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Dayton Basketball: Flyers land point guard Jalen Crutcher

By Drew Dinnhaupt

Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dayton Flyers forward Kendall Pollard (25) celebrates with teammates guard Charles Cooke (4) , guard Kyle Davis (3) and forward Xeyrius Williams (20) after a dunk against the Wichita State Shockers during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Dayton Flyers forward Kendall Pollard (25) celebrates with teammates guard Charles Cooke (4) , guard Kyle Davis (3) and forward Xeyrius Williams (20) after a dunk against the Wichita State Shockers during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dayton Basketball: Three-star senior Jalen Crutcher steps on Dayton’s campus next fall with high expectations for the Flyers.

2017 three-star point guard Jalen Crutcher has committed to Dayton over DePaul, Evansville, and others, he announced over the weekend. The former Chattanooga signee is ranked as the No. 314 senior in the nation and the No. 6 prospect from the state of Tennessee, according to 247Sports

Due to a coaching change at Chattanooga, Crutcher ultimately decided on Anthony Grant, the Flyers’ new head coach. “[Dayton is] a good opportunity to come in and play a lot of minutes,” Crutcher told Busting Brackets. “The fans love basketball,” he added.

Crutcher excels in the pick-and-roll as a ball handler as well as getting his teammates involved, he said. Additionally, he loves finishing with floaters using both hands and is fantastic as an on-ball defender. However, Crutcher noted that he hopes to work on strength and finishing at the rim against bigger defenders at the next level.

Alongside winning the Atlantic 10 championship, Crutcher hopes the Flyers can “get far in the NCAA Tournament.” Though they have reached the NCAA Tournament the past four years, the Flyers have been eliminated in the Round of 64 the past two years. With four of Dayton’s top five scorers from last season graduating, the new young core of Flyers hope to continue the winning tradition.

Next: Highly coveted five-star recruit commits to Kentucky Wildcats

Crutcher joins three-star shooting guard Jordan Davis, power forward Jordan Pierce, and small forward Naz Carter as the quartet of incoming freshmen for Dayton next season. Additionally, the Flyers gain Kostas Antetokounmpo, brother of NBA all-star Giannis Antetokounmpo, next season. Though relatively young and with a new head coach on campus, Dayton looks to continue recent success in the new era under Anthony Grant.