Now tied for first place, the University of Dayton men's basketball team can't suffer a letdown, according to first-year Dayton head coach Archie Miller.

In the weekly Atlantic 10 Conference teleconference Monday, Jan. 23, Miller said the Flyers' 87-72 win over rival Xavier University was another big win that potentially could be followed by a bigger loss. He also said this early in the conference season, one loss can drop a team down in the standings quickly.

"Our focus hasn't been very good after big wins," Miller said during the teleconference. "Whether we won Old Spice and then go get smashed by Buffalo and Murray State. Whether we've beat Alabama and we were able to come and try get another one with Seton Hall, but were unable to do that."

Miller then talked about similar moments in A-10 play. Dayton beat Temple University 87-77 on the road in Philadelphia on Jan. 7. Four days later on Jan. 11, the Flyers lost focus, according to Miller, and fell 81-73 to Saint Bonaventure University, albeit Dayton was without senior forward Chris Johnson who was suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

Miller said the big loss following big wins is a critical focal point for this Dayton team.

"We haven't responded very well in this situation and it's a concern, and it will be a very, very hot topic for our team about maturity, humility, understanding that there's a lifetime left in this season," he said. "... We're not that good. We're not that bad. We're kind of in the middle somewhere. We just need to keep doing what we're doing to be successful and doing it our way."

Dayton next plays the University of Rhode Island at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at UD Arena. Dayton (14-6, 4-2 A-10) is coming off a 77-63 road loss to St. Joseph's University on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Rhode Island (3-18, 0-6 A-10) lost again on Wednesday with a 72-66 overtime loss to St. Bonaventure University.

In an interview before the Xavier game, senior guard Paul Williams said a good win against Xavier wouldn't mean much if UD should happen to lose to one of the conference's lower teams like Rhode Island.

"If we beat Xavier and lose to St. Joe's, that wouldn't make any sense at all," Williams said. "Every win is a win and a loss is a loss. There are bad losses like Rhode Island. That's a bad loss if we beat Xavier."

Rhode Island is led by senior guard Jamal Wilson, who is having a career year with 16.4 points per game in 34.3 minutes a game.

The Rams also have the reigning A-10 Rookie of the Week in Jonathan Holton. Holton, a freshman forward from Miami, is averaging 10.4 points and 7.9 rebounds a game this season. In Rhode Island's 80-66 loss to La Salle University, Holton had an 18-point, 17-rebound and four-block performance. Ten of those rebounds were on the offensive side.

Miller said despite Rhode Island's 3-18 record, the Rams still create matchup problems for the Flyers. First, URI leads the conference in offensive rebounding at 16.6 offensive boards a game. Dayton has recently refocused on rebounding, he said, in outrebounding each of its last three opponents.

In the loss to St. Bonaventure, Dayton and the Bonnies tied on the glass with 32 rebounds each. So far this season, Dayton is 12-3 when outrebounding its opponents.

"I know this, they lead our conference in offensive rebounds," Miller said. "It's going to be in that same deal, 'Can we contain them? Can we keep them off the glass?' "

The Flyers are 12-10 all-time against the Rams, but haven't had much recent success against them. UD has dropped four straight contests in the series and hasn't won since Jan. 9, 2008, when both teams were nationally ranked. On that day, No. 17 Dayton knocked off No. 22 URI 92-83 in front of a sold-out UD Arena.

Miller said he hasn't followed much of Rhode Island's season, but knows that URI head coach Jim Baron will have his team well-coached and ready to play an up-tempo style.

"They may be down a little bit right now," Miller said. "They usually play a very up-tempo style and we're going to have to be able to handle a lot of different defenses, some pressure defenses."



Dayton redshirt junior guard Kevin Dillard, right, gets a pick from junior center Matt Kavanaugh (35) during a 87-72 win against Xavier, Saturday, Jan. 21, at UD Arena.