cassity (6-4, 200, senior)
F- #21 Dwayne Evans (6-5, 220, sophomore)
F- #14 Brian Conklin (6-6, 235, senior)
C- #51 Rob Loe (6-11, 235, sophomore)

Pre-Game Notes:

Dayton enters tonight’s game on a two-game winning streak, but the team has suffered a tough loss already in this new year. Redshirt junior forward Josh Benson tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in Dayton’s 62-50 win over the University of Mississippi Friday, Dec. 30. Read more »

Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

Redshirt junior forward Josh Benson is out for the rest of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the University of Dayton’s 62-50 win over the University of Mississippi Friday, Dec. 30, at UD Arena.

With 9:32 to go in the first half, Benson drove to the basket and attempted an off-balanced, running floater in the lane. As the shot bounced off the side of the rim, Benson fell to the court and appeared to bang his knee on the floor. Mississisppi forward Steadman Short leapt into the air to grab the rebound, but fell on top of Benson and was called for traveling.

Benson stayed on the ground clutching his left knee for a couple minutes before trainers and teammates helped him off the court and up the tunnel to the Dayton locker room. Benson was able to put weight on his left leg as he left the floor.
Read more »

Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

University of Dayton (9-4, 0-0 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, 201, senior)
F- #2 Josh Benson (6-9, 223, redshirt junior)
F- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-9, 250, junior)

University of Mississippi (9-3, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) Starting Lineups

G- #32 Jarvis Summers (6-4, 184, freshman)
G- #20 Nick Williams (6-4, 210, junior)
G- #10 LaDarius White (6-6, 208, freshman)
F- #4 Demarco Cox (6-8, 276, sophomore)
F- #1 Terrance Henry (6-9, 210, senior)

Pre-Game Notes:

Dayton enters tonight’s game at 9-4 and coming off a 64-57 win last Friday, Dec. 23, against the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Flyers are looking for some momentum in their last non-conference regular season matchup before starting Atlantic 10 Conference play against St. Louis University Wednesday, Jan. 4.

Read more »

University of Dayton (8-3, 0-0 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- #2 Josh Benson (6-9, 223, redshirt junior)
F- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-9, 250, junior)

Seton Hall (9-1, 0-0 Big East Conference) Starting Lineups

G- #1 Jordan Theodore (6-0, 174, junior)
G- #4 Aaron Cosby (6-2, 190, freshman)
F- #23 Fuquan Edwin (6-6, 205, freshman)
F- #15 Herb Pope (6-8, 236, senior)
F- #33 Patrik Auda (6-9, 225, freshman)

Pre-Game Notes:

Dayton and Seton Hall come into this game with a  top-25 RPI and a top-25 strength of schedule. The Flyers are 9-1 in their last 10 games against BCS opponents. This game has Selection Sunday implications and it’s not even Christmas.

First Half Notes:

14:30- UD 9, SH 8- Josh Benson has dominated inside early on with six straight points, but Seton Hall hasn’t put much pressure on the interior. The Pirates are more preoccupied with pressuring UD’s guards on the perimeter.

Read more »

Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

Redshirt senior Steve Wirkus, a safety on the University of Dayton football team and an accounting major, was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Thursday, Dec. 8.

According to a UD athletics press release, Wirkus was named a University Division Capital One First Team Academic All-American. This accolade for Wirkus came after a Flyer News story published Friday, Dec. 9, reported on eight members of UD’s football team being named to the Pioneer Football League’s All-Academic team as well as Kathleen Beljan, a senior defender on the women’s soccer team, being named an Academic All-American.

Wirkus missed three games this season due to injury, but still led the team with 37 solo tackles, 0.5 interceptions per game and seven passes broken up.

For the football program, Wirkus is the 22nd Academic All-American on the team since 2000. Dayton has the most Academic All-Americans of any program in all of college football in that time span.

Redshirt senior safety Steve Wirkus (16) stands at the ready for the Flyers football team against Butler University, Oct. 1, at Welcome Stadium. Ethan Klosterman/Managing Editor

Chris Moorman, Sports Editor

University of Dayton (5-3, 0-0 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- #2 Josh Benson (6-9, 223, redshirt junior)
F- #35 Matt Kavanaugh (6-9, 250, junior)

University of Alabama (7-1, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) Starting Lineups

G- #12 Trevor Releford (6-1, 180, sophomore)
G- #20 Levi Randolph (6-5, 185, freshman)
G- #21 Rodney Cooper (6-6, 205, freshman)
F- #5 Tony Mitchell (6-6, 210, junior)
F- #1 Jamychal Green (6-8, 228, senior)

Pre-Game Notes:

Dayton enters tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Flyers have lost those two games by a combined 47 points.

Alabama comes into UD Arena tonight as the No. 16/ No. 15 team in the country, according to the Associated Press and ESPN/ USA Today polls, respectively. The Crimson Tide’s one loss came on a last-second three against Georgetown University.

Dayton will have to compete in the post to win. UD has been outrebounded 76-55 over the last two losses. First-year head coach Archie Miller said the lack rebounding is attributed to a lot of causes, but can be fixed if the Flyers rebound with intensity and have drastically better perimeter defense. Read more »

The Flyer News staff will be answering a series of questions in a new version of Big Ten blog posts in the near future. In the fourth part of this series, editors and assistants explain what brought them to the University of Dayton in the first place.

Read below for a selected group of answers from many of the top leaders of UD’s newspaper.

1. Chris Rizer, news editor - “I chose to attend the University of Dayton because of the gorgeous campus and positive vibe the people exuded when I visited. I also applied to UD because it offered a journalism concentration and was a good distance from home. My hometown, McDonald, Ohio, is a four-hour car drive away from UD, so it’s far away but close enough to travel home for breaks.”

2. Maria Delgado, multimedia director – “My cousin graduated from Dayton in 1996 and it was always the running joke for me to attend as well. After living in Florida my entire life, it came to the point that everything and everyone felt old and I needed a change. Since I came here, it felt like home and home feels awesome.”

Read more »

The Flyer News staff will be answering a series of questions in a new version of Big Ten blog posts in the near future. In the third part of this series, editors and assistants discuss something pertinent to all University of Dayton students: What is your favorite dining option on campus?

Read below for a selected group of answers from many of the top leaders of UD’s newspaper.

1. Seetha Sankaranarayan, A&E editor - “Kennedy Union, grill line, chicken tender wrap with lettuce and onions, heavy on the spicy mayonnaise. Or, if we’re talking Brown Street, anything at Submarine Shack.”

2. Shane Rogers, asst. opinions editor – “ArtStreet Café has great food and is quick and convenient.”

Read more »