“No Mama,” Chase said, “IN SPACE?”
Where are we in space right now? That’s a tough question. I’m not Neil deGrasse Tyson, just a sports writer who knows we’re getting closer to college basketball season. In Dayton, that’s all that matters to the Flyer Faithful.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
The 2024-25 season kicks off in 24 days at UD Arena. UD announced Thursday the entire season is sold out, including the two exhibition games.
We’ll know a lot more about the team after the first exhibition game against Xavier on Oct. 20. Until then, getting coach Anthony Grant and the players to say anything specific about starting lineups or rotations will be harder than taking a 6-year-old to Target and avoiding the toy section.
I know better than to press Grant on those matters. I could have done so Monday when I attended Atlantic 10 Conference Media Day in Washington, D.C., but stuck to the questions I thought he would answer, though I messed up when I asked him to compare this roster to his first seven teams at Dayton.
“Well, David, you know me, I’m not much into comparisons,” Grant said. “Every year, you’ve got a different group, and so our goal is to try to make this group become the best version of itself. And right now, our focus is on us, just on trying to make sure we’re doing things every day that help us move the needle a little bit and get a little bit better in terms of what we’re doing offensively, defensively, and then learning more about how we need to play to give us the best chance to be successful.”
I didn’t have much reason to ask Grant about injury news. I know redshirt freshman guard Marvel Allen hasn’t been practicing. We had just talked to Grant about that the previous week.
I didn’t know on Monday that fifth-year guard Brady Uhl suffered an injury, but he showed up to a meet and greet with fans at UD Arena on Wednesday with a boot on his foot. He told me he expects he’ll be out for a few weeks.
Ten years later, an unmatched Dayton team remembered
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Archie Miller teased me about raiding the pastry selection at A-10 Media Day as soon as he saw me Monday morning in Washington, D.C. I told him I got into this business for the free food.
Later, the former Dayton coach Miller twisted the knife by asking how my Bengals were playing. He knew exactly how poorly they have performed. My response: “I don’t care about the Ws; I just want to see the Bengals put up big scores.” Then I told him I missed his Tweets about the Steelers.
Getting to see Miller, now the head coach at Rhode Island, at the last three A-10 Media Days has been a treat. I have great memories of covering his last four Dayton teams.
My first season on the beat, 2013-14, was Miller’s most memorable as a coach because the Flyers reached the Elite Eight, though his best performance as a coach came a year later when he led a seven-man team, which most everyone gave up on after the dismissal from the team and from school of two forwards that December, to 27 wins and two NCAA tournament victories.
That 2014-15 season was one thing I wanted to talk to him about Monday. I’ll put together a story later this season celebrating the 10th anniversary of that team. Miller was excited to talk about it.
“Of all the years that I’ve been a part of team sports, the book or the chapter, so to speak, on that one was unmatched,” Miller said. “It was almost really, as you look back on it, unfathomable that the team was able to continue to do what they were doing at the level they were doing and then continued to drive toward the NCAA Tournament, winning games. It could have went sideways.”
At the end of our conversation, Miller said, “Are you going to ask me about the 2016 team next year?” I said, “Why not?”
All NCAA tournament teams at Dayton are long remembered and worth celebrating. I’ve already written about the 2003, 2004 and 2014 teams and plan to write stories on the 1965 and 1990 teams this season as well as the 2015 team.
Spotlight returns to UD Arena
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Grant has created a new preseason tradition with the Spotlight Town Hall, To Shine a Light on Mental Health. The second annual event took place Wednesday night at UD Arena.
I sat in the second row to capture video and shoot photos of the speakers, including Grant and his wife Chris. They both spoke about their late daughter Jayda, who died by suicide at 20 in 2022.
Many families can identify, at least to a degree, with what the Grants experienced. My aunt Barbara Jablonski died by suicide at 26 in December 1986, maybe a couple of miles from where we sat Wednesday night at UD Arena. I was 9 at the time and had just taken my first plane trip to St. Paul, Minn., with her parents (my grandparents) Jim and Eileen Jablonski, when it happened.
Myself and the paper would make sure the Grants’ crusade to spread awareness about the importance of mental health was well publicized regardless, but my aunt’s story has given me extra motivation.
The Anthony Grant quote that stuck with me the most from the event and the one I chose to share on social media before writing a story was this message he would give to anyone in pain.
“Life is better with you here,” Grant said. “Suicide is not an end to the pain. It just transfers that pain to people you love and the people who love you.”
Fast Break
Here’s other news that might interest Flyer fans:
🏀 The Athletic’s latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft includes at least three first-round picks Dayton will see in non-conference play. Two are North Carolina freshman: 6-foot-6 wing Drake Powell, projected to be drafted 13th overall; and 6-4 guard Ian Jackson, the No. 29 pick in the mock draft. The other is the No. 30 pick, Marquette senior guard Kam Jones.
🏀 Kansas is the No. 1 team in ESPN’s latest preseason top-25 prediction. I’m voting in the Associated Press top-25 poll for the fourth straight year. My poll was due Thursday. Two-time defending national champion Connecticut topped my poll. I also gave a vote to A-10 favorite VCU.
🏀 Dayton ranked 45th in statistician/data scientist Evan Miyakawa’s preseason ratings.
What do you want to know about the Flyers?
I want to hear from you. Reach out to me directly at david.jablonski@coxinc.com with your questions and feedback on the team or this newsletter.
Also be sure to follow our Flyer Nation Facebook page for the latest news on the team. I’ll have updates, photos and videos on Twitter, as well.
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