Within the past week Dayton announced that forwards Xeyrius Williams and Matej Svoboda were leaving the program. Today it became official that John Crosby, Jordan Pierce, and Kostas Antetokounmpo will be transferring as well. While the departing of five players never sounds good, it could turn out to be a blessing for the Dayton Flyers. A lot of changes are destined to be made throughout this offseason, but lets break down the state of the Flyers as it is right now.
Although Williams was a key player for Dayton in the 2016-17 season, he hardly saw the floor last year. Struggling defensively and unable to create his own shots, Williams certainly regressed this past season. As for Svoboda and Pierce, they both saw very little action all year and did not show any improvement as the season progressed. Upperclassman John Crosby began the year as Dayton’s starting point guard, but quickly lost his spot to freshman star Jalen Crutcher. Crosby’s minutes per game decreased to virtually nothing as the season wore on.
Finally, Kostas Antetokounmpo, the final player leaving Dayton, had all the hype coming in. The younger brother of NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas’ college career got off to a rather slow start. Nevertheless, the raw but talented Antetokounmpo started to show flashes of promise as the season came to a close. While Dayton would like to have Antetokounmpo back for another year, he has decided to enter the 2018 NBA Draft and pursue a career in professional basketball.
Now that we’ve talked about who Dayton has lost, lets discuss who the Flyers will add. Redshirt junior forward Ryan Mikesell will return after sitting out all of last season with an injury. Redshirt freshman Obadiah Toppin will also have an opportunity to see the court for the Flyers. Toppin is a 6’10” forward with a lot of athleticism. Dayton also brings in top 100 freshman Dwayne Cohill. Cohill is a 6’3″ combo guard out of Cleveland who will have a chance to be the Atlantic 10’s top freshman next season. Lastly, 6’6″ JUCO prospect Jhery Matos committed to the Flyers a few weeks back.
With five scholarships now open, Anthony Grant will hit the recruiting trail hard. While it remains unclear if his primary focus will be on high school recruits, JUCO prospects, or fifth-year graduate transfers, Flyer fans have every reason to feel confident in Grant’s recruiting. Grant has recruited extremely well throughout his years coaching in the college ranks. While the rebuild might take another year or two, Dayton has a solid core and a coach who knows how to bring in talent. 2017-18 might have been a rough year, but things are looking up for the Flyers.
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SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – Just learned via reliable sources that Loyola-Chicago (32-6), is very interested in joining the high-major A-10 Basketball Conference for the 2018-19 season. Chicago is the 2nd largest media market in the nation and would expand the sprawling A-10 high-major media network market footprints big-time into the Windy City. The ACC has 15 teams as the A-10 would add another member to reach 15 teams as well. The A-10 had 15 members just a few seasons ago in the era of realignment of most major conferences shifted in mass membership changes.
The A-10 history of poaching Final 4 teams and Elite 8 top programs is legendary bringing in high-majors
programs with the likes of VCU, Butler, George Mason and Davidson over the last 6 seasons. It would appear to be a super perfect ideal coup for both the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers and the A-10 Conference.
The A-10 currently has 7 Catholic Schools out of its’ 14 programs.
By adding Loyola-Chicago, the A-10 Conference will add its’ 8th Catholic School, and spread a new high major powerful TV college basketball influence in the Midwest.
For Immediate Release – 6:40 EDT – “Insiders in the Birthplace News Report.”
SPRINGFIELD – Hearing TV national super power Networks NBC, CBS, ESPN, TBS, TNT, ABC, Fox, Comcast NBC Sports Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia & Washington Major Media Markets are salivating on the big-time national share advertising in bringing in Loyola-Chicago into the Eastern and Midwestern TV top mainstream regional and national major TV media driven markets footprints that the A-10 offers in other similar high-majors in the Big East and the ACC and the AAC. The Big 4 in the Eastern Seaboard plus more.
Wow. Huge Developments. BC REPORT
SPRINGFIELD – Also just learned that the A-10 is also looking to add Detroit Mercy by 2020 making a 16 team power high-time super mega blockbuster high-major powerful TV College Basketball Conference that has the most top high major bigtime media markets in the nation locked up.
BC REPORT
Headline is misleading. There is no analysis of the “impact” these transfers have. I would say “little impact expected” as four of the five never played and it is a shame we won’t get to see Freak 2.0 develop. Frankly, if I were a Daytonite, I’d be worried. Could be a logn year for a Flyer team short one xperience and short on th ebench.
When will the A10 make a decision on expansion to include Loyola – Chicago and Detroit Mercy