Last Year: 22-12; Second (12-6) in the Atlantic 10 Conference, No Postseason
Head Coach: Anthony Grant (Seventh Year; 124-64 at Dayton, no NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Malachi ‘Mali’ Smith – 6’0″, 180 – Junior |
| SG Kobe Elvis – 6’2″, 180 – Junior |
| G Enoch Cheeks – 6’3″, 195 – Junior |
| PF DaRon Holmes – 6’10”, 235 – Junior |
| C Isaac Jack – 6’11”, 250 – Sophomore |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Mali Smith: 7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.2 spg – 38.3% 3FG (19 games played)
Kobe Elvis: 8.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.8 spg – 32.5% 3FG (19 games played)
Enoch Cheeks: 15.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.3 bpg @ Robert Morris
DaRon Holmes: 18.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.9 bpg – 59.0% FG
Isaac Jack: 5.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 0.4 spg – 66.1% FG @ Buffalo
Experienced Reserves
| W Koby Brea – 6’6″, 200 – Junior |
| G Javon Bennett – 5’10”, 155 – Sophomore |
| F Zimi Nwokeji – 6’7″, 220 – Senior |
| F Nate Santos – 6’7″, 210 – Junior |
| F CJ Napier – 6’6″, 220 – Senior |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
W Koby Brea: 6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.3 spg – 37.0% 3FG
G Javon Bennett: 9.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.9 spg – 35.9% FG @ Merrimack
F Zimi Nwokeji: 1.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.2 spg – 30.6% FG
F Nate Santos: 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.3 spg – 29.3% FG @ Pitt
F CJ Napier: 17.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.5 bpg – 30.7% 3FG @ Ohio Northern
Freshmen
| G Marvel Allen – 6’4″, 200 – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
| F Jaiun Simon – 6’6″, 220 |
| F Petras Padegimas – 6’8″, 215 / Lithuania |
By the time Dayton’s season finally ended last season, in the championship game of the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Flyers were quite literally the walking wounded. Head coach Anthony Grant’s team saw its backcourt in particular ravaged by injuries, such that the troubles began during a preseason trip to the Bahamas and didn’t end until the last day of the regular season. In some cases the recoveries have lasted through the entire offseason as guys endured corrective surgeries and long rehabilitations. After a tumultuous spring which saw departures to the NBA Draft and Transfer Portal on the heels of an injury-riddled season, the Flyers are mostly just looking forward to some stability this winter.
And if they can find it, as they proved down the stretch especially last year, Dayton ought to be pretty darn good.
The biggest reason for the Flyers to expect good things this year is that star big man DaRon Holmes II is back after testing out the NBA Draft process. A former Top 50 recruit, Holmes has been as good as advertised for the Flyers, and more. He has started every game of his two seasons in a Dayton jersey, been named the A-10 Rookie of the Year, twice to the All-Defense team, twice to the All-Conference team, and last season, with his teammates limping up and down the floor along with him, Holmes was named the A-10 Tourney MVP in a losing effort. He is simply one of the best players returning to college basketball anywhere, in any conference, and his presence alone makes Dayton a contender.
Holmes took great strides as a go-to scorer last season, and showed both the range and consistency on his jump shot which will one day make him a successful professional. The NBA wanted to see more outside shooting from Holmes, so Grant and Flyer fans can all look forward to Holmes showing off yet more dimensions to his game as a junior. A terrific post player on both ends of the floor, Holmes has soft hands and presents well offensively in the paint, getting up and down the floor quickly and establishing great position over and over to allow his guards an attractive option under the basket. He has smooth footwork and an ever-expanding variety of moves under the basket, from quick spins and hook shots to a drop step and quick gather before going up for thunderous dunks. And when Dayton misses a shot, he is just delighted to be there for a reload possession or putback slam; Holmes finished with second-most dunks of any player in America last season, routinely seizing momentum for his guys and bringing the Flyer faithful out of their seats.
