1/6/2022

Saturday’s Game Time is 12 Noon ET

DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team looks to even its Atlantic 10 Conference record on Saturday, when the Flyers play at George Washington.  Game time is 12 noon ET.  

UD dropped its A-10 opener Wednesday, 53-52 at home against VCU.  Toumani Camara led Dayton with 16 points, followed by DaRon Holmes II (12 points), Malachi Smith (11) and R.J. Blakney (10).  Holmes added 11 rebounds for his second career double-double.  

Saturday’s game will be carried by WHIO Radio, televised on USA Network and streamed on NBCSports.com.  Streaming audio, video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.

#TRENDING 
• 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.
• 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, 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 (26).  He trails Jalen Duren of Memphis and Kendall Brown of Baylor (27 each).  Next is Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga (22).
• Holmes is second in the A-10 in FG% (.641, 59-91). URI’s Antwan Walker is first (.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 tied for 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 6.0+ points a game, and three average 10+.

UP NEXT 
• The Flyers return home to host Saint Louis on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. ET.   
• Dayton plays at Duquesne on Saturday, Jan. 15.  Game time is 12:30 p.m. ET.

COURTESY DAYTON MEDIA RELATIONS