While the results haven’t always been apparent on the national stage, Dayton remains a heavy power in the A-10. Anthony Grant has done great work leading his alma mater these last eight years, with that 2020 team standing out, though 2024 remains his only trip to the Big Dance with the Flyers. Dayton earned another 20-win season and 3rd place finish but settled for the NIT last season and has some major changes in store.
Talented seniors Enoch Cheeks and Nate Santos are gone after great contributions in recent years. Seniors like Posh Alexander and Zed Key both leave town as well after decent work as transfers while a few names like Malachi Smith departed themselves for the portal. The most notable returner for Dayton is Javon Bennett who had an impressive junior season and should be the point guard next year, while 7-footer Amael L’Etang inherits a greater role in the paint as a sophomore.
Grant and his staff are no strangers to using the portal and managed to nab some pretty intriguing talent this time around. Jordan Derkack comes from Rutgers after previously starring at Merrimack while both Bryce Heard and Malcolm Thomas look for greater opportunities after last season at NC State and Villanova respectively. There’s also former Iona guard Adam Njie hoping for significant run with the Flyers, but another addition stood out among the rest.
A 6-4 guard originally from Fort Lauderdale, De’Shayne Montgomery produced great numbers as a true freshman at Mount St. Mary’s, winning MAAC Rookie of the Year honors two seasons ago. Last year he transferred to Georgia, missing the start of the season due to an issue with his credits transferring. After averaging 13.2 points per game with the Mountaineers, Montgomery would appear in just about half of Georgia’s games, with his offensive production taking a step back at just 6.5 points per outing.
Ignoring the issues with his initial transfer, Montgomery’s production taking that kind of hit wasn’t a shocker as he transitioned from the MAAC to the SEC. However, he’s a very talented guard who steps into a friendlier situation with the Flyers. He has every chance to be a major playmaker and full-time starter at Dayton with hopes of turning those numbers around. He made 54% of his field goals, including 41% from outside the arc, as a freshman and it’s that kind of raw talent that Grant and company are hoping to refine.
Montgomery settles into a starting spot in the wing, L’Etang further develops as a big, and Bennett becomes the true leader this team needs for next season. If all of those things happen, Dayton could be back in the Big Dance for the second time in three years. A lot depends on Montgomery and some of these other new faces in the backcourt, but we’ll certainly be watching if he can recapture that specialness he had earlier in his career.