College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 25-8; 14-4, Third in the Atlantic 10 Conference, lost in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Anthony Grant (Eighth Year; 149-72, with one NCAA Tournament appearance)

Projected Starting Lineup

G Posh Alexander – 6’0″, 205 5th-year Senior

G Malachi ‘Mali’ Smith – 6’0″, 175 Junior

G Enoch Cheeks – 6’3″, 195 Senior

F Nate Santos – 6’7″, 215 Senior

F/C Zed Key – 6’8″, 220 5th-year Senior

Experienced Reserves

G Javon Bennett – 5’10”, 160 Junior

F Jacob Conner – 6’10”, 205 Junior

C Isaac Jack – 6’11”, 250 Junior

Freshmen

G Marvel Allen – 6’4″, 205 (Redshirt)

W Hamad Mousa – 6’8″, 190 / Qatar

F Jaiun Simon – 6’6″, 225 (Redshirt)

F/C Amaël L’Etang – 7’1″, 230 / France

Dayton is entering a paint-star interregnum this season, and it looks like a fleet of impact guards will be leading the way for a change. Following the departure of their second superstar big man in the last five years, the Flyers have reshuffled the deck in a bid to stay atop the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

Though the Flyers won’t be able to build around a surefire NBA big man like Obi Toppin or DaRon Holmes II, head coach Anthony Grant has one of the most experienced rosters he’s ever coached. The knock on Grant has been that, despite consistent success, he hasn’t led the Flyers on a deep run through the NCAA Tournament. In fact, over the past five seasons, Dayton has piled up 114 wins, but last March marked the first time since he took over in 2017 that Grant had guided his team to the Big Dance. The Flyers gave their faithful a thrill, too, as Dayton stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the First Round to beat Nevada. 

Still, the folks in Dayton, OH, want more. With a rotation that’s set to prominently feature a bunch of fifth-year seniors, these Flyers will be aiming to go out on an even higher note. Though his two biggest stars so far have been big men, Grant is excited by the leadership and versatility he’s already seen from this team’s backcourt. 

Maybe the best thing about this group on the perimeter is that virtually everyone is a natural playmaker. Each of the Flyers’ projected top four guards has taken a turn as key facilitator for their team over the years, and now that they’re all on the same side, Grant is hoping to hear them make sweet music. Malachi Smith, Javon Bennett, and Enoch Cheeks came together prior to last season, and they all return. It’s the new Flyer with the most name recognition, though, who might end up having the most to say about how high this Dayton team can rise. 

One of the more accomplished and impactful point guards in the country, Alexander is adept at running his team’s offense and also playing the role of primary aggressor on the other end.

After three years at St. John’s and one at Butler, Posh Alexander has chosen Dayton for his final collegiate voyage. One of the more accomplished and impactful point guards in the country, Alexander is adept at running his team’s offense and also playing the role of primary aggressor on the other end. A former Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Alexander finished his career ranked twelfth all-time in that conference in steals. He’s racked up 264 thefts in 116 career games, and Alexander has never played a season which saw him average fewer than two steals per game. A tough, bruising guard with explosive quickness and the confidence to take on any assignment, Alexander takes the fight to his opponents and forces them to earn each shot attempt. Even when he’s not poking the ball away or diving into the passing lanes, Alexander can still force empty possessions by wearing out good shooters and forcing them to settle on shot attempts. 

Two years ago, Alexander had his least effective offensive season, but he arrived at Hinkle Fieldhouse last fall with a vengeance to prove that the slippage was only brief. At Butler, he posted some of the best shooting splits of his career, and last winter Alexander was more effective from the land of trey than ever before. He made 30 triples at a 33.3% rate, and Alexander sank his freebies at a reliable 78.1% clip as well. A drive-first, often times drive-second player, Alexander’s game has always been about getting into the lane and creating opportunities as the defense collapses – sometimes multiple opportunities on the same possession. Alexander is one of the best pound-for-pound rebounders you’ll find, and he’s racked up nearly as many offensive boards (218) as he has defensive rebounds (261) over the years. What’s more, Alexander has tallied 72 putback stabs for his career, routinely outworking much larger players for the ball and second chances at a score. He’s always been a bit turnover-prone, a symptom of Alexander’s all-out style. If Alexander can add the more polished approach he showed off last winter, though, this could well be the best season of his career. 

If he can finally play a full, healthy campaign, the return of ‘Mali’ Smith should give the Flyers a fantastic pair of co-pilots. Unfortunately, it’s been a particularly snake-bitten few years for Smith, and he took a redshirt last year after suffering a serious knee injury just days before Dayton tipped off its new season. This, after Smith had endured ankle reconstruction surgery following a 2022-23 season which saw him limited to only 19 games. He was fully cleared to return to practice in mid-June, and Smith has spent the offseason rounding back into the form which, prior to injuries, had made him one of the A10’s most promising young players. 

