Grant answered simply, “Grateful.”
A 61-55 loss to Illinois State at UD Arena in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament put a disappointing postscript on the 2025-26 season. I doubt Dayton had ever fallen into a 13-0 hole before at home, but that happened in the quarterfinals of the NIT. This was Dayton’s worst performance since a 99-73 loss at Virginia Commonwealth on Feb. 6.
***
How would I sum up Grant’s ninth season? I would give the Flyers a B+. That’s a good grade. The problem is Dayton fans want As. Grant’s teams have earned one A+ (2019-20), an A (2023-24), several Bs and a D (2017-18).
This season was almost a carbon copy of last season.
• The Flyers beat Marquette for the second straight season.
• An early losing streak in Atlantic 10 Conference play ruined their NCAA tournament and A-10 regular-season championship hopes for the second straight season.
• They won 12 games in the A-10 for the second straight season.
This team set itself apart from the 2024-25 group with a run to the A-10 championship game and two victories in the NIT. The 2025-26 team also dealt with more injuries than the previous team, which Grant recognized in his final press conference of the season.
“The body of work of this team and what they were able to overcome, I’m appreciative of,” Grant said. “It was a good group to coach.”
Dayton won 11 of its last 15 games after losing five of six games, quieting some — but certainly not all — of the talk about Grant’s future. I always thought there was little chance Dayton would let him go or he would step aside. Things would have to be much worse than they are for either to happen.
Next season, Grant can coach his son Makai for one last time. He’s got the second-highest ranked recruit in his tenure coming into the program in Aiden Derkack. He could get a boost in recruiting with Jim Paxson on staff as a senior advisor.
All that points to Grant returning for a 10th season, but the pressure on him from the Flyer Faithful will continue to rise.
A family connection pays off for Dayton
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
I woke up at 3 a.m. for a 5 a.m. flight Saturday from Columbus to Charlotte. Then I used my greatest skill — speed walking — to make my connection to Wilmington, N.C.
The early wake-up call was a small price to pay for a NIT spring break trip. I headed straight to Wrightsville Beach for a short walk in the sand. Someone built a giant sand sculpture that read, “End Times,” which I thought was strange because this was only the second round of the NIT. Later, I enjoyed a walk on Wilmington’s RiverWalk.
I did not send any photos of the beach back home. As I mentioned last week, my 7-year-old son Chase complained about his staycation during spring break. My wife might plan a trip for her and Chase next March, knowing my availability will be, as always, unknown.
That also is a small price to pay for the great gig I have. I’m grateful for 13 seasons on the Dayton beat and for the Dayton Daily News and Cox First Media continuing to support coverage of the Flyers. Paying for a last-minute trip to Wilmington wasn’t cheap.
I did get to sleep in on Sunday after Dayton’s 80-61 victory Saturday at North Carolina Wilmington, but just prior to my 3 p.m. departure, news broke of Aiden Derkack, the younger brother of UD senior guard Jordan Derkack, committing to Dayton. I got his dad Gene on the phone within minutes of seeing the news.
There was one part of our conversation that didn’t make the final cut of the story I posted before boarding my flight. Gene talked about the joy of seeing Jordan deliver a 28-point performance in a last-second victory against Saint Louis in the A-10 semifinals.
“It was amazing,” Gene said. “I think any basketball junkie or fan could appreciate what I’m about to say, but it’s all about getting to the (NCAA) tournament. I was never able to get there. Jordan was never able to get there. When we beat St Louis, that was extremely emotional and extremely special for us. Now that Aiden is going to Dayton to be a Flyer, that’s all we want. We want to get that tournament.”
Transfer portal season begins
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
I wrote a story for Sunday about three questions facing Dayton as the offseason begins. It’s a piece I write every season — short on specifics.
Who’s leaving? Who’s coming? Who knows?
The transfer portal will reshape Dayton’s roster in the months ahead. Dayton has lost four players to the portal in each of the last three years. It has added an average of four transfers per year in the same period.
I imagine the numbers will be similar this spring. I don’t think there’s a player on the roster like a DaRon Holmes II or even a Javon Bennett that Dayton can’t lose.
Having said that, the return of Amaël L’Etang would be significant. He improved most of his numbers from his freshman season as his minutes increased, though his overall shooting percentage fell.
I would think the coaches would want De’Shayne Montgomery to return for a second season with the Flyers. He’d be the top returning scorer. His season ended on a low note Wednesday as he sat on the bench for the last 13 minutes of the loss to Illinois State.
If Jaiun Simon returns, he would remain on a path to be the first Flyer since Jalen Crutcher to start and end his career at Dayton without transferring. Simon has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Malcolm Thomas and Bryce Heard both showed signs of potential this season but saw their minutes rise and fall from game to game. I have no idea if they will return.
Grant and the assistants will meet with each of the players in the days ahead. The portal opens April 7, but players can announce they plan to enter the portal at any point.
The news will keep me busy. At this time of year, I keep my laptop charged and ready. If I’m out entertaining Chase, the laptop comes with me in case there’s breaking news. It’s a small price to pay for this job.
Fast Break
Here’s other news that might interest Flyer fans:
🏀 Former Flyer Toumani Camara scored a career-high 35 points Monday for the Portland Trail Blazers in a 134-99 victory against the Brooklyn Nets. He made 9 of 11 3-pointers.
“I caught a rhythm pretty early,” Camara told reporters. “My first one was a bank shot, but just the confidence, really, trusting my work. There’s ups and downs in this league, and you just gotta keep being who you are, and trust in the process. I feel like that’s the biggest thing for me right now.”
🏀 Former Flyer Malachi Smith made his first two starts of the season for Connecticut in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Smith had 13 assists, six points and three turnovers and played 32 minutes in each game.
“He saved us,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said.
No. 2 seed UConn plays No. 3 Michigan State in the Sweet 16 at 9:45 p.m. Friday in Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
🏀 Damon Durbin, who keeps track of former Flyers on the Pro Lowd account on X, started a site where he updates numbers on Camara, Obi Toppin and other Flyers playing professional basketball.
🏀 What do you want to know about the Flyers?
I want to hear from you. Reach out to me directly at david.jablonski@coxinc.com with your questions and feedback on the team or this newsletter.
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