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Post by doc on Feb 20, 2020 14:49:59 GMT
National player of the year - Obi Toppen of the Dayton Flyers. Toppen had zero stars as a recruit and spent a year in prep school. He's 6'9 about 220 lbs, can shoot the three, would compete in the NBA dunk contest and has led Dayton to a 23-2 record and #5 national ranking. The Flyers are on a 15 game winning streak and their only losses were both in overtime - to Kansas in Hawaii and a neutral court loss to Colorado on a last second 3 pt FG, the game was played in Chicago.
Toppen is only a sophomore but will most assuredly go pro and be a lottery pick. Dayton has a solid team but without Toppen I doubt they're even rated. Pretty amazing that this kid wound up in Dayton, he is a lot of fun to watch. My guess is they'll pick a player from one of the blue blood teams but Toppen has meant more to his team than any other player in the country.
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Post by bluehen on Feb 20, 2020 15:30:13 GMT
Hope Dayton makes a deep run...or more ! Remembering the basically one man Larry Bird Indiana State team making the final.
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Post by doc on Feb 20, 2020 18:01:57 GMT
They're fun to watch, Hen. Very well coached, play hard and Obi is a beast. I have 4 teams that I support in college basketball; Ohio State, Xavier, Dayton and St Louis ( our kids attended Dayton and SLU - I also grew up in Dayton and followed the Flyers as a kid.) I think Dayton has the best shot of going far among these teams but it's hard to root against the Buckeyes or Xavier - where I've worked for over 20 years. This year I may have to make an exception.
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Post by ajbuckeye on Feb 20, 2020 20:56:05 GMT
I think OBI has a lot more support than Larry Legend ever had. The team leads the nation in FG % and second in assists. The move the ball extremely well and everyone on the team can shoot. Trey Landers is the brother of Robert Landers (tOSU Def Tackle) and has the best +- ratio of any player on the team. He is the workhorse offense rebounder and but can make plays on the offensive end. Obi is very unselfish as is the whole team. Leads the country in dunks with a large amount on transitions as he runs the court extremely well.
Teams that will cause them trouble are teams like Kansas that have really strong Centers. Obi is 6'9 but lean. When they played Kansas they were exposed a bit but they still got them to overtime. They actually blew a 6 point lead late in the game to. One of the funnest teams that I have got to watch in a long long time.
One other thing, if you every get a chance to go to a Dayton game you should definitely do it. I think it is one of the most die hard fan bases of any sport. The arena was built in the 70's but has been renovated many times. Even in the lean years they still average over 12,000 fans per game. Also what other venue could get the crowds Dayton gets for the first four. Large majority of those fans are season ticket holders.
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Post by doc on Feb 20, 2020 21:22:56 GMT
I think OBI has a lot more support than Larry Legend ever had. The team leads the nation in FG % and second in assists. The move the ball extremely well and everyone on the team can shoot. Trey Landers is the brother of Robert Landers (tOSU Def Tackle) and has the best +- ratio of any player on the team. He is the workhorse offense rebounder and but can make plays on the offensive end. Obi is very unselfish as is the whole team. Leads the country in dunks with a large amount on transitions as he runs the court extremely well. Teams that will cause them trouble are teams like Kansas that have really strong Centers. Obi is 6'9 but lean. When they played Kansas they were exposed a bit but they still got them to overtime. They actually blew a 6 point lead late in the game to. One of the funnest teams that I have got to watch in a long long time. One other thing, if you every get a chance to go to a Dayton game you should definitely do it. I think it is one of the most die hard fan bases of any sport. The arena was built in the 70's but has been renovated many times. Even in the lean years they still average over 12,000 fans per game. Also what other venue could get the crowds Dayton gets for the first four. Large majority of those fans are season ticket holders. I've been to UD Arena many times - in high school I sold Cokes and Hot Dogs before and at half time of the games - I got 'paid' a ticket to the game a Coke and a hot dog! Great atmosphere at the arena but I hate sitting in the upper level, it's a long way up there! And more recently (well, as long as Xavier and UD played in the same conference) I attended games as a Xavier employee/fan and they don't like X fans at UD arena! I do hope they make a nice run in the tournament - would be nice for Dayton given some of the horrible stories that have occurred over the past 10 months. Do you live in Dayton? My brother is the trivia host on Tuesday nights at The Oregon Express. I go up and play a few times a year with my siblings. You should stop by some time if trivia is your thing, he does a great job.