“Now it’s just building that confidence, building his body back to where he (Smith) can do the things that we all know he’s capable of doing,” Grant surmised this summer. Back in 2021-22, Smith was named to the A10’s All-Freshman team, and he finished 18th in the nation in assists. More slight than the burly Alexander, Smith plays a game predicated on quickness, anticipation, and silky-smooth setups. Like his veteran counterpart, Smith is much more likely to be found putting it on the floor than shooting jumpers. Still, Smith is a 39.2% career shooter from downtown, and reports this summer indicate that his range and consistency have each improved. Still, he’s a pass-first kind of guy, and Smith’s purest value will likely continue to lie in his ability to orchestrate the offense and help the Flyers to get high-percentage looks around the rim. Smith is also an adept ball thief, and should provide real excitement whether paired up with Alexander or Bennett. Dayton’s guards are fairly undersized, but they will more than make up for a lack of height by pressing the opposition into myriad mistakes and live-ball turnovers. 

Out of all Dayton’s guards, it’s possible that Enoch Cheeks plays the most complete and well-rounded game. A couple years back, he was an All-Horizon League star for Robert Morris; Cheeks turned in averages of 15.4 points, 4.4 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He’s a clever, confident player who’s effective on the ball or off it, and Cheeks makes things happen for himself and the guys around him no matter how he’s utilized. Cheeks can sky for exciting dunks and uses his considerable athleticism very well. Though he didn’t shoot the ball as well last season as he had done at RMU, Cheeks scores from all three levels and picks his spots well. With three point guards rotating the ball, Grant wants to see Cheeks lean into his skills as a scorer. 

He’ll also keep on doing his part to keep the Flyers fiercely defensively, as Cheeks was a dynamic force last winter. Not only is he the biggest of Grant’s top four guards, Cheeks has the veteran smarts to keep opponents off-balance in a variety of ways. He’s a tough man-to-man defender who doesn’t mind a challenge, his hands and feet are always moving and bothering the other guys, and Cheeks has proven to be a flat-out ballhawk. He’s probably the best shot blocker Dayton has, and Cheeks has established a reputation for coming out of nowhere to help with a swat or timely steal. With all of the turnovers Dayton is likely to force, Cheeks will be showing up all over the floor. 

The littlest of Dayton’s guards is also going to continue as one of the more exciting players in the A10. Completely fearless and perfectly audacious, Javon Bennett transferred in last year after winning the Northeast Conference’s Rookie of the Year award at Merrimack, and immediately set about creating highlights. Bennett has yet to notch his name among the world’s greatest shooters, but he will launch – and make – triples from far enough out to make Steph Curry think twice. He’s a creative ballhandler whose daring shows up on bursts toward the rim, and Bennett handed out 102 assists against just 31 turnovers in his debut with the Flyers. For all his full-floor dynamism, he was particularly good working to Grant’s intentions offensively; Bennett ranked fifth nationally with a 3.4:1 ast/to in the halfcourt last year, per Synergy Sports. Defensively, he’s a sticky-fingered (137 steals through 65 career games) blur of enthusiasm, and Bennett’s hustle and aggressiveness tend to rub off on his teammates. 

With the backcourt seen to, Grant had to strengthen his post situation as well. As it turns out, Dayton’s biggest prize this offseason may turn out to be the guy who didn’t get away. His arrival from Pittsburgh last spring wasn’t stop-the-presses news, but Nate Santos put on quite a show for the Flyers. He had never played major minutes at Pitt, but Santos proved to be a terrific fit next to Holmes as a forward who could do almost everything his team needed. Following that breakout – and the departure of Holmes to the Association – Santos re-entered the portal in order to gauge his options. It was a frustrating episode for fans, but became an opportunity for Dayton to prove yet again that it can keep pace against the power-conference programs. Just a week after announcing that he was in the portal, Santos was convinced to recommit to the Flyers. This year, instead of becoming a surprise star, Santos will be counted on as one of the Flyers’ most indispensable pieces. 

After finishing second on the team in scoring, rebounding, free throw tries & makes, and made triples last winter, Santos has firmly established himself as a dangerous perimeter threat who will also put on his hard hat in the lane. It wasn’t just the quantity (51) of three-balls for Santos; he showed his quality by making a sparkling 41.8% of his triple tries. His post scoring comes and goes a bit, and the more Santos takes advantage of defenders who press in close to dissuade him from shooting, the better Dayton will be. The challenge of taking his game to yet greater heights without the threat of Holmes beside him is daunting, but Grant is expecting to watch Santos truly come into his own as a senior. 

There is no way to replace the many talents of Holmes, but to fill his spot, Grant has landed a different sort of veteran big man. After four years at Ohio State, Zed Key knows his business in the paint, and on the heels of a tough, injury-stunted season, he appears ready to let it all hang out. Two years ago, Key got his chance to be the closest thing he’s been to a featured option, and he made the most of it. Last fall, the Buckeyes ended up going with the rangier, bigger Felix Okpara (who ended up second in the Big Ten in blocks) as their top pivot, and Key played a smaller role. Key has often been described as a ‘tweener’; wide and strong enough to play well inside, but lacking the height and great quickness to be a go-to-center. In the Atlantic 10, Key is hoping to show that he’s so much more than the limitations others observe in him. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

66.5 – Opponent Points Per Game (27th)

53.1 – Field Goal Attempts Per Game (356th)

