Michigan transferWatson grows into a Flyers leader
Anthony Grant seemed surprised when it was pointed out to him that Ibi Watson had played all 40 minutes in the Dayton Flyers’ 66-64 loss to Southern Methodist on Saturday at UD Arena.
He seemed to glanced own at the box score he’d been handed before the postgame Zoom media session had begun, and look to see if Watson really had played every minute of the game.
“As a coach I’ve got to try to avoid the situation of a guy going all 40 minutes in a game like this,” he finally said.
Then again it’ s understandable that Grant didn’t look to pull the 6-foot-5 redshirt senior off the floor against the Mustangs.
After all, at least this early in the season, there’s almost no help coming off the Fl ye rs bench. The subs combined for a total of two points inthe last-second loss to SMUand they contributed just four points in the season-opening victory over Eastern Illinois on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Watson was producing in so many ways on the court.
“He really did a heck of a job battling on both sides of the ball tonight,” Grant said.
For the second game in a row, he led the Flyers in scoring. He had 23 against SMU and 16 against Eastern Illinois.
And none of the baskets he made was bigger than his final hoist against SMU, a pressurized three-pointer from the corner with just 9 seconds left that tied the game, 64-64.
It was a play Grant had called during a timeout just seven seconds earlier. Watson cameoffadouble screen set by Jordy Tshimanga and Chase Johnson and once down near the baseline, he caught the pass from Jalen Crutcher and let fly.
“Ahell of a shot fromhim!” Grant said afterward.
The Flyers though ended uplosingwhen they couldn’t make a final stop. They concentrated on SMU’s shifty point guard Kendric Davis, who already had 21 points. But while they were double- teaming him, fellow guard Emmanuel Bandoumel got the ball, drove the
lane into traffic and flipped a shot toward the rim that took a fortunate caromand dropped through for the victory right before the final buzzer.
The otherMustangs players, both those on the court andfromthe bench, mobbed him as they whooped and hollered and turned the court into their own private mosh pit.
While the loss was especially disappointing to the Fly ers—t hey hadn’ t dropped game at UD Arena since March 1, 2019, a 72-70 overtime loss to Rhode Island — one thing did begin to emerge Saturday.
Watson _ who transferred here from Michigan three seasons ago _ is turning into a real leader of this team.
“This is the Ibi I know,” said Molly Watson, Ibi’s mom, who was one of just over 100 fans at the C OVID-restricted game Saturday. “I’ve just been waiting for this to come to fruition.”
A one-time professional dancer who is now an administrator at Hocking College in southeastern Ohio, she raised him on her own and has been with him every step of the way — Athens High School, Pickerington Central High School, University of Michigan, Dayton — in his basketball career.
In his two years at Michigan, Watson playedonteams filled with older, future pros. TheWolverineswon two Big Ten titleswhile he was there and made two NCAA Tournament fields, one that ended with a berth in the national title game.
He played in 45 games at UM, but averaged just 5 minutes and 2.2 points a contest.
“Considering the Michigan players that were there both his yearswere amazing, I was actually OK with the time he got,” Molly said. “It was hard to earn minutes, but I always knew if he got the opportunity and could play through a few mistakes he could blossom.”
He decided to transfer and chose Dayton for several reasons: the school, the basketball opportunity and, asMolly toldme before, her belief that Grant is a great “role model” for young African American men.
Watson sat out a year here to meet NCAA transfer rules and then was the oft-used sixth man on last year’s 29-2 team that was ranked No. 3 in the nation.
“We looked at Ibi as basically a sixth starter for us,” Grant said. “He gave us big time efforts, minutes and production.”
With the loss of Obi Toppin, Ryan Mikesell and Trey Landers from last year, the Flyers needed three new startersandhave foundthem inWatson, Johnson andTshimanga.
All are contributing, especially Watson.
Hemayhave endedupthe hero Saturday if the team could havemade a final stop in regulation and then risen upin overtime. After all, they had led over 30 minutes of the 40-minute game.
It likelywould have helped if there had been a rocking Arena crowd like normal. It may have rattled SMU and likely would have lifted the Flyers.
“Right nowit’s almost like watching something between a practice and a game ,” Molly said. “I’m sad for the playerswho don’t have the roar of the crowd to give them that extra surge, but then again everything in life is a challenge.
“You have to find out how to be resilient and get through everything.”
Coming fromMichigan to Dayton, it’s something her son seems to be figuring out just fine.