It’s a make-or-break year for Anthony Grant and Dayton basketball, and they’ll have to win with a new-look roster.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Dayton basketball.
Since the magical 29-2 season that was cancelled due to COVID, Dayton basketball has struggled to recreate that magic. They’ve won 22+ games in four straight seasons, but with just one tournament appearance and a win, the fans are getting restless and are wondering what it would take to get over the hump.
Last year was definitely a disappointment for a team considered to be a tournament lock with the roster they had. They lose a lot of that talent, with four of the top five scorers from last season gone. They do bring in a lot of power five talent, and are hoping that the two returners, Javon Bennett and Amael L’etang, can take big leaps.
The A10 is pretty open this year and will be very competitive at the top. Loyola Chicago and George Washington were listed right behind them in CBB Rank, and the two teams ahead of them aren’t too far ahead.
Head coach:Â Anthony Grant (9th season at Dayton, 18th season overall)
2024-25 record:Â 23-11 (12-6)
2025 postseason finish:Â Lost in the second round of NIT
Notable departures:Â
- Nate Santos (14.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Enoch Cheeks (13.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- Malachi Smith (10.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, 2.9 RPG)
- Zed Key (8.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.3 APG)
- Posh Alexander (5.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.2 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Georgetown (Nov. 27)
Projected Rotation
PG: Javon Bennett (5-10, 160, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 11.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 43.7 FG%, 39.0 3P%, 79.3 FT%
SG: Adam Nije (6-2, 175, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 12.4 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 77.4 FT% (Iona)
SF: De’Shayne Montgomery (6-4, 190, Jr.)
2024-2025 stats: 6.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 71.1 FT% (Georgia)
PF: Jordan Derkack (6-5, 220, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 5.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 73.5 FT% (Rutgers)
C: Amael L’Etang (7-1, 230, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 7.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 BPG, 0.5 SPG, 50.9 FG%
6: Jacob Conner (6-10, 205, Sr.)
2024-2025 stats: 2.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.4 SPG
7: Bryce Heard (6-6, 194, So.)
2024-2025 stats: 1.2 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.3 APG (NC State)
8: Malcolm Thomas (6-8, 220, Rs.-Fr.)
2024 247Sports #208 ranked recruit
9: Damon Friery (6-9, 200, Fr.)
2025 247Sports #197 ranked recruit
10: Jaron McKie (6-3, 180, Fr.)
2025 247Sports #205 ranked recruit
Dayton Basketball team MVP: Javon Bennett
Javon Bennett is the leading returner from last year and is coming off his best season in a lot of categories. He averaged over 11 a game and shot the ball well, especially from deep. Bennett made two threes a game and did so at a 39% clip. Don’t let his 5’10 figure fool you, he can hang with anyone on the court. This was prevalent on the defensive end as well, averaging 1.5 steals a game.
Dayton didn’t bring in any elite scorers except possibly Nije, so they’ll look to him to be a primary scorer. If he can shoot at the same clip he did last year, he can be a very valuable asset for this team in their road to the tournament. Bennett also got better as the season progressed, highlighted by a 30-point performance in the first NIT matchup this season. Hopefully, he can keep that momentum into this season.
Dayton Basketball make-or-break player: Amael L’Etang
Ask any Dayton fan about L’Etang, and they’ll spend the next half hour praising him and boasting about his potential. They have a fair point. The 7’1 Frenchman showed a lot of growth over his freshman season. At 7’1, he can rebound at a high rate, grabbing 13 a game, he can shot block, blocking four in a game. What makes him dangerous is that he can shoot it as well.
He hit multiple threes in several games last year, and his ability to space the floor at his size will be great for a potential starting lineup that is small but can also shoot the ball. If he can build off his freshman season, expect his name to be called in next year’s draft and early. Also, expect the Dayton Flyers to be dancing. Watch this guy’s freshman year highlights and you’ll see just how special he can be.
Key analytic: Kill shots conceded
A kill shot is a term created by EvanMiya, which tracks when a team goes on a 10-0 run in a game. More often than not, if your team has a kill shot, you’ll win the game, and vice versa. Dayton did a great job of not allowing kill shots. They allowed nine all season, finishing in the top 40 in the country in that stat. They had 17, so it’s not a mind-blowing number, but when you’re not allowing teams to go on runs, it leads to success.
If Dayton can limit kill shots next year, that will be enormous since they don’t have the same level of offensive talent from last year. This means tough defense, smart timeouts, and relying on guys to make tough shots. If they can parlay that with a couple more on their end, good things will come to the Dayton basketball program.
Dayton Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 3rd in the A10
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NIT Appearance