Dayton coach Archie Miller pointed out this week that forward Dyshawn Pierre has been playing as well as any freshman in the Atlantic 10, but the Canadian’s late-season charge wasn’t enough to land a spot on the all-rookie team.
The coaches had a number of worthy candidates to consider, and it’s hard to quibble with their choices. But with the exception of Xavier’s Semaj Christon, Pierre has meant as much to the Flyers as the other all-rookie picks did to their teams, maybe more.
He’s averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field and 47.1 on 3-pointers. Some all-rookie honorees averaged more points, but none could match his shooting accuracy.
Here are the five picks with their point averages and shooting percentages overall and on 3-pointers: Christon (15.4, 45.3, 25.9), Butler’s Kellen Dunham (10.2, 40.2, 36.2), Duquesne’s Derrick Colter (13.5, 37.6, 31.4), VCU’s Melvin Johnson (7.9, 42.9, 35.1) and Charlotte’s Willie Clayton (8.1, 58.6, no 3-pointers).
Miller knows how indispensable Pierre has been.
“Dyshawn is a terrific player on offense for us as a young guy,” he said. “He’s very physical. He has a gift around the basket — six, eight, 10 feet. He has an unorthodox ability to release the ball high off the glass or over the top. He can score.
“All season long, I’ve been surprised at his outside shooting. But he takes good shots and has been able to consistently hit for good percentages. … Learning the college game has been a lot for him mentally. And watching him finish in conference play, to me, he’s been one of our best players.”
The 32 fouls were the most by the Flyers since 2009-10 when they twice committed 33.
Catholic 7 update: The New York Post’s Lenn Robbins reported Wednesday that Dayton would join Xavier and Butler in the Big East for 2013-14.
Reached by phone, Robbins said he was less sure of the timetable but was told by sources Dayton was among the five teams being added by the Catholic 7 along with Creighton and Saint Louis.
“I’m hearing they’re the last team in,” Robbins said of UD.
Athletic Director Tim Wabler, through a school spokesman, said: “What Lenn Robbins had was speculation. There’s nothing going on at this point.”
Foul-fest: UD committed an astonishing 32 fouls and had three players foul out Saturday against George Washington. I was seated next to Reggie Greenwood, the A-10 supervisor of officials, and when I mentioned how I’d seen more illegal picks called this year than I could ever remember, he said: “My problem is most of them AREN’T being called.”