Holmes finished with the second-most dunks of any player in American last season, routinely seizing momentum for his guys
A highly mobile and highly active defender, Holmes plays the literal and figurative heart of Dayton’s defense, with pressing action from the guards and wings often funneling opposing players into his area of effect like some shot-and-pass-inhaling Shelob. Holmes blocked or stole the ball 91 times last season, more combined than any other player in the A-10. While the NBA may want more from him, Holmes is becoming a solid shooter by the standard of college bigs, especially given everything else he makes the opposition worry about. He improved his free throw percentage by nine percent from his freshman year, and knocked down six triples in 19 attempts. Holmes is very nearly the prototype for modern college big men, and he is out to have an Obi Toppin-like season this year.
The backcourt, so depleted by injuries last season – in some cases, multiple injuries to the same players, no less – returns a tremendous amount of talent, experience, and potential. If, that is, everyone is at full strength. Malachi ‘Mali’ Smith returns for his third season running the point for Grant, and is one of those Flyers who is coming off of an offseason surgery. Smith was one of two Flyers on crutches by the time the Flyers got back from the Bahamas prior to conference play, having injured one ankle in the Caribbean. By the end of the season, Smith had missed 15 games, played through pain in virtually all of the 19 he did participate in, and required surgery on both of his ankles during the spring. Grant is anticipating that he will have his point guard back healthy to start the season, but after going through so much last year and during the offseason, the coach is hoping not to rush his floor general back too urgently. When he’s right, Smith is a terrific playmaker and crafty, creative ballhandler whose rapport with Holmes is excellent. Mali’s 2.74:1 career assist to turnover ratio is on pace to become Dayton’s all-time best, and he loves to set his buddies up with prime scoring opportunities whether it’s coming off of screens, dribble penetration, or pick-and-roll action with Holmes.
Smith likes to use his slick handle to take his man off the bounce, and once he’s in the lane he’s an adaptable and skilled passer who can also hit a floater or fall away and knock down a jumper when his penetration gets cut off. Smith is a tenacious defender who loves to pressure his man full-court and whose sticky fingers and heady passing lead to some great transition opportunities for the Flyers. Last season, playing on two bum ankles, Smith was forced to be a bit more of a jump shooter. While he doesn’t prefer to hang outside the arc, Smith carries a 39% career percentage from downtown, and his mid-range jumper can be very effective at times. Smith remained a bit of a streaky scorer last year, but his playmaking never dries up and this season, with more confidence in his body and less aches & pains, Flyer fans may see the best Mali they’ve seen yet.
Joining Smith in the trainer’s room for much of last season were both of his top backcourt mates, Koby Brea and Kobe Elvis. Elvis hurt his knee in the Bahamas, missed all of December and much of January, and then hurt his knee again by running into a teammate in the final game of the regular season which forced him to miss the A-10 Tournament. The former DePaul transfer is a talented outside shooter who had posted a career 37.4% mark from the land of trey before last season’s injury-riddled campaign. Elvis can also score inside the arc, and both knock down mid-range shots and get into the paint to create for himself or for his teammates. With Dayton’s constantly shifting lineups last season, Elvis averaged a career-best 2.9 assists a season ago, and has always been a willing distributor who helps keep the offense moving and helps Smith to initiate offense. While he’s not the biggest off-guard around Elvis is a willing and capable defender whose quickness keeps him in front of most scorers and helps Grant keep up his preferred pressure defense.
Koby Brea is a bigger guard who has led the Flyers in three point shooting each of the past two seasons. Brea’s injury woes last year were a result of stress fractures in the tibias of both legs. As such, Brea underwent offseason surgery to have metal rods inserted into both legs in an attempt to stave off similar troubles going forward. When he’s 100%, Brea is a dangerous outside threat whose length makes him a threat to get a good look against most defenders. A career 39% shooter from three, Brea will be a top option on the wing when Smith and Holmes are running the pick-and-roll, and provides Grant with a threat that opponents must keep in mind defensively whenever he is on the floor. Brea attempted just eight shots near the rim a year ago, and while aggressively driving the lane will never really be his game, he figures to be much more capable of taking guys off the bounce and using the space his deep threat presents to get to the rack for easy buckets. And the more that Brea can continue to improve on defense, the better pleased Grant will be.
