Busting Brackets
Fansided

Dayton Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Flyers

By Ben Andreatta

DAYTON, OH - NOVEMBER 30: Dayton Flyers cheerleaders get ready before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at UD Arena on November 30, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - NOVEMBER 30: Dayton Flyers cheerleaders get ready before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at UD Arena on November 30, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
DAYTON, OH – NOVEMBER 17: Charles Cooke #4 of the Dayton Flyers celebrates with Ryan Mikesell #33 and Xeyrius Williams #20 after a basket in the first half of a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at University of Dayton Arena on November 17, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – NOVEMBER 17: Charles Cooke #4 of the Dayton Flyers celebrates with Ryan Mikesell #33 and Xeyrius Williams #20 after a basket in the first half of a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at University of Dayton Arena on November 17, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Projected Starting Five

I expect Dayton will likely use quite a few starting fives this year especially with a lot of new transfers coming in, there will be a lot of question marks. This is what I think Dayton might start the season with until Anthony Grant can see exactly what he’s working with.

Jalen Crutcher

This one shouldn’t be a surprise, Crutcher has started just about every game for the Flyers since arriving on campus. 36.5 minutes per game shows just how much Grant trusts and values his point guard. Crutcher has been a really good player for the Flyers and will again be a big piece of this team.

Trey Landers

This one may be subject to change but at least to start the season Trey Landers gets the nod. The senior Landers who is listed as a guard doesn’t really play like one, Landers actually led the Flyers in rebounds last season with 6.7 per game. With Ibi Watson being eligible this season and people inside the Dayton camp raving about him it’s quite possible Watson may step in but that’s not a knock towards Landers, he will play a lot of minutes this year.

Ryan Mikesell

One of the fan favorites at Dayton and one of the only other seniors on the roster is Ryan Mikesell. Mikesell is a pretty good shooter but had some hot and cold spells during the year last year, he’ll look to be more consistent this season and is another one that could find himself coming off the bench in some games. Mikesell will be a leader on this team in the locker room and on the court.

Obi Toppin

Obi Toppin is an NBA level talent player, this is likely his last year with Dayton. Toppin was the Flyers leading scorer last year, he earned himself the A-10 Freshman of the Year and is the favorite to win A-10 Player of the Year award this season. Toppin will make a lot of noise this year and it’s only a matter of time before the nation catches on that he’s a special player.

Jordy Tshimanga

Tshimanga spent his first two years at Nebraska but one thing really stands out and that’s the lack of minutes he was given. Tshimanga started 18 games his sophomore year but only averaged 13.6 minutes per game. I expect Tshimanga will start most games but will likely continue that trend of not getting more than 15-20 minutes. The bench is deep meaning Grant has a lot of options as to who will come in for Tshimanga and it’ll likely depend on the game and situation.