Dayton coach Archie Miller and his staff are going all out for a pair of local sophomore recruits in Franklin wing Luke Kennard and Dunbar point guard A.J. Harris and seem to be holding their own with the duo despite facing keen competition from major-college programs.

Kennard, considered the top prospect in Ohio in the 2015 class, has been to about a half-dozen Flyer games, including Butler this season. UD was the first to offer him a scholarship, coming through before his freshman year, but Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier have all followed suit.

Kennard has visited OSU a couple of times, but he said of UD: “I love the coaching staff. The arena is awesome. The tradition is great. And the academics are tremendous.”

Harris, who some scouts say is the best point guard in the state regardless of age, piqued the interest of the Buckeyes at the Flyin’ to the Hoop Classic earlier this month and is also being recruited by West Virginia, Xavier, Washington State, UCLA, Iowa and Tennessee.

OSU assistant Dave Dickerson approached Harris after a game at Trent Arena, according to Bucknuts.com, and said, “Keep Ohio State in mind.”

But unlike the others, UD already has come through with a scholarship offer. And Harris said, “That’s my school.”

Johnson’s hot hand: Former UD star Chris Johnson was signed to a 10-day contract by the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 22, and he may have played his way into an extension.

The 6-foot-5 wing, who was called up from the NBA Developmental League, was one of eight Grizzlies to see action in a 103-100 win over Philadelphia on Monday and had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-2 on 3-pointers. He played 26 minutes.

In four games, he has averaged 7.0 points while playing 17.8 minutes. He’s 6-of-13 on 3-pointers and is shooting 58 percent overall.

Coach Lionel Hollins told the Memphis Commercial Appeal: “He’s played fearless, he’s made shots, he’s gotten offensive rebounds and he’s done a nice job defensively. He doesn’t even know all of our schemes … (but) I’m excited about what he’s done. I told him when he came, I said, ‘I don’t know if you can play but you’re going to get an opportunity’, and he’s shown that he’s deserving of the opportunity.”

Johnson crossed paths with another ex-UD standout, Brian Roberts, when their teams met Sunday. Roberts scored five points in the New Orleans Hornets’ 91-83 win, while Johnson had six. Roberts, a rookie guard who has a two-year contract, is averaging 6.5 points and playing 15 minutes per game.

Wright update: Former Flyer star Chris Wright is considered one of the top NBA prospects in the D-League, and the 6-8 forward helped his cause with a 25-point, 20-rebound game for the Maine Red Claws on Sunday.

The 20 boards were a club record. Wright, who missed more than three weeks with a concussion, is averaging 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds.