Welcome to the 1st installment of The War Room for 2019. As always, I'll begin this session with the ground rules for those that may be new. Everything that is reported in The War Room must stay in The War Room. Sometimes the info is sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this message board thread.
This is a special feature for our subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board is because that's the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to Dayton Flyer fans. Thanks for your cooperation.
Without further ado, here it is.... The 1st edition of the War Room for 2018!
JUCO NATIONALS
This is a huge week for the Dayton Flyers recruiting with the scholarship they just gained by Xeyrius Williams’ announcing his transfer. There’s no doubt that they would like to add another guard to solidify their backcourt.
From what I am told, they are looking at JUCO guards that have the ability to play on and off the ball. Here’s the other thing, they are putting a premium on JUCO guards that have some Division I experience.
The one that I think everyone needs to keep an eye on is Trinity Valley guard Wendell Mitchell. As a freshman at Baylor, he averaged 2.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in just about nine minutes per game. He’s averaging 19.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds this season. They open up the NJCAA Division I tournament today with Baltimore City Community College at 1 p.m. EST in Hutchinson, Kansas.
There is supposed to be a couple different Dayton coaches there (I would assume one is Anthony Grant and not sure on the other yet). They’ll also be keeping tabs on Jordan Brangers and Shane Gatling as well as a few others. So for those that were sad about not being able to follow Dayton in the NCAA tournament this season, perhaps you should keep a close eye on the NJCAA tournament this season as there’s a strong possibility a future Flyer will be trying to make a postseason run at a title.
ANOTHER JUCO
Just a quick update on Andres Feliz and the interesting things I’ve learned. The Northwest Florida State guard is originally from the Dominican Republic and is being recruited by Ricardo Greer. It may sound familiar because he was the big reason Jhery Matos will find his way to Dayton soon.
Feliz and Northwest Florida State are the No. 2 seed in Hutchinson, they have a first round bye and will face the winner of Western Nebraska and Holmes on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Feliz is averaging 19.6 ppg and is shooting 61.1% from the floor and 42% from three-point range.
I was told that he is very close with Jhery Matos from their time in the DR and the two of them talk daily. I am not sure if Jhery is trying to persuade him to come to Dayton, but everyone I have talk to has said how great of a player Feliz is.
I’ve heard there may be transcript issue with Feliz though that might not allow him to be eligible in the fall or accepted at some D-I schools. It could be the thing that holds Dayton back from really making a push for his services even if they love what they see in Hutch.
2018
I’ve been hearing that they aren’t ruling out the possibility of bringing in a high school senior still for the fall. While it seems likely that they’ll bring in a JUCO, if there’s a four year player that is ready now, that could happen.
Of course, the new one that popped up on the board the other day is Maryland native Bryce Golden, a 6-9 power forward that decommitted from Pittsburgh after Kevin Stallings was fired. Word on the street is Golden was very close to Stallings and only wanted to play for him at Pittsburgh.
He’s listed a four star by some services after he averaged a double-double in his junior and senior years. Some noticed that Dwayne Cohill reached out to him via twitter. I talked to Cohill about it and he said he’s a very nice player (Offers from NC State, Clemson, others before he committed to Pitt) that would help Dayton. I asked how they know each other being a couple states away, he told me that they became someone close social media friends after Penn State had introduced them to each other when they were recruiting them both for 2018. Cohill did tell me that Golden seemed open to the idea of playing at Dayton with him and was going to tell the UD coaches about him.
The other name I keep hearing is 2019 Kira Lewis. I’ve heard Dayton will take him in 2018 or 2019 if he wants to come play for the Flyers. If you remember, he took his unofficial visit the opening night and was in attendance for Josh Cunningham’s improbable buzzer-beater over Ball State. I have not yet spoke to Kira, but they are still on him.
There's also been talk of Serrel Smith out of Tampa Bay. The shooting guard also took an official visit to UD's campus last fall before he committed to Ole Miss. From what I was told, Dayton has reached out to him, but I think he would still be a difficult challenge to get to come to UD. According to one source close to Smith, it sounded more like the visit was out of respect to Anthony Grant than a leaning interest.
A grad transfer is another possibility after I've confirmed that Dayton has been in contact with Samford's Wyatt Walker. I was not able to confirm if they are working on a visit, but I've been told there are no visits at all currently lined up by UD, but that could change in the next couple of weeks as scholarship situation becomes clearer.
2020
If there was one theme you may have noticed with the type of visitors Dayton had this season at games it was mostly 2020 kids they had in attendance. With other schools getting head starts on the 2018 and 2019 kids before the staff was assembled, 2020 was the first opportunity to really get on top of the elite recruits they are after.
I’ve heard Dayton is in good shape with Zeb Jackson, Zach Loveday, and Wendell Green—three of the top targets on the board for that class. All three of them were guests for games this season with Zeb Jackson notably getting an offer after Dayton’s win over Davidson.