There is help coming for the backcourt, and depth should injuries strike again. In fact, even healthy, Dayton’s returning guards might have a bit of a fight for minutes on their hands. Enoch Cheeks arrives from Robert Morris after posting one of the most well-rounded statistical seasons in America last year. Cheeks is a scoring guard, a confident ballhandler, a great secondary playmaker, a solid rebounder, and a defensive menace who blocked the fifth-most shots in the Horizon League last year while standing 6’3″. While he played alongside a true point guard last year, Cheeks spent a good bit of the time with the ball in his hands when the Colonials were in the halfcourt. He became more comfortable using and manipulating screens, and began using his dribble to isolate opponents and take them to the rim. In keeping with the diversity of his game, Cheeks attempted at least 107 shots each at the rim, from mid-range, and from distance last year, and his ability to impact the game in so many ways has Dayton fans reasonably expecting that his production should translate well despite the step up in competition. His larger size combined with ballhandling ability will allow Grant to avoid some of the size mismatches that opponents have been able to exploit the past couple of years with Elvis and Smith paired up on the court together. If Cheeks can provide the same consistent scoring and keep up the high level of defense he’s become known for, he’s going to be a key piece for Dayton going forward, no matter who else is available.
Also new to the Flyers is point guard Javon Bennett, who started 27 games for Merrimack last season en route to being named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year. While small, Bennett is fearless; whether he’s jumping a pass, driving to the rim or letting fly from deep, Bennett plays the game confidently. He led the entire nation in steals per game in his first college season, boldly pressuring his opponents and aggressively hunting the passing lanes. He shot just 28% from the land of trey a year ago, but that didn’t stop him from attempting five triples each game, many from near the halfcourt logo. Bennett can be a bit wild at times, but is capable of finishing acrobatic shots at the rim and is a tremendous irritant to opposing passers and ballhandlers. If Smith is ready to play, he is absolutely locked in as Dayton’s point guard. Bennett is, however, both a very intriguing project and a guy who should be able to handle at least 15 minutes per game. The potential he offers combined with the depth he instantly adds is a luxury at the point not many teams in the A-10 can boast of – and Bennett ensures that there won’t be any dropoff in defensive intensity when the starters aren’t out there.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 61.0 – Opponent Points Per Game (8th) |
| 68.6 – Points Per Game (226th) |
| 45.0% – Opponent Effective FG% (9th) |
| 69.9% – Team FT% (255th) |
| 54.3% – Team 2FG% (30th) |
Dayton’s only other player to average double figures last season was Toumani Camara, and he’s departed for the NBA Draft. Now, Holmes’s best support up front and Grant’s second-best player must be replaced. There are an assortment of talented young frontcourt players vying for a spot in the rotation, and depending on who plays best to start the year, it may determine which pace of play and style of lineup Grant uses most this year. Isaac Jack is an import from Buffalo, where he was a key part of the Bulls’ rotation as a freshman. With the NBA scouts hoping to see more of DaRon Holmes at the 4 spot – which they see him playing as a pro – Jack’s addition will allow Grant to go with two true bigs in an even bigger way than he could pairing Holmes with Camara or the departed Mustapha Amzil. Jack is not extraordinary at any one thing, but he moves fairly well for his size, has a fairly soft pair of hands, and plays fairly good defense at the pivot. All that, and he’s just heading into his second year. Additionally, Jack has only been a full-time basketball player for about three years; the Canadian big man also played hockey and soccer during high school. Jack is not going to be a featured part of the Dayton attack, but he wasn’t as a Bull either. Jack will pick up his points on putbacks and feeds from the penetrating guards once he’s set a screen; though there is certainly also potential for him to develop a nice rapport on big to big passes from Holmes.
