Dayton @ Richmond Info

[Nigel Tufnel]

Just thought I'd spread a little info on the UD @ Richmond game tonight for anyone who is capping it.

I assume most here already know about UD's injury woes...but just to restate the obvious. Dayton will be without starters Charles Little and Chris Wright tonight. In addition, Brian Roberts, Dayton's best player, is really sick right now. He did very little against Xavier Thursday night, scoring only 5 points and sitting out the last 15 minutes or so in the 2nd half. There are also rumors that starter Jimmy Binnie has the flu. Roberts was quoted as saying, after the X game, that once the game started, he couldn't get his breath and was really struggling. He cramped up in the 2nd half due to dehydration and was finally taken out of the game. Reports are that Roberts may have a sinus infection...he has been sick for the past couple weeks and has been unable to get over it.

For anyone who saw the game on Thursday night, X did not really play all that well offensively, scoring only 69 points against a depleted UD team. X did play strong defensively, and with Roberts being hassled by Stanley Roberts and double teamed, UD had nobody on the floor to step up and make some shots.

Thursday night game at Xavier at 8:00 p.m. Dayton gets back home and Friday its on the road again to Richmond. Less than 48 hours between games, back to back road games, 2 starters out, star player ill, another starter ill. I really can't fathom that travelling on Friday and staying in a hotel Friday night is going to bring Brian Roberts back to anywhere near full strength for tonight's game.

This does not set up well for Dayton tonight. Right now, UD is giving 4 to 4.5 to Richmond...last I saw, the public was hitting Dayton at about 61%. Richmond is not an easy place to play....and in comes a ranked team that is completely battered and bruised. I can't fathom a better situation for Richmond to get a home win against a ranked team than they will have tonight. Roberts will go tonight...but I certainly look for Richmond to double team him and try to drain him of what little energy he has tonight....someone will have to step up for Dayton tonight...and that hasn't happened in the last couple of games.

I'm not fulling endorsing taking Richmond tonight....but for anyone who thought about taking Dayton tonight, potentially taking Dayton big...be careful.

GL!!

[Nigel Tufnel]

Geez....Richmond should have been a GOY...just horrible horrible timing for the Flyers. Down 19 at the half....and I sincerely doubt they can come back from such a deficit with a sick Roberts and essentially nobody else.

Dayton went from 14th in the country to a team that is going to have difficulty getting into the Dance. As an X fan, I've got no love for the Flyers...but a part of me kind of feels sorry for Roberts...he is a solid player and doesn't deserve this. Hopefully, the Flyers can put somthing together.

Hell, I've essentially given Richmond the win..so perhpas UD comes back....but I seriously doubt it.

GL to all!!