Zach Loveday has been on campus on multiple occasions along with some of his Mid-Ohio Pumas teammates. Loveday, a 7-0 center, is considered the top prospect in the state for 2020 by a lot of recruiting services. Dayton feels very strongly that there could be a great match between what they have to offer him and what he has to offer to UD.
2020 is likely the first class that you could probably see some magic with Anthony Grant and his staff to get a big target to commit early similar to what Brian Gregory did with Chris Wright or Juwan Staten. It would build a lot of momentum for this Dayton program if they were able to secure an early commitment from any of the three.
END OF YEAR
We talked earlier about JUCOs, 2018s, and even a grad transfer as a possibility for this fall. Ultimately, that’s going to be up to how many scholarships they have to offer. Right now, we only know about the one that was vacated by Xeyrius. I’ve been told there could be 0 more or up to maybe 3 more, but the likely range will be between 1-2.
From what I have gathered, end of season individual evaluations and discussions have not taken place yet between the coaching staff and players. Those are likely to take place between the end of this week and next week and is dependent on Coach Grant’s availability in the office which is dependent on his recruiting schedule. Since we are in survive and advance mode, it depends on whether recruits are advancing or not to determine if AG is in the office.
The staff feels very strongly and encouraged about how Kostas Antetokounmpo came on towards the latter part of the season. I’ve been told he loves UD, but with his name and unique skill set, don’t be surprised if he declares for the NBA Draft without an agent so he can get some critical feedback. Those I talked to said they wouldn't be surprised if that happens as they feel that is the right thing for him to do at this time.
Jordan Pierce and John Crosby are the two most likely to move on, but I’ve been told those are not yet determined. Ultimately, Grant will be honest with everyone and it will be likely up to the players if they are okay with their roles going forward after the heart-to-heart with Coach and will have to make a personal decision. Time will tell, and the staff will keep recruiting in the meantime.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room! Thanks to all the new subscribers and all you long-time loyal subscribers—you’re what make this the best place to talk and follow Dayton basketball. I am leaving tomorrow on a jet plane to go on Spring Break with my kids to California (Disneyland!) and Arizona (Spring Training!) so I won’t likely be writing for the next week unless I have some scoopage or some breaking news on a commitment (fingers crossed) so make sure you pay close attention to the NJCAA tournament. Oh yea, my current house hits the market on Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed on that one as well! Until next time, Thank you and We Are...
This is a special feature for our subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board is because that's the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to Dayton Flyer fans. Thanks for your cooperation.
Without further ado, here it is.... The 1st edition of the War Room for 2018!
JUCO NATIONALS
This is a huge week for the Dayton Flyers recruiting with the scholarship they just gained by Xeyrius Williams’ announcing his transfer. There’s no doubt that they would like to add another guard to solidify their backcourt.
From what I am told, they are looking at JUCO guards that have the ability to play on and off the ball. Here’s the other thing, they are putting a premium on JUCO guards that have some Division I experience.
The one that I think everyone needs to keep an eye on is Trinity Valley guard Wendell Mitchell. As a freshman at Baylor, he averaged 2.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in just about nine minutes per game. He’s averaging 19.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds this season. They open up the NJCAA Division I tournament today with Baltimore City Community College at 1 p.m. EST in Hutchinson, Kansas.
There is supposed to be a couple different Dayton coaches there (I would assume one is Anthony Grant and not sure on the other yet). They’ll also be keeping tabs on Jordan Brangers and Shane Gatling as well as a few others. So for those that were sad about not being able to follow Dayton in the NCAA tournament this season, perhaps you should keep a close eye on the NJCAA tournament this season as there’s a strong possibility a future Flyer will be trying to make a postseason run at a title.
ANOTHER JUCO
Just a quick update on Andres Feliz and the interesting things I’ve learned. The Northwest Florida State guard is originally from the Dominican Republic and is being recruited by Ricardo Greer. It may sound familiar because he was the big reason Jhery Matos will find his way to Dayton soon.
Feliz and Northwest Florida State are the No. 2 seed in Hutchinson, they have a first round bye and will face the winner of Western Nebraska and Holmes on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Feliz is averaging 19.6 ppg and is shooting 61.1% from the floor and 42% from three-point range.
I was told that he is very close with Jhery Matos from their time in the DR and the two of them talk daily. I am not sure if Jhery is trying to persuade him to come to Dayton, but everyone I have talk to has said how great of a player Feliz is.
I’ve heard there may be transcript issue with Feliz though that might not allow him to be eligible in the fall or accepted at some D-I schools. It could be the thing that holds Dayton back from really making a push for his services even if they love what they see in Hutch.
