Archie Miller: Seniors cornerstone of Dayton Flyers program

“It was an emotional night,” Miller said. “We’ve got a heck of a senior class that was getting ready to finish it up. You worry about that type of emotion, but with the stakes on the line, playing against a great VCU team, our arena was electric. I thought our guys showed up ready to play, and at the end of the day, we were able to win a hard-fought game. To be able to capture the A-10 title outright with all we’ve been through as a group was very gratifying and very exciting for our school and our fans.”

Three of the seniors — Scoochie Smith, Kyle Davis and Kendall Pollard — were part of the first recruiting class that the Dayton coaches were in on from the start of the recruiting process. Miller was hired in 2011, and that’s when the recruiting of those three players began. Miller called the class the cornerstone of his program.

“That was the really first class we invested in,” Miller said. “Those guys were all not at what they are now, but when we started, we envisioned those guys could help carry us. Being from winning programs. The city toughness they all brought to the table. Lo and behold, it’s all came true. There’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but those guys are still the same kids they are today that they were back then. That’s why they’ve achieved so much.”