Unlike the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, where Dayton didn’t shoot on the rims at the Barclays Center until 20 minutes before its game against Duquesne, it put up hundreds of shots — thousands probably, if you counted them all — on the court where it will play in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Flyers will play on the same court where Michael Jordan played his final game with the Chicago Bulls in 1998. The players were all born years after Jordan made his famous shot to win a NBA championship against the Utah Jazz, so they probably don’t know that history. They do know they’re fortunate to be in the Big Dance for the first time. At the same time, Dayton star DaRon Holmes II said it’s just another game.
“It’s a blessing to be here,” Holmes said Wednesday. “But we’ve gone through a lot of adversity, a lot of things that prepared us for these type of moments. We’re just going to do what we do. I think that’s going to prepare us pretty well.”
Holmes joined teammates Kobe Elvis and Koby Brea at a press conference. Coach Anthony Grant also spoke.
All three players answered a question about what makes Dayton unique.
“We have so many different weapons on our team,” Holmes said. “We play really well together. We’re very streaky. We get hot. It can be very problematic for the other team.”
“I’d say just how resilient this group is,” Elvis said. " I think throughout the course of the year, we find different ways to win. That’s just something that’s going to be huge for us in this process.
“Like DaRon said, we have a lot of weapons,” Brea said, “but we also have a lot of players that can play at different positions and excel at that position. Just how united and together we are helps us on the court. The things we do off the court, we’ve seen how it helps us grow on the court. I think we have a really, really good team and we’re going to make some noise in March Madness.”
No. 7 seed Dayton will play No. 10 Nevada at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. That’s 2:30 start in Utah for Dayton fans making the trip west.
Grant said Nevada’s length on defense stands out on film.
“I think they’re one of the top 50 defensive teams in terms of what they’ve been able to do nationally,” Grant said. “They make it difficult for you. We’re going to have to be at our best on both sides of the ball tomorrow.”
Grant also knows NCAA tournament experience could be a factor. Nevada played in the First Four last year. Nate Santos is the only Flyer who has experienced the tournament.
“I think experience in anything matters,” Grant said. “I think obviously if you’re experienced in the tournament, you know what today is like, right? You know what tomorrow is going to be like. You get a feel for that. I think you also have experienced players in terms of the leadership that you have on the team, the type of competitive character that you have on the team. I think all that kind of stuff plays into it.”
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