My first reaction after Danilo's 'oop to himself for the slam last night was "oh-oh," going back to our showboat SportsCenter mentality that marked our play in the past and earlier in the year. When we closed out the last 7-8 minutes of the game with somewhat out of control shooting and passing and had the final margin whittled to a more newspaper neutral 14 points, I was concerned that we were starting to get caught up in our hype. Upon reflection, I see it as nothing more than a group of guys having fun on the court after working hard all game and all season. They never slackened in their defensive intensity, just their offensive discipline. What Dayton fans saw as helter skelter street ball, we all now recognize as highly orchestrated mayhem. To a player and coach, this team is obviously focused on a much higher goal than any of us would have set for this team ourselves. They love the love but obviously have come to appreciate that it comes and is perpetuated by hard work and dedication. Nobody is predicting that they are going to run the table in the regular season, through the A-10 tourney, and on to the national championship game. But I think more and more folks are starting to believe that such a goal is not beyond reach. Hobbs may continue to downplay it. The players may continue to say the right things to the press. But who among us hasn't imagined hitting that 30 footer to win the championship basketball game or the 6th or 9th inning 2 out HR that wins the World Series? Some dreams are absurd...I'm an old fart and couldn't hit the fastball or the curve when I was younger. But these guys are players. All players tend to have the same dream. And when you're 19-1, #8 in the country, and on a roll, why limit those dreams to fast cars, fast women, or American Idol success. GW may well lose a game before the NCAA's. GW may well fail to repeat as A-10 tourney champions. And GW may well fail to eceed or even match the Sweet Siteen appearance by Sonni Holland and company. But it won't be because they have lost focus or taken themselves too seriously or an opponent too lightly. Saturday against Saint Joseph's is another golden opportunity to establish their bona fides in the college basketball world in front of a natioanl televisoon audience. Does anyone really think that baldy Phil's icy stares and folded arms and 3,000 screaming Philadelphians is going to throw them off their game?