Nate Santos arrives from Pitt having averaged just ten minutes as a Panther. Santos tried 51 2FG attempts and took 81 three’s across his two years, and is the type of stretch-4 who could play well off of Holmes when Grant decides to go with a smaller lineup. Santos didn’t get to show off too much of his overall game in those spot minutes at Pittsburgh, but he was an effective rebounder and will try to guard even bigger guys when the assignment calls for it. Santos will have to shoot better than the less-than-20% he shot from deep as a Panther, though, if he’s to wrest minutes away from Zimi Nwokeji, who saw action in 30 games for the Flyers a year ago. Nwokeji only averaged about eight minutes in those games, but has shown in his three seasons that he can face up and knock down jumpers, find his way to the paint for buckets in close, and get after it on the glass. Nwokeji has played a lot of mop-up or mismatch minutes over the years, and has patiently awaited his chance to show that he can do more. There is also Division III import CJ Napier, a graduate student looking for a new challenge. He’s not that big, and is coming off of a tough shooting slump last year, but Napier is tough and has a scorer’s hand. If he can find the range once more, Napier could be sprinkled in for some max-effort minutes.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Northwestern – November 10 |
| vs Cincinnati – 16 |
| N – LSU – November 16 |
| N – St. John’s or North Texas – November 17 |
| @ SMU – November 29 |
Three different freshmen with different skills are coming in, and Grant thinks that they can help right away. Marvel Allen is a high-scoring combo guard with high major size and skill. He was once pledged to Georgetown, but switched to the Flyers after Patrick Ewing was let go as head coach. Allen was rated as a borderline Top 50 prospect a couple of years ago, and though he no longer rates that highly, the 4-star guard turned down offers from Illinois, Memphis, and Alabama to play in Dayton. There are lots of experienced guards ahead of him, but Allen can hang talent-wise, and can really get through the lane and score near the rim. Though he was injured for much of his final prep season and fell in the rankings, Allen is hungry to play some real minutes when he joins the Flyers. Jaiun Simon is a big wing who can operate at the 4 spot or guard a bit on the perimeter. Simon scores most of his buckets near the rim, and could get a shot at earning some minutes next to Holmes when Grant wants to go smaller. The second freshman combo forward coming aboard this year is Lithuanian youngster Petras Padegimas. He came to America and competed on the prep stage, like Allen, in Florida last year, and has also competed for Lithuania on the international stage. He played 23 minutes for his home country at the FIBA U-18 European Championships this summer, averaging 7 points and 6.5 boards. Padegimas has some tenacity on defense and around the lane, and he will spot up effectively to hit jumpers.
Dayton finished last season strong despite tremendous attrition. The Flyers still missed out on the NCAA Tournament, though. Despite the Flyers’ legendary run in 2019, Covid-19 wiped out that year’s NCAA Tournament. Dayton’s drought has now reached its seventh season. The Flyers want to Dance, and have been held back too long. “It hurt for me,” Elvis told the Dayton Daily News of being forced to watch last year. “I feel like a bunch of us did everything we could to get back onto the court to get to that position…I know how badly they wanted it, how deeply they cared about that championship and that tournament and especially with our rivalry against VCU how much that game really mattered.”
With better health – and it’s hard to imagine the basketball gods not having been propitiated last winter – Dayton is starting out this year with a pretty stacked roster. Holmes is a genuine superstar, there are lots of guards who can play, and the forwards should compete furiously for the minutes that Holmes doesn’t play at the 4 spot. The Flyers play terrific defense – they’ve ranked in the top 50 of the nation’s teams in three of the past four seasons, and finished top ten in the country by allowing just 61 points per game last year. They struggled mightily to force turnovers, though, and thus to create easy transition buckets.
With full seasons from the veteran guards and the versatile defensive playmaking of both Bennett and Cheeks, the Flyers should be better than ever on that end. Each player should also score more in transition, which should erase a few scoring droughts – though more trips to the charity stripe would help, too. Dayton has the best roster in the Atlantic 10 this season, and if they can all stay on the court, the Flyers are going to be good. A strong out-of-conference slate which will include road trips to Northwestern and SMU, and a home date with Cincinnati – plus an appearance at the Shriner’s Childrens’ Charleston Classic, where Houston, St. John’s, LSU, Wake Forest and Utah will play – will test the Flyers before they hit A-10 play. By March, Dayton should be humming, and prepared to deliver on a whole lot of the potential which past teams haven’t been able to realize.
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