On the road with the Dayton Flyers: Team preps for Maui Invitational

Flyers held their first practice Saturday and will practice Sunday at Lahaina Civic Center
Dayton's Dwayne Cohill and Ibi Watson check out the sunglasses selection Saturday in Hawaii. Larry Hansgen/STAFF

Dayton's Dwayne Cohill and Ibi Watson check out the sunglasses selection Saturday in Hawaii. Larry Hansgen/STAFF

Maui Jim sunglasses is the title sponsor of this year’s Maui Invitational. One of the perks of playing in the event, is that each player and coach gets fitted with a pair of sunglasses of their choice.

All tournaments are equal and all tournament sponsor gifts are not equal. For example, when Dayton played in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando in 2011 the players gift was ... deodorant.

Saturday was also the first work day for the team. Before some afternoon beach time, the Flyers practiced in the morning at a local high school, which is where all eight teams in the tournament practiced.

Sunday after a morning press conference with all of the head coaches, the Flyers will practice at the Lahaina Civic Center, the site of this year’s tournament. The building has been good to Dayton. The Flyers have an overall record of 7-2 in three previous appearances, having won the championship in 2003 and the only losses coming to then number one ranked Arizona in 2000 and a Baylor team that was ranked 17th in 2013.

Dayton plays Georgia on Monday at 2:30. Keith Waleskowski, the MVP of the Flyers 2003 title appearance will be working with me on WHIO Radio. Waleskowski, who jumped off the Black Rock cliffs in 2003, did it again today.

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