By Chris Coopersmith
2 9 2024
GAME NOTES
https://daytonflyers.com/documents/2024/2/8/VCU_Game.pdf
RICHMOND, Va. — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team, ranked 18th/17th in this week’s AP and Coaches polls, is on the road for the second game this week, playing VCU in Richmond, Va. Game time is 7:00 p.m. ET. Dayton is 19-3 overall and in first in the A-10, with a 9-1 record.
The game will be carried by WHIO Radio, televised on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+. Streaming audio, video and live stats are available at DaytonFlyers.com.
Dayton scored 60 points in the second half to beat Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday 94-79. All five starters scored in double figures for UD — Kobe Elvis and Nate Santos each scored 21, Javon Bennett had 18, DaRon Holmes II had 13 and Enoch Cheeks had 12. Elvis added 10 assists.
#TRENDING
• Dayton was the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 in the annual vote of the league’s coaches and selected media. The Flyers received 20 of the 25 first-place votes cast.
• DaRon Holmes II was named Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 and to the Preseason All-Defensive Team. He was the only player on the first team and the defensive team.
• Holmes is on three prestigious preseason watch lists — Atlanta Tip-Off Club’s Naismith Award, the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Karl Malone Award. He is on the Wooden Late-Season Top 20.
• Holmes leads the A-10 in scoring (19.7) and UD in rebounding (7.6). He is the only player in the league’s Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, FG%, and blocked shots.
• Holmes is now the Dayton career record holder for blocked shots (197) and dunks (222).
• He is the only player in D-I who has more than 50 blocks, 50 dunks and 50 assists. Holmes has 50, 51 and 56 respectively. No other player even has 40. Holmes also has 22 threes and is shooting .386 (22-57) from deep. He had a total of seven threes in his first two years at UD.
• He has been national player of the week three times (March Madness, USBWA Robertson Trophy, Lute Olson Award) and has been A-10 Player of the Week four times in conference play.
• Nate Santos was named to the Charleston Classic All-Tournament Team. UD finished second in Charleston. He was also named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 20.
• Santos needed 10 games to match what he scored in two years at Pitt (116 points in 54 G).
• Koby Brea leads the nation in 3-pt. FG% (min. 2.5/game.). Brea is shooting .484 (62-128).
• As a team, Dayton is fifth in D-I in 3-pt. FG% (.400, 210-525). The school record is .392.
• Brea is fourth at UD in career 3-pt. FG% (.418, 183-438). Negele Knight is third (.425).
• Kobe Elvis was named the A-10 Co-Player of the Week after scoring 27 points in the UC win. He was 14-for-14 from the line in that game, the third-best single-game performance at UD.
• Elvis missed his first free throw of the season, and made his next 37, breaking old the UD record held by Damon Goodwin and Darrell Davis.
• Javon Bennett is second in the A-10 in A/T ratio (2.9). He also leads UD in steals (28).
• Malachi Smith was injured seven minutes into the opener, and after successful surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, is out for the rest of the year.
UP NEXT
• The Flyers are back home on Tuesday, Feb. 13 against Duquesne, at 7 p.m. ET.
COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS
