Newsletter: Flyers on fire in final A-10 road game

Firefighters never did spot flames inside the arch, only smoke — but the Flyers brought plenty of fire to their game at the Chaifetz Center the next night. Fuego (Koby Brea) was on fire, and so was everyone else, as Dayton tied a school record it set earlier this season with 18 made 3-pointers in a 100-83 victory that made everyone breathe easier about UD’s NCAA tournament at-large hopes.

I had been holding off on asking coach Anthony Grant and the players too many NCAA tournament questions, knowing the likely response would be about focusing on the next game and not looking too far ahead. The Flyers were already considered a lock for an at-large berth by some experts entering this game.

With one last road hurdle cleared, I asked Koby Brea, DaRon Holmes II, Kobe Elvis and Brady Uhl if they found themselves dreaming of March Madness as Selection Sunday nears. The interviews took place outside the locker room at Chaifetz Arena in the same spot where I interviewed Jalen Crutcher, Obi Toppin and Trey Landers as a group after the game-winning 3-pointer by Crutcher against Saint Louis in 2020.

That 2020 team would have played in the NCAA tournament and might have made a deep run if the postseason had not been cancelled because of the pandemic. No one will ever know. But the story of the 2020 team hangs over the 2024 team as a seven-year NCAA tournament drought nears its end.

The Alter grad Uhl, who probably knows the disappointment of 2020 more than any current Flyer (because he grew up a UD fan) other than Grant’s son Makai, said the Flyers often talk about the tournament.

“We’re just trying to put ourselves in the best position,” Uhl said.

My family won’t travel with me to Brooklyn, N.Y., next week for the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament or to the next destination, wherever the Flyers land in the NCAA tournament. Three nights on the road with a 5-year-old will test anyone’s patience. It’s hard to win on the road in college basketball and with kids. I’ll leave it at that.

We did make it to the top of the Arch on Wednesday. The rest of the week was filled with train tables (the National Museum of Transportation, the Frisco Train and Toy Store, the Magic House children’s museum), slides (the incomparable City Museum in downtown St. Louis), Ferris Wheel and carousel rides, putt putt, an Aquarium trip, etc. It was March madness for two tired parents. At least, I got a break at the basketball game.

Dayton AD staying on top of the ever-changing NIL landscape

It’s hard to predict what college sports will look like in one year, five years, 10 years, but Dayton Athletic Director Neil Sullivan is trying to stay ahead of the curve. He has sent several emails to season-ticket holders in the name, image and likeness era to alert them to what’s new.

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In the summer of 2022, Sullivan wrote this an email: “Our student-athletes have earned legitimate income, with authentic work and appearance fees. We have never asked or encouraged, directly or indirectly, any third party to be involved in the recruiting process. Boosters, fans and NIL agents have not been asked to communicate (e.g., call, text, direct message) with a recruit, their family or others affiliated with a prospect. The NIL deals have been legitimate and for work performed. International student-athletes remain limited in their ability to receive certain forms of NIL compensation by the terms of their visas and immigration status, but the international space continues to evolve.”

Less than two years later, the rules have changed. Sullivan described the change as “the most radical shift in NIL since its inception nearly three years ago.”

In an email to season-ticket holders this week, Sullivan wrote, “Until last week, NCAA rules did not permit any third-party to be involved in the recruiting process. Boosters, collectives, corporations, fans and NIL agents could not communicate (e.g., call, text, direct message) with a recruit, their family, or others affiliated with a prospect or offer contractual inducements to sign with a specific school. On February 23, a federal court ruling fundamentally changed this rule.”

Sullivan sent the email in the same week that UD welcomes a top-50 2025 recruit, Alex Lloyd, to campus. In summary, the financial pitch Dayton makes to Lloyd will be as important, it not more important, depending on what Lloyd and other recruits are looking for, as everything else Grant and his staff sell recruits on during their visits.

Dayton puts Senior Night streak on line against VCU

I’ve never seen the Dayton Flyers lose on Senior Night. I’ve covered the last 10 home finales. The Flyers have won their final regular-season home game 12 seasons in a row. They’ll put that streak on the line at 7 tonight against Virginia Commonwealth, which needs the victory earn a top-four seed in the A-10 tournament.

Dayton will honor three players before the game tonight: Zimi Nwokeji; Kobe Elvis; and walk-on C.J. Napier. Nwokeji was not at the game Tuesday, but his mom Linda told me he will be at the game tonight with her and his dad Kennedy. Nwokeji is the longest-tenured Flyer, having joined the program in January 2020.

Nwokeji and Elvis both have another year of eligibility. Elvis told me his participation in the Senior Night ceremony does not mean he will not return next season. That’s not a decision he has to make until after the season.

Speaking of NIL, there are limitations on the ways foreign-born athletes can make money because of their student visas, but Dayton 6th, the organization that helps UD athletes, navigate the NIL era, has found ways to help players like Elvis, who’s from Canada.

Elvis wrote this on X (Twitter) on Thursday: “Flyer Faithful — shoutout to (Dayton 6th), who took care of me this year which made it possible to have my mom and brother in town this weekend and for them to experience UD Arena like this. Thanks to Alter Fiber. Will be amazing. RED on EVERY seat in the arena.

Every fan will receive a red T-shirt. UD shared a video on social media on Thursday of workers covering every seat with T-shirts.

Fast Break

Here’s other news that might interest Flyer fans:

🏀 ESPN’s Jeff Borzello named Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II to his All-America third team this week.

“Holmes has been near the top of the KenPom.com Player of the Year standings all season, averaging 20.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for a top-25 Dayton team,” Borzello wrote. “He’s finishing the season strong, tallying five double-doubles in his past seven games and averaging 21.4 points and 10.1 rebounds over that span.

🏀 Dayton ranked 27th on a seed list published by The Athletic today. In his latest Bracket Watch story, Brian Bennett predicted Dayton will receive a No. 7 seed and play No. 10 Michigan State in Salt Lake City, Utah.

🏀 With Richmond clinching a share of the A-10 regular-season championship Wednesday by beating Saint Joseph’s 73-66, a different team has won the title five seasons in a row: Dayton (2020); St. Bonaventure (2021), Davidson (2022); VCU (2023); and Richmond (2024).

Richmond cut down the nets at Robins Center even though it has to win at George Mason on Saturday or hope second-place Loyola Chicago loses at home to La Salle to avoid sharing the title. I saw some fans criticize Richmond for celebrating early, but it’s the first time the program has won the regular-season title in 23 seasons in the league, so I say enjoy the moment.

“It’s just such a tremendous accomplishment. I’m just so proud of the guys and so honored to be their coach,” Richmond coach Chris Mooney said in his postgame press conference. “What a great group of guys. You saw tonight everybody helping in different ways.”

What do you want to know about the Flyers?

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