Dayton Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Flyers

With a new head coach and plenty of roster overhaul, what is to expected out of Anthony Grant and Dayton basketball during the 2017-18 season?

The Dayton Flyers will usher in a new coaching staff this year, headed by former Dayton great Anthony Grant. Coach Grant will be greeted with a warm welcome from Dayton fans and former alumni as it is always nice to have a former player lead their alma mater. Grant and the Flyers will have their work cut out for them this year in the very competitive Atlantic 10 conference, though.

Dayton lost their three best players to graduation a year ago and their former head coach Archie Miller is now the top man for the Indiana Hoosiers. Dayton does have some key pieces returning this year, but their scorers are going to have to be developed and may come from some unlikely sources.

Projected Starters:

Josh Cunningham

Cunningham was turning in a nice year and starting to put his stamp on the Dayton program before he was lost for the season with a knee injury last year. When Cunningham went down, Dayton was also missing star Kendal Pollard. The injury really hurt the Flyers depth initially and led them to lose a few games they would normally have won. If Cunningham’s game resembles anything like it did early last year, Dayton will not have to search far for their scoring presence this year. Cunningham is athletically gifted and can shoot as well as throw down explosive dunks. Coach Grant is hoping that he is 100% to start the season because Dayton will need him.

Darrell Davis

Davis may not have posted flashy numbers in his first three years in the Dayton program, but one thing that Davis does have is a 3-point shot. Davis is a good 3-point shooter, and while he has yet to stuff the stat sheet, Davis has proved to be a reliable shooter from deep. Dayton under Archie Miller liked to shoot a lot of threes. It remains to be seen if Coach Grant will implement the same philosophy, but you have to imagine that he will implement a system that best serves his players. Davis will get quality minutes this year, as the players who were ahead of him have graduated. Coach Grant is going to lean on Davis as a senior to provide some team leadership in his first year as the head coach. With the uptick in minutes, it is realistic to think that Davis will put up higher scoring and rebounding averages this year.

Xeyrius Williams

Williams is the player on the roster who is going to see his role change the most. Last year he was the player off the bench who was looked to provide a scoring punch. This year he is going to be a starter and will be the player along with Cunningham who the opposing teams are going to gameplan for. Williams is an excellent shooter and is extremely efficient from 3-point range. Williams also contributed five rebounds per game and led the team in blocks. Williams could be in for a huge year. He has the ability to be one of the best players in the Atlantic 10 if he can put it all together. Williams and Cunningham will be the engine that makes the Flyer offense go.

Kostas Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo was a partial qualifier last year and thus was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. He has NBA bloodlines as his oldest brother Giannis is one of the NBA’s best young stars. Antetokounmpo is a skilled big man who is tall and athletic. He is the tallest player on this roster and if he is anything like his brothers, he will not play like a 7’0” player. Antetokounmpo is currently working his way back from his injury and will not be ready for the start of the season. Once he is ready, he will find himself in the starting lineup.

John Crosby

The last starting spot could be a revolving door for the Flyers especially if they are looking to play matchups and run lineups based on size. Crosby doesn’t bring much on the offensive side of the ball, and even with extended minutes probably won’t contribute much on the offensive side. Crosby does bring some lockdown defense to the Flyers, though. He can lock down the opposing team’s best scorer on many occasions. While his defensive prowess is a nice luxury to have, his minutes usually get cut short because Dayton is going to need to have scorers on the floor. Crosby is also a poor free throw shooter, so he doesn’t have much value being on the floor at the end of games.

Key Reserves

Jalen Crutcher

Crutcher will serve as the backup point guard on this team. He was a decorated high school player coming out of Ridgeway High School in Memphis. Crutcher has quick hands and great court vision. His passing will help him adjust to the college game quicker. Crutcher is a good ball handler and can use his dribbling skills to weave through the defense and get to the rim. Coach Grant will need to make sure Crutcher does not overdribble and turn the ball over. Crutcher will get minutes for the Flyers this year, but how many minutes will be determined based on how quick Crutcher is able to adjust to the college game.

Jordan Davis

Davis was an elite scorer at the high school level. The Flyers hope that he will be able to create easy offense when he is on the floor this year. Davis is a good jump shooter from anywhere on the floor. He has good enough floor awareness that allows him to jump into passing lanes, steal the ball, and get easy baskets in transition. Overall, his defense is a work in progress as is the case with most incoming freshman. With the spread-it-out style that Dayton is accustomed to playing, Davis will be a perfect fit.

Matej Svoboda

Svoboda is from the Czech Republic, which does not offer basketball as part of their high school sports, so if players wish to play they must play club basketball. In the U20 championships in Finland, he was the second-leading scorer for his country. Matej was top-ranked ranked youth player in the Czech Republic in 2016. The key for all international player when coming to America is how fast they transition to the college game. The rules and the speed of the game are different. This can be a difficult transition for some players.

Ryan Mikesell

Mikesell is yet another player on the Flyer roster who is a threat to hit a 3-point shot. Mikesell started the majority of the games last year, so he has experience on a team that mostly lacks it. Mikesell will be an asset to have in that regard. Mikesell averaged six points per game last year and put up very efficient shooting numbers from the floor. Mikesell is going to have to pick up his scoring from a year ago, which will come from taking more shots and being more aggressive. One knock on Mikesell’s game is that at times he looks too passive. It may have been due to having three really good players on the floor with him most of the time, and therefore he didn’t have to score. Will that change this year?  Mikesell is going to redshirt this year due to two surgeries on his hips.  He will be available in 2018-2019.