Heard received limited playing time last season. He appeared in 24 games, averaging 1.2 points in 6.3 minutes. He played double-digit minutes three times in the first four games and single-digit minutes the rest of the season.
Heard entered the transfer portal on March 25. He was one of 11 N.C. State players in the portal. N.C. State fired coach Kevin Keatts in March and hired McNeese State’s Will Wade.
Heard started his high school career at Kenwood High School in Chicago and then played his sophomore season at Montverde Academy in Florida. Returning to Illinois as a junior, he played for Homewood-Flossmoor. He averaged 16.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists and helped lead the team to a state championship.
Heard will be the second Flyer from Homewood-Flossmoor. Kevin Dillard, who played at Dayton from 2011-13, is a 2008 graduate of the school. Dillard was on the coaching staff at Homewoods-Flossmoor when it won the state championship.
Heard was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 and ranked 143rd in the nation, according to 247Sports.com, but he graduated early, skipping what would have been his senior year in high school and enrolling at N.C. State in 2024.
“It is bittersweet,” Heard told the Chicago Tribune of switching to the 2024 class. “Especially because they just redid the gym. We’re coming off a state championship, so of course anybody would want to repeat. It’s bittersweet, but I think we have a really good staff here and they’re going to have a really good team. I think they’re going to get it done regardless. For me, this is great opportunity to go in and make an impact right away at N.C. State.”
Heard committed to N.C. State in July 2024, picking it over Xavier, Mississippi State and Southern California.
“Bryce Heard is an athletic wing who has some alpha mentality as a scorer,” Jamie Shaw, of On3.com, wrote in 2024. “Traditionally known as a downhill guy, he had developed off the bounce with his self-creation in the half court. Defensively there is upside as an off ball guy, playing in the passing lanes and sliding his feet. Would like to see him continue to develop the reads and playing with a consistent motor, but he has consistently developed his game over the past 12 to 16 months. There is nice production along with more upside as he continues to grow.”
In that same On3.com story, Heard described himself as a “3-level scorer who likes to get after it on the defensive end. I want to play fast and push the ball.”
With five transfers committing this spring, Dayton has 11 scholarship players on the 2025-26 roster and four walk-ons, assuming they all return:
• Seniors: Bennett; Derkack; Jacob Conner; and Atticus Schuler (walk-on).
• Juniors: Montgomery; Makai Grant (walk-on); Evan Dickey (walk-on); and Will Maxwell (walk-on).
• Redshirt sophomore: Jaiun Simon.
• Sophomores: Amaël L’Etang; Njie; and Heard.
• Redshirt freshmen: Thomas.
• Freshmen: Damon Friery; and Jaron McKie.
Thomas is the 21st Division I transfer who has entered the program since Anthony Grant took over the program in 2017. Here’s the list of the other transfers:
• Malcolm Thomas, Villanova: April 24, 2025.
• Adam Njie, Iona: April 18, 2025.
• Jordan Derkack, Rutgers: April 15, 2025.
• De’Shayne Montgomery, Georgia: April 13, 2025.
• Posh Alexander, Butler: May 3, 2024
• Jacob Conner, Marshall: April 27, 2024.
• Zed Key, Ohio State, April 17: 2024.
• Enoch Cheeks, Robert Morris: March 30, 2023.
• Nate Santos, Pittsburgh: June 13, 2023.
• Isaac Jack, Buffalo: April 24, 2023
• Javon Bennett, Merrimack: April 10, 2023.
• Tyrone Baker, Georgia: April 26, 2022.
• Kobe Elvis, DePaul: May 14, 2021.
• Richard Amaefule, East Tennessee State: April 12, 2021.
• Toumani Camara, Georgia: April 8, 2021.
• Elijah Weaver, Southern California: May 25, 2020.
• Chase Johnson, Florida: Jan. 6, 2019.
• Jordy Tshimanga, Nebraska: Aug. 2, 2018.
• Rodney Chatman, Chattanooga: May 7, 2018.
• Ibi Watson, Michigan: April 25, 2018.
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