“One thing we talk about is trying to become the winningest class,” Smith said then. “That’s something we’re looking forward to. I know we’ve got a good record. We want to keep winning and do whatever it takes to win.”
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Dayton did keep winning. Now it is not a question of if the senior class will set the record but when.
The Flyers, who share first place in the Atlantic 10 with Virginia Commonwealth at 7-2, take a 16-5 overall mark into a 12:30 p.m. game Saturday against Duquesne (9-14, 2-8) at UD Arena. If they win the next three games, they will tie the record Feb. 10 at Rhode Island. They could break the record as early as Feb. 14 at Saint Louis.
Smith, Davis and Pollard, who scored 25 points Tuesday in a 75-66 victory at Fordham to join the 1,000-point club, have played key roles four straight seasons. The addition of Charles Cooke for the last two seasons pushed the senior class into rare territory. Those four players have scored 3,697 points in a Dayton uniform.
Throw in one point by senior walk-on Joey Gruden, and the class ranks sixth in UD history in scoring. Dayton fans are also hoping the other senior walk-on, Jeremiah Bonsu, adds to the total. He has not gotten a shot attempt in his two brief appearances this season.
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The 1990 class, with 6,341 points, is far and away the highest-scoring UD senior class. Negele Knight scored 1,806 points to lead that group. The 1952 class, led by Don Meineke’s 1,866 points, sits second. The classes of 1968 (4,413), 2004 (4,153) and 1955 (3,972) follow.
“I don’t think a lot of coaches around the country are as fortunate to have a group that’s been together this amount of time,” Miller said Thursday. “They experienced a lot of ups and downs as players, but they’ve experienced a lot of success as a team. They’ve dealt with a lot of adversity. The one thing that’s on my mind isn’t so much winning and losing but it’s seeing those guys enjoy this stretch run without the stress of anything other than just maxing out and having a good time. I want those guys to finish as good as they possibly can because quite frankly they deserve a good ending for what they’ve been able to achieve.”
Injury update: Sophomore forward Josh Cunningham may start practicing with the team again soon. Cunningham has been doing individual workouts as he continues his recovery from a torn ankle ligament. He suffered the injury in the second game of the season at Alabama and has said he plans to play again this season.
“He had a good individual (workout) yesterday,” Miller said. “I think he’s surprised at his own conditioning. He’s done a great job with his rehab. The biggest deal for us is to now put him around other people, whether that’s starting to move around in the non-contact phase or the contact phase. I think Josh feels 100 percent mentally and physically. As the next set of games approaches in the next two weeks, I think he’s going to start to get acclimated back into the team concept, which will be the next step.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Duquesne at Dayton, 12:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network, FM 95.7, AM 1290 WHIO
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