A-10 ESPN Friday Night Showcase Game Tips At 7 P.M. ET On ESPN2

Link To Game Notes:  https://bit.ly/3g0hR7x

DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team remains home Friday to square off against Rhode Island at UD Arena.  Game time is 7 p.m. ET.  This will be UD’s third game in seven days.

On Tuesday, the Flyers knocked off Fordham 68-61.  DaRon Holmes II led UD with his third double-double of the season (19 & 12).  Malachi Smith had 13 points and Toumani Camara added 11.  Dayton dominated the boards 44 to 24, but had to overcome 18 turnovers. Koby Brea

Friday’s game will be carried by WHIO Radio, televised in on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.  Streaming audio, video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.

#TRENDING

• Daron Holmes II is five blocked shots away from tying Steve McElvene’s UD single-season blocked shot record of 55 set in 2015-16. 

• Holmes is first nationally among freshmen (and sixth overall) in dunks (45).  Next are Jalen Duren of Memphis (34), Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga (31) and Kendall Brown of Baylor (29).

• Holmes leads the A-10 in FG% (.655, 97-148).  He is currently three made baskets short of qualifying for national rankings, but his .655 would place him fourth.

• Holmes’ month-by-month scoring averages are 10.1 ppg., 10.7 and so far in January 13.7.

• Dayton had five consecutive A-10 Rookies of the Week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 20.  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.

• Holmes made it six for UD and three for himself when he was named on Jan. 17.

• 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. 

• Malachi Smith was the first Flyer freshman named an in-season tournament MVP since Roosevelt Chapman was MVP of the UD Invitational in 1980. Smith leads the team in minutes, assists and steals, is second in FT%, and is third in scoring, and rebounding.

• 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.

• 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, Marquette and Vanderbilt (10) are next.  KenPom has UD the least experienced team in D-I. 

• Dayton has depth. Nine Flyers average 7.5 minutes or more.  Nine have had at least one game of 10 points or more.  Eight average 6.0+ points a game, and three average 10+.

• UD shoots .510 and allows .385 from the field in its 13 wins this season.  In the six losses, Dayton shoots .413 and allows .458.  UD allows 57.2 ppg. in its wins, and 68.6 in its losses.

• UD is 5-2 in Atlantic 10 action, and both losses are by a point (VCU and George Mason).

UP NEXT

• The Flyers are at VCU (Wednesday, Feb. 2) and Saint Louis (Saturday, Feb. 5), before returning home to play Duquesne on Wednesday, Feb. 9. The Duquesne game tips at 7 p.m. ET.

COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS