Archie Miller on NCAA chances: ‘You don’t really know until they call your name’

They were, it turned out, but just barely. Miller told WHIO’s Larry Hansgen on the coach’s show on Monday he’s always nervous on Selection Sunday because he knows it’s a crapshoot. Dayton’s experience in 2015, when it lost in the Atlantic 10 championship game in Brooklyn and then watched the tournament announcement on the way to the airport, proved that to him. The Flyers ended up in the First Four that season.

Unless Dayton wins the A-10 championship Sunday in Pittsburgh, Miller will be on the edge of his seat Sunday night during the selection show.

“You don’t really know until they call your name,” Miller said. “Based on projections and all the stuff that’s out there, we’re a far cry from being in the First Four. I think our seed is in jeopardy. I’m not sure where that could go. You have a committee that a year ago didn’t respect St. Bonaventure’s sharing of the title. They didn’t get in. They were 14-4 in conference. Us as the last team in two years earlier. I’m not sure how good you can feel on selection day with the vibe they’ve given us the last couple of years. I don’t believe our league is being respected enough at the top at least right now because they view that the league has been down.”

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Miller said the more wins his team can pick up this weekend at the A-10 tournament, the less chance his team will have of being snubbed by the committee. Dayton plays in the quarterfinals at noon Friday at PPG Paints Arena against No. 8 seed La Salle or No. 9 seed Davidson.

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Miller said if the tournament started this week, he feels his team would be in because of its 24-6 record, its undefeated February, its 15-3 league mark and 3-1 record against the two other teams in the conference most likely to play in the big dance, Virginia Commonwealth and Rhode Island.

“I feel good,” Miller said, “but I don’t.”