DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team will begin the 2021-22 Atlantic 10 season on Wednesday, Jan. 5, hosting VCU at 7 p.m. ET. UD’s first two scheduled A-10 games (at Rhode Island on Dec. 30 and vs. St. Bonaventure on Jan. 2) were postponed.
Before Christmas, the Flyers downed Southern 69-60 on Dec. 21. Kobe Elvis had career highs in points (15) and assists (4) to lead UD. Toumani Camara had his second Dayton double-double (13/12), and DaRon Holmes II added 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots.
Wednesday’s game will be carried by WHIO Radio and televised on the CBS Sports Network. Streaming audio, video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.
#TRENDING
• Dayton has had five consecutive A-10 Rookies of the Week. Malachi Smith was named on 11/30, 12/6 and 12/20. DaRon Holmes II, who was named on 12/13 and 12/27. The string was broken when Flyer games the week of 1/3 were not played.
• UD and Gonzaga are the only two schools to win the Orlando title more than once.
• Dayton’s win over No. 4/3 Kansas was its first over a Top 5 team since the Flyers beat No. 3 DePaul 72-71 at the buzzer on Feb. 18, 1984. Anthony Grant was a freshman on that team.
• The game-winning floater vs. Kansas by Helsinki native Mustapha Amzil has been dubbed Flyer lore as “The Finnish.”
• For the first time in UD Arena history, all season and single game tickets were sold before the season even began. That announcement was made on Nov. 4.
• The Covid year has complicated “the clock” for college student-athletes. With that in mind, the Flyers’ 11 players listed as freshmen or redshirt freshmen are the second -most in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Only Arizona (13) has more. Air Force also has 11. Marquette and Vanderbilt (10) are next. KenPom has UD the least experienced team in D-I.
• Dayton’s incoming freshman class is ranked 21st-best in the nation. DaRon Holmes II, a consensus Top 50 recruit, is the highest-rated prospect to ever sign with UD.
• Holmes is third nationally among freshmen in dunks (23). He trails Jalen Duren of Memphis and Kendall Brown of Baylor (27 each), and just ahead of Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga (22).
• Holmes leads the Atlantic 10 in FG% (.651, 56-86). URI’s Antwan Walker is second (.649).
• Malachi Smith was the first Flyer freshman named an in-season tournament MVP since Roosevelt Chapman was MVP of the University of Dayton Invitational in 1980. Smith leads the team in 3-pt. FG%, assists and steals, is second in minutes and FT%, is third in scoring and rebounding, and fourth in FG%.
• R.J. Blakney was 5-for-5 from deep in the Va. Tech win. That’s the second-best single-game effort in UD history, behind Shawn Haughn (8-for-8) and tying him with two other Flyers.
• Dayton has depth. Ten Flyers average 7.5 minutes or more. Nine players have had at least one game of 10 points or more. Eight average at least 6.0 points a game, and four average 10+.
UP NEXT
• Dayton plays at George Washington on Saturday. Game time is 12 Noon ET.
• The Flyers return home to host Saint Louis on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. ET.
COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS
