DAYTON -- The University of Dayton men's basketball team will travel for the first time this season, when UD goes to Orlando to play in the eight-team ESPN Events Invitational Nov. 25-28. The Flyers will play the Miami Hurricanes in the very first game of the tournament. The game tips on Thanksgiving at 12 Noon ET.
The ESPN Events Invitational will mark the 14th consecutive exempt tournament in a full season schedule for UD. Dayton won this tournament (when it was known as the Old Spice Classic) in 2011. ,
The game will carried by WHIO Radio, televised on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+. Streaming audio, video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.
#TRENDING
• For the first time in UD Arena history, all season and single game tickets have been sold before the season even began. That announcement was made on Nov. 4. All 17 regular season home games are sold out, extending an ongoing sellout streak for the Flyers to 28.
• Two Flyers were named Preseason All-Atlantic 10. Forwards
Toumani Camara and
Mustapha Amzil were both named to the third team.
• Camara, a transfer from Georgia, is the first immediately-eligible transfer to earn preseason accolades in Atlantic 10 Conference history. He saw action in 57 games in two seasons at Georgia, and started his last 48 games as a Bulldog. Last year, Camara averaged 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 28.4 minutes of action. Camara had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in Saturday's loss to Austin Peay.
• Amzil joined the team mid-year and exactly 50 days after he signed, he earned the first of his three Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week awards. In 19 games (15 starts), Amzil was third for UD in scoring (9.9 points a game), rebounds (5.6), FG% (.496, 68-137) and 3-pt. FG% (.382, 26-68).
• Three of the four Flyers in double figures against Austin Peay --
Koby Brea (career-high 13 points in 18 minutes),
Moulaye Sissoko (career-high 12 in 13 minutes) and
Kobe Elvis (10).
• True freshman
DaRon Holmes II was the top Dayton scorer in the UMass Lowell game with 13 points (6-10 FG). He also tied the Flyer record for blocked shots in a game with six.
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Malachi Smith was one of three Flyers with 11 points against Lipscomb. He also had four assists, four rebounds and two steals in a career-best 31 minutes. He made his first career start against Austin Peay.
• The Covid year has complicated "the clock" for college student-athletes. With that in mind, the Flyers' 12 players who are listed as freshmen or redshirt freshmen are the second -most in NCAA Division I men's basketball. Only Arizona (13) has more. Next is Air Force (11) with Marquette and Vanderbilt (10 each) right behind.
• Dayton's incoming freshman class is ranked 21st-best in the nation.
DaRon Holmes II, a consensus Top 50 recruit, is the highest-rated prospect to ever come to UD.
UP NEXT
• The Flyers will play either Kansas or North Texas on Friday. The ESPN Events Invitational will conclude on Sunday with a game with Alabama, Belmont, Drake or Iona.
