Many Dayton fans, and even the coaches and players on this year’s team, are thinking of the 2020 Dayton Flyers during this March run.
They would have been a one-seed but COVID-19 canceled the 2020 tournament before it started.
Dayton Head Coach Anthony Grant said that the team he led four years ago is a part of this year’s tournament berth.
With Dayton playing its NCAA tournament games in Salt Lake City, University of Dayton students are watching, and so far, celebrating from campus.
“As soon as we won, like these houses, you could just hear the bass from my apartment up there on the eighth floor.” Maddie Kocher, a UD sophomore said.
But one UD graduate is watching in eastern France with a special rooting interest.
That’s where former Flyer Ryan Mikesell is playing basketball professionally.
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“We have about a month and a half left in the season. So just finishing strong and watching my Flyers playing some March Madness right now,” Mikesell said.
He played in two NCAA tournaments under Archie Miller at Dayton.
UD went one and done in the dance in 2016 and 2017.
“I’m not great in the NCAA tournament. So I would love to have that COVID year back,” Mikesell said.
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Then Mikesell spent his senior year as a key piece of that legendary 2020 squad under Grant.
That team is one of the great “what ifs” in the history of the tournament.
“We can’t go back in time and see what happened. We don’t have a time machine or anything like that, but I really think that was kind of the start of the culture that was being built there by Coach Grant.” Mikesell said.
News Center 7′s John Bedell asked Mikesell what it means to him to hear this Grant group say they’re keeping that 2020 team top of mind this March.
“Honestly it’s emotional. I’m super invested in the Flyer program. You know, obviously I’m really close with the coaching staff still.” he said. “So I’m rooting for them.”
Mikesell said he’s talked to some assistant coaches since Thursday’s win, but since he knows Grant is locked in right now, he’ll catch up with him this summer.
That’s when he has two months off every year and he comes to Dayton to be with family and to work out and visit the team a bit.
News Center 7 will have you covered when the Flyers play two-seed Arizona LIVE on WHIO-TV Saturday at 12:45 p.m.