Dayton receives commitment from Robert Morris transfer

Dayton assistant coach Darren Hertz signaled to Flyer fans there was a commitment by writing, “It’s a GREAT Day to be a Flyer!!!” on Twitter.

In a text message to the Dayton Daily News, Cheeks wrote about why he picked UD

“The biggest factors that led me to pick Dayton were the team and the community,” he wrote. “My visit felt like I had been there all year. The community was very welcoming and outgoing, and it made me feel really comfortable.”

Cheeks visited Dayton last weekend and shared a photo of himself in a Dayton uniform on Instagram. He experienced UD Arena last season, scoring 15 points against Dayton in a 60-51 loss on Nov. 19.

“Playing at UD Arena was amazing,” he said. “The fans were electric. Every time I touched the ball, I was getting heckled with chants of ‘Cheeks.’ I look back now and laugh about it. I’m just happy to be on the home side this time. But overall the experience was like nothing I felt before.”

A 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard from Providence, R.I., Cheeks averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 31 games in his third season at Robert Morris. He was the second-leading scorer for a team that finished 16-17 and 10-10 in the Horizon League. He shot 44.6% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range. He has started every game the past two seasons. He made the All-Horizon League third team.

“I consider myself to be a jack of all trades,” Cheeks wrote, “since I play with a lot of energy, defend well, can make plays for my teammates and finish above the rim while also making jump shots.”

Cheeks averaged 9.2 points, 2.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds as a sophomore. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining because the 2020-21 season, his freshman season, didn’t count against anyone’s eligibility because of the pandemic.

Cheeks, who will turn 22 in April, attended Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. That’s the same school that produced former Dayton guard Scoochie Smith. Prior to that, he attended Mount Pleasant High School in Providence and Kimball Union Academy in New Hampsphire.

Dayton now has at least four scholarships to work with on the 2023-24 roster after losing Mustapha Amzil, R.J. Blakney and Richard Amaefule to the transfer portal and seeing Mike Sharavjamts depart to test the NBA waters.

There are six scholarship players from last season remaining on the roster: Toumani Camara; DaRon Holmes II; Malachi Smith; Koby Brea; Kobe Elvis; and Zimi Nwokeji. Smith underwent the first of two ankle surgeries Thursday, and Brea will have surgery to repair stress fractures in his tibias in April.

In addition to Cheeks, the 2023 recruiting class has two freshmen in it: Vasilije Erceg, a 6-foot-10 forward from Novi Sad, Serbia; and Jaiun Simon, a 6-7 forward from Mableton, Ga.

Cheeks is the 10th player to transfer to Dayton since Anthony Grant became head coach in 2017. Here are the dates Division I transfers have committed to Dayton in Grant’s tenure:

• Tyrone Baker, Georgia: April 26, 2022.

• Kobe Elvis, DePaul: May 14, 2021.

• Richard Amaefule, East Tennessee State: April 12, 2021.

• Toumani Camara, Georgia: April 8, 2021.

• Elijah Weaver, Southern California: May 25, 2020.

• Chase Johnson, Florida: Jan. 6, 2019.

• Jordy Tshimanga, Nebraska: Aug. 2, 2018.

• Rodney Chatman, Chattanooga: May 7, 2018.

• Ibi Watson, Michigan: April 25, 2018.