Dayton men’s basketball named A-10 preseason favorite for 2nd straight year

DAYTON — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team has been picked to finish first in the Atlantic 10′s preseason poll for the second straight year.

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They received 370 out of a possible 400 voting points, according to a poll that includes the league’s head coaches and selected media.

UD juniors DaRon Holmes II and Malachi Smith were each selected Preseason All-Atlantic 10.

Holmes was named First Team Preseason All A-10 and the Preseason All-Defensive team just like he was last year.

He was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 last year and on the All-Defensive Team last season and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Men’s Basketball Championship.

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Smith was named Second-team All-Atlantic 10.

He missed 15 games last season due to ankle injuries and started 16 of the 19 games he played in.

Smith had a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio that would have led the Atlantic 10 and his 5.6 assists per game would have been third had he played enough games to qualify.

He had reconstructive surgery on both ankles during the offseason and returned to practice in September.

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The Flyers will two exhibition games before starting the regular season. They host Ohio State on Sunday at 6 p.m. and play Cedarville on Oct. 28 at 2 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast on WHIO Radio. They will also be carried here on WHIO.com.

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