2018
I’ve been hearing that they aren’t ruling out the possibility of bringing in a high school senior still for the fall. While it seems likely that they’ll bring in a JUCO, if there’s a four year player that is ready now, that could happen.
Of course, the new one that popped up on the board the other day is Maryland native Bryce Golden, a 6-9 power forward that decommitted from Pittsburgh after Kevin Stallings was fired. Word on the street is Golden was very close to Stallings and only wanted to play for him at Pittsburgh.
He’s listed a four star by some services after he averaged a double-double in his junior and senior years. Some noticed that Dwayne Cohill reached out to him via twitter. I talked to Cohill about it and he said he’s a very nice player (Offers from NC State, Clemson, others before he committed to Pitt) that would help Dayton. I asked how they know each other being a couple states away, he told me that they became someone close social media friends after Penn State had introduced them to each other when they were recruiting them both for 2018. Cohill did tell me that Golden seemed open to the idea of playing at Dayton with him and was going to tell the UD coaches about him.
The other name I keep hearing is 2019 Kira Lewis. I’ve heard Dayton will take him in 2018 or 2019 if he wants to come play for the Flyers. If you remember, he took his unofficial visit the opening night and was in attendance for Josh Cunningham’s improbable buzzer-beater over Ball State. I have not yet spoke to Kira, but they are still on him.
There's also been talk of Serrel Smith out of Tampa Bay. The shooting guard also took an official visit to UD's campus last fall before he committed to Ole Miss. From what I was told, Dayton has reached out to him, but I think he would still be a difficult challenge to get to come to UD. According to one source close to Smith, it sounded more like the visit was out of respect to Anthony Grant than a leaning interest.
A grad transfer is another possibility after I've confirmed that Dayton has been in contact with Samford's Wyatt Walker. I was not able to confirm if they are working on a visit, but I've been told there are no visits at all currently lined up by UD, but that could change in the next couple of weeks as scholarship situation becomes clearer.
2020
If there was one theme you may have noticed with the type of visitors Dayton had this season at games it was mostly 2020 kids they had in attendance. With other schools getting head starts on the 2018 and 2019 kids before the staff was assembled, 2020 was the first opportunity to really get on top of the elite recruits they are after.
I’ve heard Dayton is in good shape with Zeb Jackson, Zach Loveday, and Wendell Green—three of the top targets on the board for that class. All three of them were guests for games this season with Zeb Jackson notably getting an offer after Dayton’s win over Davidson.
Zach Loveday has been on campus on multiple occasions along with some of his Mid-Ohio Pumas teammates. Loveday, a 7-0 center, is considered the top prospect in the state for 2020 by a lot of recruiting services. Dayton feels very strongly that there could be a great match between what they have to offer him and what he has to offer to UD.
2020 is likely the first class that you could probably see some magic with Anthony Grant and his staff to get a big target to commit early similar to what Brian Gregory did with Chris Wright or Juwan Staten. It would build a lot of momentum for this Dayton program if they were able to secure an early commitment from any of the three.
END OF YEAR
We talked earlier about JUCOs, 2018s, and even a grad transfer as a possibility for this fall. Ultimately, that’s going to be up to how many scholarships they have to offer. Right now, we only know about the one that was vacated by Xeyrius. I’ve been told there could be 0 more or up to maybe 3 more, but the likely range will be between 1-2.
From what I have gathered, end of season individual evaluations and discussions have not taken place yet between the coaching staff and players. Those are likely to take place between the end of this week and next week and is dependent on Coach Grant’s availability in the office which is dependent on his recruiting schedule. Since we are in survive and advance mode, it depends on whether recruits are advancing or not to determine if AG is in the office.
The staff feels very strongly and encouraged about how Kostas Antetokounmpo came on towards the latter part of the season. I’ve been told he loves UD, but with his name and unique skill set, don’t be surprised if he declares for the NBA Draft without an agent so he can get some critical feedback. Those I talked to said they wouldn't be surprised if that happens as they feel that is the right thing for him to do at this time.
Jordan Pierce and John Crosby are the two most likely to move on, but I’ve been told those are not yet determined. Ultimately, Grant will be honest with everyone and it will be likely up to the players if they are okay with their roles going forward after the heart-to-heart with Coach and will have to make a personal decision. Time will tell, and the staff will keep recruiting in the meantime.
CLOSING
That does it for this edition of the War Room! Thanks to all the new subscribers and all you long-time loyal subscribers—you’re what make this the best place to talk and follow Dayton basketball. I am leaving tomorrow on a jet plane to go on Spring Break with my kids to California (Disneyland!) and Arizona (Spring Training!) so I won’t likely be writing for the next week unless I have some scoopage or some breaking news on a commitment (fingers crossed) so make sure you pay close attention to the NJCAA tournament. Oh yea, my current house hits the market on Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed on that one as well! Until next time, Thank you and We Are...
