The 12th TBT starts July 18. For the first time since 2020, games will not be played at UD Arena, which played host to the $1 million winner-takes-all championship game in 2021 and 2022.
The Red Scare made its TBT debut in 2019 in games played at Capital University in Bexley. Former Flyer Damon Goodwin, the longtime Capital head coach, led the team that season. Gruden and Bonsu served as assistants.
Gruden coached the team in 2020 when the tournament was played in a quarantined environment at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The Red Scare reached the semifinals for the first time that year.
Gruden and Bonsu led the team again in 2021 in games at the Covelli Center in Columbus. Then from 2022-24, the Red Scare played games at UD Arena. They reached the semifinals for the second time in 2022.
The Red Scare is 10-6 in six appearances.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Fifteen former Flyers played for the team: Brandon Spearman; Kevin Dillard; Vee Sanford; Devin Oliver; Jordan Sibert; Jalen Robinson; Devon Scott; Scoochie Smith; Kyle Davis; Kendall Pollard; Darrell Davis; Josh Cunningham; Ryan Mikesell; Trey Landers; and Rodney Chatman. Only Darrell Davis played for the team in all six appearances.
Players from other colleges, such as Wright State’s Grant Basile, Joe Thomasson and A.J. Pacher, also contributed to the Red Scare over the years.
Building a roster every year was a big task for Gruden and Bonsu. Every year, one or two players Bonsu and Gruden recruited would withdraw from the team for various reasons.
No Flyer from the post-pandemic years (2021-present), other than Chatman in 2023, has played for the Red Scare. Of course, three of the best Flyers from recent years are in the NBA: Obi Toppin; Toumani Camara; and DaRon Holmes II. Another, Jalen Crutcher, has spent the last four seasons in the NBA G League.
Many other candidates finished their college careers elsewhere and don’t have the same strong ties to UD as the players who have worn the Red Scare uniform.
“People don’t understand,” Bonsu said last year after a second-round loss. “Joe and I probably have a conversation about TBT once a week throughout the year, just talking. ‘Hey, do you know this guy? Can you hit him up? Let’s see how we can make the team better.’
Bonsu, now a video coordinator for the Chicago Bulls, and Gruden, an assistant coach at Stetson University, released this statement to the Dayton Daily News on Thursday about their six-year run in the TBT.
“Thank You, Red Scare Family,” they wrote. “What started as a fun idea between two former teammates — just trying to run it back and compete for a shot at the prize money —quickly became something so much more.
“When we launched Flyers TBT, aka The Red Scare, we never imagined how deeply it would reconnect us with the University of Dayton community, how many lifelong friendships it would lead to or how pivotal it would be for our own careers.
“From an idea to a team, to a brotherhood. And what a ride it was.
“To the players who gave up precious summer time, training and competing at the highest level just to wear ‘Dayton’ across your chest again — we can’t thank you enough.
“To the entire Orion Sports Medicine staff, thank you for treating our team with nothing but first-class care, year after year.
“To TBT organizers and the University of Dayton, thank you for the platform, the support and the access to make this all possible.
“And to our coaching staff — thank you for your tireless work, your belief, and your commitment to the cause. We couldn’t have done this without you.
“We made a regional final, reached two final fours, and brought Red Scare fans some unforgettable summers.
“Now, it’s time to close this chapter. But what we built will always mean more than wins or prize money—it was about pride, passion and putting on for Dayton one more time."
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