8 reasons you should love the Dayton Flyers, even if you don’t know much about sports

Hot at shooting and skilled in defense, the University of Dayton men’s basketball team is the toast of the town, having just taken the Atlantic 10 Conference title.

But even if you aren’t the biggest sports fan and don’t know the difference between a double dribble and a dead-ball rebound, there is plenty to love about the Flyers.

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Credit: HANDOUT

There's a guy named Scoochie. Scoochie Smith, a senior guard from Bronx, N.Y., was nicknamed by his grandfather as a toddler. His actual first name is Dayshon. He looked up the definition of the nickname while in high school. "It said 'to be annoying or dance a lot,'" Smith said in a January interview. "I know I was definitely one of the two and maybe both."

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A wealth of stories to tell. Senior Kyle Davis of Chicago tells his life story through the tattoos that cover his body. "All my tattoos have a little story behind them," Davis said in an interview earlier this year. "They kind of define me as a person. They tell the pains and struggles I went through and also the things that helped me get through all those things and become who I am today."

» TOM ARCHDEACON: Flyers’ Kyle Davis takes tattoo art to a new level

An American tale. Jeremiah Bonsu, who was assigned the nickname "Love" by his team, is the son of Ghanan immigrants. More than 25 years ago, his dad, George Adusei-Bonsu, came to America to attend the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Two years later, his mom, Naana Frempong — along with his older brother Gilbert — arrived from Ghana. The youngest of the three children, Jeremiah was born in Newark, N.J., and lived there and in New York until the family moved to Ohio when he was in seventh grade.

» TOM ARCHDEACON: ‘They call me Love’

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Credit: HANDOUT

Father knows best. Ryan Mikesell has never been nuts about wearing a mouthpiece, but he minds his father. "I had braces when I was younger," said the sophomore in December. "My dad said we spent so much money on your braces you BETTER wear that mouthpiece. My sophomore year (in high school), I actually hated wearing it, but I couldn't get my driver's license 'til I wore that mouthpiece for basketball."

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A family of hoopsters. Kostas Antetokounmpo, a freshman born in Athens, Greece, comes from a basketball family. He has two brothers in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo, nicknamed the "Greek Freek," plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo plays for the New York Knicks.

Hometown heroes. Three players on the team are home grown. Trey Landers and Xeyrius Williams were part of Wayne High School's 2015 Ohio Division I state championship team, and Mikesell, of St. Henry, was named First Team All-State selection in 2015.

» TOM ARCHDEACON: How Scoochie found his vibe in Dayton

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Credit: HANDOUT

Something to be proud of. Junior Joey Gruden is the son of Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden. He scored his first career point last year against Saint Joseph's College. A photo of the shot, taken by a fan, found its way to coach Gruden, who turned it into the screen saver on his phone. The gridiron pervades the family. Joey's uncle is Jon Gruden, the former NFL coach and current ESPN broadcaster.

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Credit: HANDOUT

Forever part of the team. Last year the Flyers lost teammate Steve McElvene, who died of an enlarged heart. The team is committed to honor his memory on and off the court. At the start of the season coach Archie Miller presented McElevene's Atlantic 10 championship ring to his mother, Jenell Shoals, at center court in UD Arena. The coach continues to write McElvene's No. 5 on a dry-erase board in the locker room before each game and the players wear the same No. 5 on their uniforms above their hearts.

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