Dayton Boys Basketball: A Look Back and Ahead

Now that the Dayton Bulldogs boy's basketball season has concluded, it's time to look back at what some cherished most about their respective seasons—and to also take a look into what they think the future holds for them.

The fourth-seeded Bulldogs [18-7] won two playoff games for the first time under this senior class's regime and ended its season with a bitter 64-36 loss to top-seeded University. But the loss certainly did not epitomize the season. If anything, it made the young men on this team appreciate what they truly had.

Star point guard Justin Grant will soon be named to the All-County team after posting stellar numbers for the Bulldogs [18-7]. The junior guard averaged team-highs in assists [3.5] and steals [2.6] and was a scant margin away from being the leading scorer [12.0]. Junior forward Aaron Williams led with 12.7 points per game. Grant also averaged five rebounds per game, which is unheard of from the point guard position. But all those numbers pale in Grant's eyes when he talked about what really mattered this season.

"The improvement we made from last year [6-18] was monumental," said Grant. "And although our postseason may have ended a little prematurely, there isn't lot of disappointment because of where we came from. It was only one loss and to dwell on that wouldn't do our season justice."

For four Bulldogs – Alex Popolani, Sammy Dushkin, Elliot Karp, and Jon Wortman – their dream season, and careers, ended at University High. That being said, however, they still enjoyed the journey far more than anything else and are curious to see what the future holds for their beloved program.

"I'm excited to see what they accomplish next year and to see how well they can stay together," said Wortman. "Next year there won't be any surprises because there is a mark out for Dayton. Teams are going to come after those guys so it will be very interesting to see how well they do…I think they will get another good seed in the state playoffs."

Karp is also inquisitive about his now-former teammates. But he also has a cautionary tale of not getting complacent.

"If those boys play together and keep each other humbled, the sky is the limit," said Karp, who is also a star baseball player.  
 
Karp, who entered the program with 14 fellow freshmen, said the key to it all is head coach Bob Martin.

"Coach Martin is the man," said Karp. "He genuinely cares about each one of us and I became a better basketball player and person over the last four years. He is doing great things with the program and I respect him for all he has done."

Martin, as all noted, cared for each player equally. It didn't matter if the player was a star or a reserve. No one had anything but positive things to say about the man who's as animated on the sidelines, as his frenetic team is on the court.

"I love playing for Coach Martin because he is always encouraging," said key reserve Ronnie Herman. "When I get a little caught up in the moment he always told me to calm down, relax, and just play my game."  

Wortman, who doubled as a star football player for Martin, has as much input on him as anyone.

"I had the pleasure of playing for Coach Martin in two sports," said the senior big man. "It was always fun. He pushed us to be the best we could be but he did it in such a cool and fun way every time. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would pick Coach Martin as my coach…he was always there for his players and would do everything in his power to be there."

Perhaps of all the Bulldogs, it was Grant who learned the most. His renaissance from mercurial hot-head underclassmen to steady junior leader was tantamount to corralling a wild horse. Yet, it was Grant who learned to play within himself and lead the team to the deepest post-season run in years.

The lead guard said he's already looking forward to getting back into the gym and improving on his stellar season.

"The weight room will definitely be a frequently-visited destination," said Grant, who will be balancing his golf hobby with AAU ball this summer. "Aside from continually getting stronger, there is also the immense amount of drills and skill work that goes on the basketball court…I plan on improving my handle tremendously and shooting until my arm falls off to improve my jumper."

When asked his thoughts of the 2010-11 season, Grant was forthcoming.

"The seniors that are leaving were great but we return a lot of key players so I believe the sky is the limit for us," he said. "As long as everyone is motivated and works hard, there is no reason why next year we couldn't come up with a sectional championship; and then after that maybe a Group 1 state championship."

Despite not being there next season, Wortman said he'll be rooting from afar and said Dayton will now be the hunted instead of the hunters.

"The team will learn to come ready to play every single game no matter who we are playing because you never know who might pull off an upset," Wortman said.

He then admitted that if everything falls into place, the "juniors have a great chance to surpass what we accomplished already."

To a man, the players were as grateful for each other as they were for the suddenly-swelled fanbase. The boy's team won two games, both at home – a 46-36 win over rival New Providence in the opening round and an easy 77-45 win over North Arlington two nights later.

Each win, they said, was spurred by a raucous home gym.

"Playing in front of those crowds was a great experience," said Karp. "Most of us watch college basketball games on T.V. and see loud student sections that have such an effect on the games. And [our crowd] definitely had a similar affect for us."

Before each home game, the students would assemble online to make sure everyone was coordinated. The "white out"—where everyone wore white shirts—in the student section was striking.

"It was amazing playing in front of most of our student body and everybody in our town," said Wortman. "I felt honored that they came out and supported the team and made the Dayton gym a crazy place for the other teams to play in."

Grant, who definitely doesn't need amping up, still treasured their support.

"The crowd was great and it felt good to put a product on the floor that our classmates could be proud of," he said. "We appreciated all of the support and it really made those state playoff games that we won special."   
 
The season was special and, to a man, they all have something positive to take away. Through it all, despite being a team full of underclassmen, these Bulldogs were always able to put things in its proper perspectives.

"I think no matter how much time and devotion we all put into this team, it still is just a game," said Herman, who reminisced about the physicality of the final loss. "After playing University, where some of the kids were constantly throwing wild elbows and verbally taunting the whole game, I learned it's just a game. As much as we all love it, it is still just a game."

The senior co-captain Karp had the last word.

"I have played basketball my whole life and now it is over, so it is almost surreal to comprehend," Karp said. "But I have no regrets and have enjoyed the ride. The loss made me value that a season is not based on one game. It is based on the body of work, so it was a success even with the loss."