BROOKLYN, NY — The University of Dayton men’s basketball team is picked to finish first in the Atlantic 10′s preseason poll, according to the conference’s coaches and media.
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The Flyers received 428 out of a possible 435 points, including 22 first-place votes. Saint Louis was selected second with 411 points.
The news came at Atlantic 10′s media day held Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, site of the 2022-23 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
UD sophomore forward DaRon Holmes II, sophomore point guard Malachi Smith and junior forward Toumani Camara were also selected Preseason All-Atlantic 10 in the same poll.
Holmes was named First Team Preseason All-Atlantic 10 and to the Preseason A-10 All-Defensive Team. He was the 2022 A-10 Rookie of the Year last year and named to the second team. Holmes was the only freshman named first, second or third All-Atlantic 10 and to the league’s All-Defensive team.
Smith has been named Second Team Preseason All-Atlantic 10 and with Holmes to the All-Defensive Team. He was second in the A-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio last season (2.61), finishing with 175 assists. Smith was named to the All-Rookie Team last season and had 27 assists and three turnovers in his last five games prior to his season-ending ankle injury against Richmond in the A-10 semifinals on March 12.
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Camara was also picked Preseason Second Team All-Atlantic 10. Last season, he led the Flyers in rebounding (6.9) and second in scoring (10.8). Camara was named Third Team All-Atlantic 10 last season.
Dayton returns all five starters from last year’s team that went 24-11 and finished tied for second in the Atlantic 10 at 14-4.
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