Grant: Flyers won’t use short-handed roster as an excuse

“I like that!” senior guard Darrell Davis said. “I’ve got one more for you you all. One more!”

Three of the 10 scholarship players Dayton has available entering the 2017-18 season have two rings: Davis, Josh Cunningham and Xeyrius Williams. Landers and Kostas Antetokounmpo each won their first last season, though Antetokounmpo sat out the season as a NCAA partial qualifier. Four freshmen, not to mention new coach Anthony Grant and his coaching staff, will seek their first ring this season.

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The quest for that ring has begun. The Flyers begin practice later this month. They can start as early as Sept. 29, which is six weeks before the season opener against Ball State on Nov. 10.

Dayton held an individual skill workout Thursday at the Cronin Center and talked to the media about rings and other things before they got started.

“It’s my second ring,” said Davis, the only senior on the team. “I give credit to our seniors and Archie Miller and his staff. I hope I get another one before I graduate.”

Davis made sure the newcomers saw the bling of his ring and told them, “This is what we’re after. We need to set the example that this is a winning program.”

None of the Flyers are going to use their short bench as an excuse for not winning a third straight regular-season championship.

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Junior forward Ryan Mikesell will sit out the season after undergoing two offseason hip surgeries. Junior forward Sam Miller was suspended for the first semester and had his scholarship revoked for the year, though there's a chance he could return to the program in the second semester. Freshman forward Obadiah Toppin will sit out the season as an academic redshirt.

That leaves Davis, Cunningham, Williams, Landers, Antetokounmpo, John Crosby and four freshmen: Matej Svoboda, Jordan Pierce, Jalen Crutcher and Jordan Davis.

“We don’t look at it as a challenge,” Grant said. “We look at it as an opportunity. The guys who suit up for us will be excited to get a chance to play and compete and will rely on each other. We don’t make excuses. We don’t anyone making excuses for us.”