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Post by Bevo on Feb 20, 2020 21:26:56 GMT
. Even in the lean years they still average over 12,000 fans per game. Seriously? For the zips? I might try to get there.. it's not TOO far.. especially for a Tourney weekend.
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Post by doc on Feb 20, 2020 22:24:57 GMT
. Even in the lean years they still average over 12,000 fans per game. Seriously? For the zips? I might try to get there.. it's not TOO far.. especially for a Tourney weekend. I think just about every game was/is a sellout this year, 13,000 every game. But it is the only thing to do in Dayton, besides trivia on Tuesday night at the Oregon Express😉. And they’re the Flyers - Akron is the Zips....
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Post by Bevo on Feb 21, 2020 1:34:04 GMT
Seriously? For the zips? I might try to get there.. it's not TOO far.. especially for a Tourney weekend. I think just about every game was/is a sellout this year, 13,000 every game. But it is the only thing to do in Dayton, besides trivia on Tuesday night at the Oregon Express😉. And they’re the Flyers - Akron is the Zips.... Ah.. I get confused. I am, from the South ya know... one of the guys who works for me is a Zippie. But, yes... now that you tell me, I know it's Akron. My apologies.
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Post by ajbuckeye on Feb 21, 2020 14:14:42 GMT
I think OBI has a lot more support than Larry Legend ever had. The team leads the nation in FG % and second in assists. The move the ball extremely well and everyone on the team can shoot. Trey Landers is the brother of Robert Landers (tOSU Def Tackle) and has the best +- ratio of any player on the team. He is the workhorse offense rebounder and but can make plays on the offensive end. Obi is very unselfish as is the whole team. Leads the country in dunks with a large amount on transitions as he runs the court extremely well. Teams that will cause them trouble are teams like Kansas that have really strong Centers. Obi is 6'9 but lean. When they played Kansas they were exposed a bit but they still got them to overtime. They actually blew a 6 point lead late in the game to. One of the funnest teams that I have got to watch in a long long time. One other thing, if you every get a chance to go to a Dayton game you should definitely do it. I think it is one of the most die hard fan bases of any sport. The arena was built in the 70's but has been renovated many times. Even in the lean years they still average over 12,000 fans per game. Also what other venue could get the crowds Dayton gets for the first four. Large majority of those fans are season ticket holders. I've been to UD Arena many times - in high school I sold Cokes and Hot Dogs before and at half time of the games - I got 'paid' a ticket to the game a Coke and a hot dog! Great atmosphere at the arena but I hate sitting in the upper level, it's a long way up there! And more recently (well, as long as Xavier and UD played in the same conference) I attended games as a Xavier employee/fan and they don't like X fans at UD arena! I do hope they make a nice run in the tournament - would be nice for Dayton given some of the horrible stories that have occurred over the past 10 months. Do you live in Dayton? My brother is the trivia host on Tuesday nights at The Oregon Express. I go up and play a few times a year with my siblings. You should stop by some time if trivia is your thing, he does a great job. Still live in the Dayton area in Bellbrook. I met my wife at Newcomb's which is pretty much next door to the OE. The OE garlic pizza was amazing. Went to CJ and we did the same thing at UD arena. I only remember selling coke's but it was a free bee into the game. Great seats in the lower arena. I am good with the upper arena 300 level but when you get in the 400 level it feels like you are in the clouds.
When tOSU played UD back in the 80's at the arena we got our tickets through the OSU ticket office and they put us in the very top row. The roof gets pretty close and is a bit claustrophobic. My parents still have season tickets but can't go any longer. With my daughter graduating high school this year I might take them on.
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Post by doc on Feb 21, 2020 14:59:01 GMT
I coached baseball at CJ back in the early 80's - I coached with Bill Cheslock, Eric Barger and Timmy Plaspohl. Eric was my best friend from our neighborhood - most of the kids who grew up in my neighborhood went to CJ or Patterson. We had a couple pretty good teams back then, almost made it to the state final four in '81, I believe. We lost to the eventual champs 5-4, a game we led till the last inning.
Back then I had about 4 jobs to make ends meet - I think I got paid $1000 to coach - it was a 6 month commitment so I made about $38 a week.
