Dayton coach Anthony Grant knows the Flyers won’t be the same this season after DaRon Holmes II’s decision to turn pro after three stellar seasons.
And that’s OK.
“We’ll have to play differently, so just getting ourselves familiar with what our guys are really good at and play to their strengths and help the team become the best version of themselves,” Grant says.
Holmes, of course, was a decorated forward who helped Dayton to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 last March. (That, of course, comes with a pandemic asterisk; the Flyers were on their way to a No. 1 seed before the pandemic hit in 2020).
He was a consensus second team All-America pick, the Co-Player of the Year in the league, a presence on the Atlantic 10’s All-Defensive team three years running … well, you get the idea.
But a program is always bigger than one player, and the fact is Dayton has retooled its roster in a way that makes it one of the A-10’s most dangerous teams. Forward Nate Santos will again be a threat both inside and on the perimeter. Guards Javon Bennett and Enoch Cheeks could become more potent scorers.
And pickups like guard Posh Alexander and forward Zed Key are seasoned college players who have enjoyed success at a high level.
“When you lose a player like DaRon and his caliber, the team is going to be different,” Santos says. “The point of emphasis is just bringing the new guys in and having them learn the system.”
The system has helped Dayton roll up a 40-14 record in A-10 play over the last three seasons, and the Flyers have averaged 23.7 victories overall in that stretch. Grant has a good sense of who can fit Dayton’s way of playing, and early indications are the Flyers are on their way to fielding a cohesive group this season.
“I’m enthusiastic because I think it’s a team where the chemistry is good,” Grant says. “In today’s day and age where players can come and go and you don’t know really how they’re going to jell together, that’s a big part of you having a chance to be successful. … I like the way guys have shown up every day to work and get better. I think that gives you a chance.”
A look at the Flyers:
Coach: Anthony Grant, eighth season at Dayton, 149-72 with the Flyers and 342-181 overall in 16 seasons
Last year: The Flyers went undefeated at home, finished third in the Atlantic 10 at 14-4 and went 25-8 overall. Best of all, they earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and erased a 17-point deficit in the second half against Nevada to earn a 63-60 victory and a trip to the second round.
They’ll miss: There was so much buzz about DaRon Holmes II’s arrival at Dayton as perhaps the most hyped recruit in program history, and he lived up to it --- from being the A-10’s Co-Player of the Year and its Defensive Player of the Year last season to amassing 1,745 points in three years to becoming a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.
In addition to Holmes, Dayton must also replace ace outside shooter Koby Brea (11.1 ppg, .498 3-point percentage) and Kobe Elvis (9.4 ppg) from its deep backcourt.
Impact returners: A third team all-Atlantic 10 pick last season, Nate Santos (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg) thrived in his first year with the Flyers. He briefly entered the transfer portal in the spring, only to choose to remain with the program for his senior year.
“That decision ultimately came down to Dayton being home,” says Santos, a preseason first team all-conference pick this year. “Coach gave me an opportunity last year that I don’t take for granted. It was something I was always looking for in college.”
Newcomers of note: Even after losing three of the top four scorers from last season, Dayton has managed to stay old. Credit the additions of Posh Alexander, who made stops at St. John’s and Butler, and former Ohio State forward Zed Key, both of whom are in their fifth year of college basketball.
“For Posh and Zed and I would throw [Marshall transfer] Jacob Conner in there, these guys come with a level of experience having played college basketball. …,” Grant says. “Just the fact they’re really experienced in college basketball, their learning curve has been a lot easier in terms of their adjustment.”
Alexander, particularly, is a virtually ideal fit for Dayton. A former Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East, he has averaged at least two steals in each of his college seasons and ranks second among active Division I players in steals with 264, just seven behind former VCU (and current Penn State) guard Ace Baldwin Jr.
Reasons to be optimistic: Just as Alexander and Key appear to be superb plug-and-play options, both Javon Bennett (8.4 ppg) and Enoch Cheeks (8.1 ppg) were instant fits a season ago.
“Anytime you have guys who have been through it and are familiar with you, familiar with the system, familiar with each other, that always helps,” Grant says. “Those guys were able to come in last year and be integral parts of the success that we had. They’ve been through the league, they’ve been through a year of college basketball, tournament experience. That all really makes a difference.”
X factor: Malachi Smith was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team pick as a freshman in 2021-22, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 assists to immediately become one of the league’s best point guards.
But ankle injuries limited him to 19 games the following year, and he suffered a right knee injury just seven minutes into the opener before undergoing season-ending surgery as a junior. Yet if he’s right, Smith could be a significant difference maker.
“I’d say more mental, right?” Grant says. “That’s the last piece, the hurdle. I think the physical is really good. The mental piece and just having that confidence, and that will be a work in progress for him because a lot of what he had to go through was just bad luck.”
Circle the date: It’s sort of difficult to pick the highlight of the Flyers’ nonconference schedule. Northwestern (Nov. 9), Marquette (Dec. 14) and UNLV (Dec. 17) all visits UD Arena, and the Flyers also meet Cincinnati at the Heritage Bank Center on Dec. 20. But the greatest opportunity is arguably the Maui Invitational, starting with a Nov. 25 meeting with North Carolina.
Bottom line: If there is going to be a dip for Dayton, it probably won’t be a large one. Expect the Flyers and their fervent fan base to have plenty to celebrate this season --- perhaps even a regular season and/or conference tournament title in March.