24-7; 14-4, third in the Atlantic 10 Conference
A year after fighting to the very last day of their season and nearly qualifying for the NCAA Tournament despite an extraordinary spate of injuries, Dayton is dancing. Four years removed from one of the greatest teams in program history being denied a chance because the Madness was canceled, Dayton is dancing.
Having gotten back to the NCAA Tournament at long last, can this Dayton team stick around awhile?
The Flyers are led by DaRon Holmes II, one of the nation’s most dominant players, and a stable of outstanding outside shooters. At times, they have looked like a surefire Sweet Sixteen contender. At others, UD’s efficient but slow-paced offense has bogged down and hamstrung them. After looking like they may have run away with the Atlantic 10 title, the Flyers finished 8-4 in league play to fumble their lead. Then, they followed it up by losing to six seed Duquesne in their first game of the conference tournament. It’s not the momentum Dayton had been hoping for, but with the chance to get right in a hurry, the Flyers have got more than a fair chance to advance.
Holmes has elite athleticism inside and a nose for the rim. Dayton’s explosively quick, powerfully springy, high-flying-est Flyer can take over games from the inside out and has even developed into a dangerous three-point shooter. Nearly impossible to contain around the basket or keep off of the offensive glass, Holmes also routinely wears out a path to the charity stripe. Unfortunately, in eight games this year, Holmes has also missed at least four foul shots; and in a 49-47 loss at VCU, he made just five out of 13 chances at free points.
Some shaky free throw shooting doesn’t diminish that Holmes us one of the most emphatic forces in the college game, though. He’s become a very consistent and highly aware passer who finds open teammates when double-teamed, and the threat of Holmes as an interior scorer creates wide-open chances for his buddies. When his jumper is falling, Holmes becomes a 6’10” jumping jack whose threat extends to all three scoring levels and sucks any nearby defenders away from his teammates. And when opponents close out fiercely, Holmes has thrown down some of the country’s biggest poster dunks this year. Holmes is also a dangerous defensive playmaker who protects the whole lane as a shot blocker. He has been named the Atlantic 10’s Defensive Player of the Year following each of his three seasons.
Former Pittsburgh transfer Nate Santos has enjoyed a breakout year playing beside Holmes, and finished as the team’s second-leading scorer. The Puerto Rican forward adds plenty of energy on the glass and is a quality floor-stretching shooter. Dayton ranked 22nd in the country with 9.5 made triples per game this year and third in the land by making 40.2% as a team from behind the arc. WIth his 42.7% rate from the land of trey and 50 makes (second on the team), Santos emerged as the type of stretch-4 that seemingly every team is searching for lately. He plays tough defense, and Santos has proven ready to handle more than 33 minutes absorbing difficult matchups so that Holmes doesn’t get too worn out. Former Buffalo transfer Isaac Jack hasn’t played big minutes, but he’s provided genuine high major size at the pivot when head coach Anthony Grant wants to go big.
The perimeter in Dayton has been ravaged by injury, and even with a comparative good run in the trainer’s office this winter, the Flyers continue to be without veteran point guard Mali Smith. Thankfully for Grant’s crew, the smallest guy on the team has made a big impact in his place. Last year while at Merrimack, Javon Bennett led the nation in steals per game as a freshman. After transferring to Dayton and being thrown into the starting lineup in place of Smith, Bennett has continued to play very well. He’s fearless both with the ball in his hands or attacking the dribble of his defensive matchup. Bennett doesn’t alway look to attack the rim but does so with abandon, and he will pull up from virtually anywhere inside halfcourt if he’s feeling a triple try. With Bennett’s speed and daring as a spearhead defensively, Dayton has a new wrinkle to throw at opposing ballhandlers.
Kobe Elvis, Enoch Cheeks, and two-time A10 6th Man of the Year Koby Brea Gove Grant an experienced crew of guards who can each be put out there at any time and with just about any lineup around them. Cheeks, another transfer new to this year’s team, has proven to be a stout and versatile defender who can check guards or bigger players on the wing. He finished just 11 offensive rebounds off of the team lead, and Cheeks racked up 13 putback stabs despite his 6’3″ height. Cheeks has been particularly strong since the calendar turned to February. Over Dayton’s final 11 games, Cheeks has averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 59.8% true shooting.
Without Smith, Elvis assumed a role of expanded importance as a veteran distributor. Paired up with a live wire in Bennett, Elvis has played smart and savvy ball, keeping Holmes and Santos well fed inside and working smoothly off of ball screens. Elvis set new career highs from behind the arc and by getting to and making shots at the foul line, and led the Flyers in assists. Though Dayton plays slow, they play clean basketball. Led by a combined 211:79 assist to turnover ratio from Elvis and Bennett, the Flyers finished the year among the nation’s top 40 teams in both assists per field goal made and team assist to turnover ratio. One of the nation’s most efficient snipers, Brea shot 49.2% on three-point attempts this season: the best mark among qualifying players in America. His 91 made triples ranked second in the Atlantic 10, and scored in double figures 16 times this year.
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