New Flyers Key, Alexander like family atmosphere at Dayton

Then on Thursday, the players got together again at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds to participate in a Foodbank event sponsored by CareSource.

Dayton 6th, the name, image and likeness collective that works with UD athletes, played a bigger role than ever in recruiting this spring because of changes in the NCAA landscape that brought down the barriers separating it from recruits who were not yet committed.

But for Key and Alexander, who spoke publicly about their decisions to pick UD for the first time Monday, the reasons they transferred to Dayton mirrored the reasons most athletes have picked UD over the years. While the promise of financial support — and NIL opportunities like the one they experienced Monday — certainly played a part in Dayton securing their commitments, there were other factors

“Incredible fan base. Incredible staff,” Alexander said. “I felt like it was a family. That’s really why I chose it. I talked it over with my family and my high school coaches, and they thought this was the best move for me.”

“I told the coaching staff going in, ‘I’m just looking for another family atmosphere and a place where I can develop my game,’” Key said. “I saw that with coach (Anthony) Grant and his staff. I trusted them and made the decision.”

Alexander and Key are similar in several ways. Both are from New York — Alexander from the Bronx and Key from Bay Shore on Long Island. Both were recruited by Dayton in high school. Both started their careers in higher-ranked conferences. Both are entering their fifth seasons in college basketball. Both have experienced games at UD Arena.

Alexander played three seasons at St. John’s and one season at Butler. Key spent the last four seasons at Ohio State.

Alexander visited Dayton in February 2019 and sat behind the bench during a game against Duquesne.

“When I took my first visit here out of high school, I had a broken arm,” Alexander said. “They showed how much love they had for me. The fans were saying positive things about me. It was crazy.”

Alexander has played for winning teams in each of his four seasons but has not experienced the NCAA tournament. Saint John’s finished 16-11 in his freshman season, then 17-15 and 18-15. Butler was 18-15 last season and lost to Minnesota in the first round of the NIT.

“I’ve went to three different schools,” Alexander said. “This is my last stop. To be honest, I just want the best out of this year. I want to come here and help the team. This is a winning program. I’m just trying to bring what I can bring to a good group of guys that knows the game and that knows how to win.”

Key helped Ohio State reach the NCAA tournament in his freshman and sophomore seasons but then experienced a 16-19 season that was the program’s first losing season in 19 years. Last season, Ohio State’s struggles in Big Ten play cost coach Chris Holtmann his job in February. The Buckeyes rallied around interim coach Jake Diebler, who was elevated to head coach in March, to finish 22-14.

Key played with the Buckeyes against Dayton last October and was impressed the Flyer Faithful filled UD Arena for an exhibition game.

Asked Monday for his early impressions of the 2024-25 Dayton roster, which held its first full team practice earlier in the day, Key said, “We have a lot of talented guys who are working hard day in and day out. We have great camaraderie. We can keep building from there, and we’re going to have a really great team this year.”

Brady Uhl, another fifth-year player on the roster, praised the passing and ball-handling skills of Alexander. Of Key, he said. “He’s really surprised me by how well he can shoot the ball from the outside. He’s aggressive going to the basket. He has great defensive stamina guarding the post.”