This was not the joyous moment experienced by most Flyers in their final home game. Dayton’s season ended with a 61-55 loss to Illinois State in the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
Grant’s ninth season ended the same way four others have: with a loss in the NIT. For the second straight season, it ended with a lackluster performance against a program from a lesser conference. Dayton lost 87-72 in the second round at Chattanooga in 2025.
Dayton won 25 games in the 2025-26 season, matching the second-highest win total of the Grant era, but it hit double digits in losses (12) for the seventh time.
What matters more than records are championships and NCAA tournament appearances. In nine seasons, Grant has won one Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship and has failed to win the A-10 tournament in eight attempts.
Grant’s teams have played in eight November tournaments and won one. They have earned two NCAA tournament berths if you count the one they would have received if the 2020 tournament hadn’t been cancelled because of the pandemic. In the NIT, the Flyers are 4-5 in Grant’s tenure.
Last year, Grant was asked after a quick exit from the A-10 tournament if what the program has done in his tenure was enough to appease a hungry fan base.
“It’s not for me to decide,” Grant said. “I can tell you, I gave everything I have to it.”
Grant didn’t face that question this year, but the answer would probably be the same. He had mixed feelings about the 2025-26 season Wednesday after the loss to Illinois State.
“Obviously, disappointed at the result,” Grant said, “but overall I’m proud of the way this group fought this year, the way they stayed together through the ups and downs, through all the adversity that you experience when you try to do something, and for their willingness to allow themselves to sacrifice for the greater good of the group.”
Grant said the Flyers fell short of accomplishing the team’s goals but said that’s a life lesson for the players.
“Sometimes you can give everything you have, and it’s not going to go in your favor,” he said, “but it’s about your willingness to try and put yourself in a position where you can be vulnerable. These guys cared. It was important to them to wear that uniform — to represent themselves, this team, this community."
Grant ended his opening comment in the postgame press conference by praising the four seniors: Derkack; Jones; Javon Bennett; and Jacob Conner.
“Tonight wasn’t our night for a variety of different reasons,” Grant said, “but it doesn’t take away from my appreciation for our seniors and for the group and for the journey that they took us on in this chapter of Flyer basketball.”
Grant then took questions about the game but also the offseason. Asked if he could believe he’s entering his 10th season at Dayton, he had a one-word answer: ‘Grateful."
Dayton’s offseason will start with Grant and his staff meeting. Then the coaches will have individual meetings with the players. This is the routine every year.
The spring is as important, if not more, than any time in the year. Here are three questions facing the program as the offseason begins:
Credit: David Jablonski
1: Who will stay and who will leave?
The transfer portal opens April 7 and closes April 21. That’s a change from last year when it was open from March 24 to April 22.
The dates won’t stop players from declaring their intention to enter the portal, and there will be many commitments from players to programs after the portal closes.
Who could Dayton lose to the portal? In this era of college basketball, anyone and everyone is a candidate.
Dayton lost four players in 2025 (Malachi Smith, Isaac Jack, Marvel Allen and Hamad Mousa), four in 2024 (Zimi Nwokeji, Kobe Elvis, Koby Brea and Petras Padegimas) and four in 2023 (Mustapha Amzil, R.J. Blakney, Richard Amaefule and Mike Sharavjamts).
There are many reasons players enter the portal, but a lack of playing time is probably the biggest. Dayton has three potential returners who averaged single-digit minutes this season: redshirt freshman forward Malcolm Thomas; freshman forward Damon Friery; and freshman guard Sean Poudet.
Dayton also had one player on the roster this season who didn’t play: freshman guard Jaron McKie. Shoulder surgery sidelined him before the season began. Earlier this month, Grant said McKie had not returned to practice.
Dayton could return four players who started games this season: junior guard De’Shayne Montgomery (13.4 points per game); sophomore forward Amaël L’Etang (11.9); redshirt sophomore forward Jaiun Simon (5.6); and sophomore guard Bryce Heard (6.6).
If no Flyers enter the transfer portal this spring, this would be the current 2026-27 roster:
• Senior: Montgomery.
• Juniors: L’Etang; and Heard.
• Redshirt junior: Simon.
• Redshirt sophomore: Thomas.
• Sophomores: Friery; and Pouedet.
• Redshirt freshman: Jaron McKie.
• Freshmen: Aiden Derkack; and Julian Washington.
That leaves Dayton with five open spots on the roster. Of course, it’s unlikely no one enters the portal, so there will be more. It’s also unlikely Dayton uses all 15 roster spots.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
2: Who will Dayton add from the portal?
Dayton added six transfers last year. That was the most Dayton added in one offseason. It had never signed more than four transfers in one offseason before 2025.
Finding an experienced point guard or two has to be the priority. Dayton loses Bennett, who will graduate this spring, and it never got to see Adam Njie Jr., the player who would have likely been the starting point guard next season, if not this season. He left the program after the first semester because of what UD described as “potential eligibility issues.”
How many players Dayton adds depends on who leaves, but it will be a busy spring for the coaches regardless.
Credit: David Jablonski
3: What kind of impact will Jim Paxson have on recruiting?
The Dayton basketball great joined Grant’s staff as a senior advisor of basketball operations.
According to a press release, Paxson “will provide support to the men’s basketball program in areas related to player evaluation, roster construction and player personnel strategies.”
Grant wasn’t ready to talk about what kind of impact Paxson might have this spring when he was asked about him Wednesday.
“For me, I’m laser focused on trying to do a job right where we are,” Grant said. “I’m in the middle of it, right? So there’ll come a time where I’ll be able to take a 20,000-foot view and see where we are and where we need to go.”
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