“I think Charles is really locked in right now,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “He has really bought in. He’s sort of grouped in with (Scoochie Smith, Kyle Davis and Kendall Pollard) as a leader on this team, which is nice to see.”
Wagner's progress: The Dayton-Iowa game brought together two members of Wayne High School's 2015 state championship team just eight months after their final game with the Warriors.
Iowa’s Ahmad Wagner had two points and two rebounds in 10 minutes for Iowa on Thursday. Dayton’s Xeyrius Williams had seven points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Wagner played five minutes Friday in Iowa’s 68-62 loss to Notre Dame, but Iowa coach Fran McCaffery is pleased with Wagner’s progress.
“He picked up everything very quick,” McCaffery said Thursday. “He’s a terrific athlete. He can play small. He can play big. He plays three positions, which is not easy for a young guy, but he sacrifices himself. He offensive rebounds. He moves the ball. And he runs the floor. He’s going to be really good for us.”
Iowa plays Alabama in the fifth-place game at 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.
Muskies advance: Xavier (6-0) led Southern California 25-9 after eight minutes and was never challenged in the first AdvoCare Invitational semifinal. The Muskies play the winner of the Dayton-Monmouth game at 4:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. The loser of the Dayton-Monmouth game plays USC (5-1) at 12:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2.
Trevon Bluiett led the Musketeers with 16 points. Xavier had a 43-30 rebounding advantage and made 22 of 29 free throws.
Shockers upset: No. 20 Wichita State (2-3) will play Iowa (3-2) in an unlikely seventh-place game matchup at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Shockers lost 64-60 to Alabama (3-2) in the first game Friday.
Wichita State senior forward Anton Grady, who played his first three seasons at Cleveland State, suffered a scary injury. He left the game on a stretcher and was hospitalized after his chin struck an opposing player.
According to a press release Friday night, Grady was “alert and responsive, has feeling in his extremities and is in overall good spirits.”
Looking ahead: As was reported Nov. 2, Dayton will play in the DirecTV Wooden Legacy tournament Nov. 24, 25 and 27, 2016, in Anaheim, Calif. ESPN Events officially announced the field Friday. Cal State-Northridge, Nebraska, New Mexico, Portland, Texas A&M, UCLA and Virginia Tech are the other teams.
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