Future Flyer ready to do whatever Dayton coaches need

Friery, a 6-foot-10 forward, talked to the Dayton Daily News on Tuesday about his season and his future with the Dayton Flyers. He and Jaron McKie, a 6-3 guard from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, are the only freshmen in UD’s 2025 recruiting class, though the coaches added freshmen, Hamad Mousa and Amaël L’Etang, to the 2024 class late in the recruiting cycle and could do that again.

Friery’s senior season ended on March 16 when St. Ignatius lost 58-54 in overtime to Lewis Center Olentangy Orange in Canton. He scored 23 points in his final high school game. Olentangy Orange won the Division I state championship six days later, beating Reynoldsburg 56-41 at UD Arena.

A year earlier, when the semifinals and championship game were played at UD Arena, Friery had the chance to play on Tom Blackburn Court twice. He had a team-high 16 points in the state semifinals in a 55-54 victory against Delaware Hayes. He had nine points and four rebounds in the state championship game in a 66-56 victory against Centerville. St. Ignatius won its second state title and its first since 2001.

Friery averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a junior. He almost doubled those numbers as a senior, averaging 20.2 points and 7.9 rebounds. He was named to the All-Ohio Division I first team.

“I had a bigger role,” Friery said. “We lost Reece (Robinson), who was a very good rebounder, and a couple other good rebounders, so I knew I had to pick it up on that end as well as becoming a better leader and leading my teammates. I know they looked up to me.”

Friery focused more on getting to the basket and less on the 3-pointer this season.

“My junior and sophomore years, if I had a big game, it was because I was hitting 3s,” he said. “But this year I focused more on getting downhill, letting the game come to me. And then after I got downhill, the 3 started becoming easier to make.”

Friery committed to Dayton on Sept. 9 and signed in November. He’s the No. 2 Ohio recruit in the class of 2025, according to Prep Hoops Ohio. He became the third recruit from Ohio to commit to Dayton out of high school during coach Anthony Grant’s tenure, following Dwayne Cohill (Cleveland, class of 2018) and Lukas Frazier (Painesville, 2021).

Friery attended two games at UD Arena last season. He sat behind the bench with McKie on Nov. 9 when Dayton beat Northwestern 71-66.

“It was a good experience, talking to (McKie) and his family, his dad and his two brothers,” Friery said. “Then after the game, we went to dinner. It was just good getting to know him and knowing who I’m going to be playing with for the next few years.”

Friery had the same seats on Jan. 18 when Dayton beat Loyola Chicago 83-81 in overtime. St. Ignatius played in the Flyin’ to the Hoop at Trent Arena in Kettering the next day. Friery scored 20 points in a 62-41 victory against Cincinnati Moeller.

Friery kept in touch with Dayton coaches throughout the season. He mostly talked with assistant coach Jermaine Henderson, who came to see him play a few times throughout the season. Friery said he plans to arrive on campus in early June. That’s the typical time incoming freshmen arrive to start summer workouts and practices.

Friery expects to play the 4, or power forward spot, in college but said he can also play the 3, the small forward position. He wants to improve his ball-handling. He’s lifting weights every day this spring and shooting twice a day with trainers. He gets a break soon with a spring break trip to Italy.

‘”I’m just going to do whatever (the Dayton coaches) need me to do,” Friery said, “and be the best player I can be to help them win and get to the tournament.”

Dayton fell short of the NCAA tournament in the 2024-25 season, finishing 10-3 in non-conference play and 12-6 in Atlantic 10 Conference play. Its final record was 23-11 after a 1-1 finish in the National Invitation Tournament.

“They had some really good parts in the season and some not-so-good parts,” Friery said. “But I know coach Grant will get some guys in the portal. He’s a really good coach, so I won’t be surprised when we have a good year next year.”

Dayton lost five seniors or fifth-year players and saw three players enter the transfer portal after the season. The current 2025-26 roster includes Friery, McKie and five returners: Javon Bennett; Jacob Conner; Jaiun Simon; L’Etang; and Mousa. The coaches are expected to add multiple recruits from the transfer portal this spring, but the opportunity to compete for playing time will be there for the freshmen.

“I’m just going to work as hard as I can in the summer and offseason and show what I can do,” Friery said. “If I get in the game, I’m going to make the most of it.”