We continue our recruit and return series with the Dayton Flyers, whose season ended Friday with a loss to Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA tournament. A look at what the 2016-17 season could hold:
Possible 2016-17 starting five (statistics reflect regular-season average)
G: Scoochie Smith (11.6 PPG, 4.1 APG)
G: Kyle Davis (7.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG)
G: Charles Cooke (15.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG)
F: Kendall Pollard (10.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG)
C: Steve McElvene (6.1 PPG, 1.8 BPG)
Who is lost: Dayton will have to account for the loss of Dyshawn Pierre, a four-year starter who is graduating. While Pierre led the team in rebounding in each of the past two years and also has been a double-figure scorer since his sophomore season, Dayton got an early look at life without him when he missed the first semester this season -- and the Flyers went 9-2 with wins over Iowa, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Monmouth. That experience, along with the fact that they return virtually the rest of their rotation, will soften the blow of his loss. The only other graduating senior is another forward, Bobby Wehrli, who saw limited minutes off the bench this season.
Who is added: Trey Landers, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Wayne High School in Ohio, and former teammate of current freshman Xeyrius Williams, signed with Dayton in November. Landers is a big perimeter player with good athleticism, a strong college-ready body and a high motor. He projects as being an especially strong and potentially versatile defender, and a capable scorer off the bounce as well as in transition.
He’ll have the benefit of learning on one of the deepest teams in all of college basketball next season, and likely will emerge as a key part of the lineup as a sophomore. While the 2016 class was always slotted to be a small one, look for the 2017 group to be much larger and pivotal in the team’s continued spot as a top mid-major program in the country. Dayton will have to replace four senior, multiyear starters in 2017.
What it means for next season: Outside of Pierre, and to a lesser extent Wehrli, Dayton returns virtually its entire rotation. The foundation will be a deep and talented senior class that has now gone to the NCAA tournament in each of its previous three seasons, so expectations will be high. Scoochie Smith and Kyle Davis will form the Atlantic 10’s most experienced backcourt, with Smith continuing to be the primary playmaker on the offensive end and Davis distinguishing himself as the team’s premier perimeter defender.
Charles Cooke, who led the team in scoring and was the team’s top 3-point threat this season following his transfer from James Madison, will return on the wing, while Kendall Pollard returns up front. Those four seniors will be supplemented by a plethora of talented youngsters. Steve McElvene will likely join that group and start at the center spot after establishing himself as an elite shot-blocker and rim-protector this season as a redshirt freshman. Darrell Davis, one of the best sixth men in the nation, returns as a junior. The team’s four current freshmen -- John Crosby, Sam Miller, Xeyrius Williams and Ryan Mikesell -- all played relatively consistent minutes; Miller and Williams are the most likely to see increased roles, given the now vacant minutes on the front line.
Trending: Up. To put it plainly, Dayton is loaded and the 2016-2017 season looks to be an especially exciting one for coach Archie Miller & Co. Not only do they return one of the most experienced rosters in college basketball, but the Flyers are deep and talented. Expectations are going to be even higher than normal, as the Flyers will likely begin as the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 and as a top-25 ranked program.