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Post by ajbuckeye on Feb 21, 2020 16:08:47 GMT
I coached baseball at CJ back in the early 80's - I coached with Bill Cheslock, Eric Barger and Timmy Plaspohl. Eric was my best friend from our neighborhood - most of the kids who grew up in my neighborhood went to CJ or Patterson. We had a couple pretty good teams back then, almost made it to the state final four in '81, I believe. We lost to the eventual champs 5-4, a game we led till the last inning. Back then I had about 4 jobs to make ends meet - I think I got paid $1000 to coach - it was a 6 month commitment so I made about $38 a week. I graduated in 82. Baseball was probably my best sport but before tryouts my freshman and sophomore years I broke my leg then my arm playing backyard football. Looking back I wish I would have tried out as a junior but did keep playing in the local leagues in Huber Heights where I grew up. I stuck to soccer from that point on. I had Cheslock for a coaching class. There was no teaching going on but he did go on and on about his college animal house type of stories.
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Post by doc on Feb 21, 2020 17:17:24 GMT
I coached baseball at CJ back in the early 80's - I coached with Bill Cheslock, Eric Barger and Timmy Plaspohl. Eric was my best friend from our neighborhood - most of the kids who grew up in my neighborhood went to CJ or Patterson. We had a couple pretty good teams back then, almost made it to the state final four in '81, I believe. We lost to the eventual champs 5-4, a game we led till the last inning. Back then I had about 4 jobs to make ends meet - I think I got paid $1000 to coach - it was a 6 month commitment so I made about $38 a week. I graduated in 82. Baseball was probably my best sport but before tryouts my freshman and sophomore years I broke my leg then my arm playing backyard football. Looking back I wish I would have tried out as a junior but did keep playing in the local leagues in Huber Heights where I grew up. I stuck to soccer from that point on. I had Cheslock for a coaching class. There was no teaching going on but he did go on and on about his college animal house type of stories. I'm sure I know some of your classmates from CJ. It's been a while but I recall Ty Kramer, Steve Honningford, Doug Marchal, Eddie Blair and probably others if I think about it. I recall going into Cheslock's class room and a couple of the female students giving him shoulder rubs - can you imagine something like that happening today? And he was as round as he was tall! He tried to get me hired at CJ for a marketing job but they hired a nun! I think Sr. Carol Lichtenberg may have been the principal or in the administration at that time. I'm on the board at Mount Notre Dame now and I see her from time to time.
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Post by ajbuckeye on Mar 4, 2020 3:21:00 GMT
I graduated in 82. Baseball was probably my best sport but before tryouts my freshman and sophomore years I broke my leg then my arm playing backyard football. Looking back I wish I would have tried out as a junior but did keep playing in the local leagues in Huber Heights where I grew up. I stuck to soccer from that point on. I had Cheslock for a coaching class. There was no teaching going on but he did go on and on about his college animal house type of stories. I'm sure I know some of your classmates from CJ. It's been a while but I recall Ty Kramer, Steve Honningford, Doug Marchal, Eddie Blair and probably others if I think about it. I recall going into Cheslock's class room and a couple of the female students giving him shoulder rubs - can you imagine something like that happening today? And he was as round as he was tall! He tried to get me hired at CJ for a marketing job but they hired a nun! I think Sr. Carol Lichtenberg may have been the principal or in the administration at that time. I'm on the board at Mount Notre Dame now and I see her from time to time. Remember all of those people. Doug Marchal could bring some heat and I think he ended up in Clemson. I remember them losing a playoff game at Wright State my senior year which they lost by a run. Pretty crazy. If I stayed away from street football there is a pretty good chance you would have been my coach.
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Post by bluehen on Mar 4, 2020 13:30:40 GMT
Amazing connection. What position did you play, aj ?
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Post by doc on Mar 4, 2020 13:52:09 GMT
I'm sure I know some of your classmates from CJ. It's been a while but I recall Ty Kramer, Steve Honningford, Doug Marchal, Eddie Blair and probably others if I think about it. I recall going into Cheslock's class room and a couple of the female students giving him shoulder rubs - can you imagine something like that happening today? And he was as round as he was tall! He tried to get me hired at CJ for a marketing job but they hired a nun! I think Sr. Carol Lichtenberg may have been the principal or in the administration at that time. I'm on the board at Mount Notre Dame now and I see her from time to time. Remember all of those people. Doug Marchal could bring some heat and I think he ended up in Clemson. I remember them losing a playoff game at Wright State my senior year which they lost by a run. Pretty crazy. If I stayed away from street football there is a pretty good chance you would have been my coach. Yep, lost to Urbana at Wright State after leading most of the game. Marchal had an injury on his pitching hand so we had to take him out and that's how Urbana took the lead. They went on to easily win the state championship. We were so close....
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