Sports Newsletter

Good morning and welcome to another Friday edition of the Dayton Daily News Sports update!

Our first Flyer Connection Live did not create the good vibes UD basketball needed to reverse its recent slide, but you can still watch it on the Dayton Daily News YouTube channel if you want to get thoughts on the Flyers and college basketball’s present and future from myself, David Jablonski and Jeremy Kelly.

Here is what you need to know about a busy week and coming weekend in local sports:

Dayton and Wright State both lost home games Wednesday night, but there was some good news

Dayton's Malachi Smith makes a pass against George Mason on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at UD Arena. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

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Credit: David Jablonski

The Flyer men fell 67-59 at home against George Mason while Wright State went down in overtime 120-113 at the Nutter Center a few miles away.

While coach Anthony Grant’s Flyers have lost three in a row, the Clint Sargeant’s Raiders have dropped back-to-back games to fall below .500 on the season.

But the UD women’s team has won five in a row after Tamika Williams-Jeter’s team downed Duquesne on Wednesday night to improve to 11-6 overall and 5-1 in the Atlantic 10.

This is the longest winning streak for Dayton since it won 13 straight games in the 2021-22 season. It did not win more than two games in a row in coach Tamika Williams-Jeter’s first two seasons.

Flyin’ to the Hoop is back this weekend

Fairmont's Evan Gentile shoots against Sycamore during last year's Flyin' To The Hoop finale at Trent Arena. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

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If you are dispirited by what’s happening at the college level, annual high school basketball talent showcase known as Flyin’ to the Hoop is back this weekend with another highly touted lineup that includes eight Dayton-area teams and some of the top recruits from around the country.

That will take place at Trent Arena from Friday night through Monday.

Reds baseball will be back soon, and in a familiar place

Spencer Steer, of the Reds, drives in the first run of the game in the second inning against the Nationals on Opening Day on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

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Credit: David Jablonski

On Monday, the Reds announced the network formerly known as Bally Sports Ohio will carry the majority of their games this season, reversing a previous decision to move forward with Major League Baseball producing the team’s broadcasts.

The old channel has a new name — FanDuel Sports Network — but that was not the most significant nugget included in the press release.

This summer fans will be able to stream Reds games through the network’s app without paying for a separate television subscription, a key difference from the past.

Although so called “direct-to-consumer” pricing has not been revealed yet, that could be an appealing option for fans who want to watch the Reds without having to pay for any other channels.

The Reds announced Thursday that they will wrap up the spring with a game vs. their top prospects at Day Air Ballpark in Dayton.

The Buckeyes and me en route to Atlanta for CFP title game

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day celebrates after the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game against Texas, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Credit: AP

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Credit: AP

Before the Reds report for spring training and March Madness descends upon us, there is one more college football game of note around these parts.

Ohio State will face Notre Dame in the National Championship Game on Monday night.

I will be there, and you can follow along on your favorite social media site.

I’m on X (formerly Twitter) at @MarcusHartman and Instagram (MarcusHartmanDDN), and I will be contributing content to the Dayton Daily News channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Check it out, and be sure to let me know if there is anything you want to know!

Coverage will include the team’s arrival in Atlanta on Friday night, media day on Saturday, the final press conference for the head coaches on Sunday and of course the game Monday night.

I hope to be able to bring behind-the-scenes coverage before and after the game as either Ohio State’s Ryan Day or Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (the Wayne High School alumnus) leads his team to a national championship.

Media day should also offer the chance to talk with some of our local players on each team, including Ohio State cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. of Springfield and Notre Dame starting right tackle Aamil Wagner, who prepped at Wayne.

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