39.9% – Team 3FG Percentage (3rd)

24.1% – Offensive Rebounding Rate (266th)

13.5 – Personal Fouls Per (7th)

He doesn’t commit many turnovers, and when featured, Key has been solidly productive. He’s got soft hands and relies on both brawn and nimble feet in the lane, and carries a strong career 55.3% shooting rate from the floor. Key leaves the Big Ten with a career 14.3% offensive rebounding rate: the eighth-best mark in conference history. He knows how to bring the noise no matter who’s fighting on the boards; Key racked up 45 putback stabs over the past two seasons, according to Hoop-Math, and he converted 65.2% of those extra opportunities. With Santos to draw defenders away from the rim and plenty of slick-passing guards to keep him well-fed, Key has entered a rotation which should help him to capitalize on the things he does best. He may not have prototype measurables, but Key has 121 games’ worth of experience under his belt and is ready to pay it all off with the best season of his career. 

A pair of tall, improving juniors will look to find their orbit in Grant’s rotation as well. One, Canadian pivot Isaac Jack, gained experience as a change-of-pace for last year’s Flyers. The other, Dayton native Jacob Conner has transferred back home after two years at Marshall. 

“Being a kid from Dayton, I know how much the community loves Dayton basketball and how big of a deal it is,” Conner told the Dayton Daily News upon committing to the Flyers. At 6’10”, Conner sees the floor very well, and he’s comfortable with the ball in his hands, coordinating the offense. As he’s added strength – especially this summer as he jumps up in competition – Conner has gotten closer to his potential as an inside-out weapon. He ran the point at times in high school and has a natural affinity for the perimeter, and Conner has good touch around the rim. His post game has been more about finesse than anything else, and that’s fine if a player is efficient. Unfortunately, he did not shoot the ball well inside the arc as a sophomore, and Conner made fewer than 48% of his tries near the rim – a figure which must rise given his size and reach. His defensive potential is also considerable, and if he can add a more physical dimension, Conner could genuinely take off. 

A true pivot, Jack brings some needed size and length up front. He didn’t do much beyond the basics last year playing less than 10 minutes per contest, but Jack is more than just some big guy. His footwork has looked clean and confident this summer, and Grant would love to be able to toss him the ball inside for easy points a couple of times each game. His size is helpful defensively, and a bit more aggression would make Jack even more helpful. As a counterpoint to Key, Jack offers a look that Dayton needs, and with just a bit of genuine growth at both ends of the floor, Jack could end up taking a significant step forward. French freshman Amaël L’Etang is likely more of a developmental prospect, but he’s got more than enough size to help out soon. Beyond his stature, L’Etang has some intriguing skills, and as he gets stronger, his offensive potential should come into focus.

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N Iowa State/Auburn – November 26

N North Carolina – November 25

Maui Invitational 3rd game – November 27

vs Marquette – December 14

vs Northwestern – November 9

A pair of talented young players were mothballed last season with so many other standouts in the lineup. Both Jaiun Simon and Marvel Allen took developmental redshirts, and now will offer different sets of skills to this crew. Simon had surgery in March 2024 and should now be fit as a fiddle, while Allen was still recovering from a high school injury to begin last year. After having the opportunity to become fully healthy and marinate in Grant’s system, Dayton’s coach is interested to see what the kids have learned. 

“Now what did they do with that opportunity from a mental and physical standpoint to help them be able to be ready for this upcoming year? We’ll find out. That’s yet to be determined.” Simon has added a considerable amount of muscle to his frame the past two years, and while he might not be a silky-smooth scorer right out of the box, he’ll do plenty of other helpful things. He can guard on the perimeter or inside and can be a problem to run offense against in both places. With his hops and physical strength, Simon will convert some buckets on slashes, lobs, and putbacks this winter to help out offensively, too. A combo guard who has good instincts with and without the ball on offense, Allen is simply going to be happy to play meaningful basketball again after a long layoff. If he can get up to speed quickly and show off a refined jumper, Allen’s size will be a help to balance out Dayton’s guard rotation. 

The team’s true freshman this year is a very intriguing one. Hamad Mousa is a super-sized scoring guard from Qatar, and though American recruiting experts aren’t as familiar with him as some of this year’s prospects, they have already mentioned him as a possible first round 2025 NBA Draft selection. Mousa is a flashy open-court player who makes exciting passes and uses his height and length to his advantage in getting to the basket. He’s also reported to possess a seven-foot-plus wingspan, and Mousa has shown potential to be an annoying defender with those same attributes. With guard skills and quickness plus his stretchy frame, Mousa is already generating a great deal of excitement before he’s even taken the floor. 

Dayton will play its usual tough non-conference schedule this year to help bring the varied pieces of Grant’s roster together. The Flyers will have to face down six different power conference foes plus a dangerous UNLV side before taking on what looks like a stronger-than-usual A10.

That feels correct, though, because Dayton has its designs on competing for big prizes. Last year was big for a program that’s endured some painful near-misses, and for its coach that has come close but lacked NCAA success. Even without a clear All-American type of star, the Flyers have built some confidence. They expect to be playing important games in March, and with a bit more decent health for a change, winning those tilts, too.