Dayton was certainly dominant in beating a shorthanded Connecticut team Monday. The Flyers were impressive with good passing and a solid inside game.
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Dayton's Nate Green gets tied up with UConn's Marcus
Cox and teammate Yuanta Holland, right, as they battle for a rebound. |
Junior point guard David Morris did a great job handling the pressure. Tony Stanley made big shots on the wing. The surprise was the inside presence of Yuanta Holland, who averaged under nine points a game last season; he had a career-high 24 points against the Huskies.
Holland could have a tougher time against Arizona, even with the Wildcats missing Loren Woods due to a suspension.
Dayton proved itself last year when it beat Kentucky en route to a 22-9 record and an NCAA berth. Stanley, Morris, Holland and Brooks Hall give the Flyers experience, so they won't be intimidated.
A lot of people thought it would be a down year in the Atlantic 10. Seeing how Dayton looked in its opener, that may not be the case.
The big test will come against Arizona. Can Oliver Purnell's team slow down the 'Cats backcourt tandem of Gilbert Arenas and Jason Gardner?
Illinois showed a lot of heart, rallying from a double-figure first-half deficit to beat Bill Bayno's tough UNLV squad. Frank Williams came up big with 22 points.
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Maui Invitational on ESPN
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Maryland vs. Illinois
Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET
Dayton vs. Arizona
Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET
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The other semifinal should be a great one as two top-10 teams battle. Illinois and Maryland both have experienced units returning.
The Terps started fast against Louisville thanks to Terence Morris and Lonny Baxter, who combined to score the first 19 points.
The key to this matchup should be guard play.
Maryland's Juan Dixon and Steve Blake vs. Williams and Cory Bradford should be exciting to watch.