Phil Martelli emphasized he's not trying to kiss up to University of Dayton basketball fans ? especially the student-body group known as the Red Scare, which takes great delight in taunting him ? but the Saint Joseph's coach revealed this week that he's been putting the Flyers on his ballot for the ESPN-USA Today Top 25.
UD (19-2, 5-1 Atlantic 10), which hosts the Hawks (12-7, 5-0) in a key league game today, Feb. 1, has the 33rd-most votes in the poll, the seventh-highest total among schools outside the BCS conferences.
"I spend a lot of time on Sundays with this. I know their schedule wasn't top-heavy, but ... two losses are two losses," he said.
"Dayton is a top-25 team based on its defense. Its offense is predicated on its speed and getting to the glass, and there's not too many teams in the nation better defensively."
Nor are there many rotating 12 players. Marcus Johnson leads the Flyers in minutes played with 28.5 per game, while all St. Joe's starters average more than that. Star center Ahmad Nivins leads the way with 39.6 minutes per game.
"I've got great admiration for (UD's) Brian Gregory and his coaches, but I'm not sure how they keep track of guys in the game," Martelli said. "I told my team watching the film, 'They're going to have three new guys in the game before the first media timeout (after roughly four minutes).' I was wrong. There were five.
"I'd like to be in that situation, but you go with what you have."
Martelli, though, has defended his style on the A-10 coaches teleconference this season, saying he believes a team's best players should monopolize the minutes and that fatigue isn't a factor for college-age athletes. But he sees merit in Gregory's system.
"One of the things you have when you put together the philosophy Brian Gregory has put together is that they're all committed to defense. ... They all guard the ball fanatically," he said.
UD (19-2, 5-1 Atlantic 10), which hosts the Hawks (12-7, 5-0) in a key league game today, Feb. 1, has the 33rd-most votes in the poll, the seventh-highest total among schools outside the BCS conferences.
"I spend a lot of time on Sundays with this. I know their schedule wasn't top-heavy, but ... two losses are two losses," he said.
"Dayton is a top-25 team based on its defense. Its offense is predicated on its speed and getting to the glass, and there's not too many teams in the nation better defensively."
Nor are there many rotating 12 players. Marcus Johnson leads the Flyers in minutes played with 28.5 per game, while all St. Joe's starters average more than that. Star center Ahmad Nivins leads the way with 39.6 minutes per game.
"I've got great admiration for (UD's) Brian Gregory and his coaches, but I'm not sure how they keep track of guys in the game," Martelli said. "I told my team watching the film, 'They're going to have three new guys in the game before the first media timeout (after roughly four minutes).' I was wrong. There were five.
"I'd like to be in that situation, but you go with what you have."
Martelli, though, has defended his style on the A-10 coaches teleconference this season, saying he believes a team's best players should monopolize the minutes and that fatigue isn't a factor for college-age athletes. But he sees merit in Gregory's system.
"One of the things you have when you put together the philosophy Brian Gregory has put together is that they're all committed to defense. ... They all guard the ball fanatically," he said.
