• Javon Bennett said on Monday he will return to Dayton for his senior season.
• Jacob Conner’s dad Craig said last week Jacob will be return to Dayton for his senior season.
• A source close to the program said Jaiun Simon, Amaël L’Etang and Hamad Mousa are staying with Dayton, as of Monday. In other words, the expectation is they will not enter the transfer portal, but the portal is open until April 22. Things could change in the next three weeks, as happened last year with Koby Brea, who entered the portal relatively late in the process on April 16.
Three Flyers entered the portal last week in the first two days the portal was open: Malachi Smith; Isaac Jack; and then Marvel Allen. Those departures, plus the loss of five players who exhausted their eligibility, leave Dayton with eight open spots on the roster, though it could elect not to fill all 15 scholarships.
Here is a look at the roster as it stands now. This story will be updated as Dayton adds players:
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
RETURNING STARTERS
Bennett, 5-foot-10 senior guard: Bennett ranked third in scoring (11.6 points per game) last season behind two fifth-year players: Nate Santos (14.3) and Enoch Cheeks (13.2). Bennett was the team’s second most accurate 3-point shooter (71 of 182, 39%) and tied Santos for 3-pointers made. He improved his numbers across the board in his second season as a starter.
Bennett played his freshman season at Merrimack and has 980 points in his career.
L’Etang, 7-1 sophomore center: The freshman center from France ranked sixth in scoring (7.1) and third in rebounding (4.3). He tied fifth-year forward Zed Key in blocked shots (33). He made the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie team.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
OTHER RETURNERS
Conner, 6-10 senior forward: After two seasons at Marshall, the Alter graduate ranked ninth in scoring (2.7) in his first season at Dayton. He missed six games with an injury in November and December and struggled to find playing time when he returned, but he was a regular in the rotation throughout A-10 play when he averaged 11.6 minutes per game.
Simon, 6-6 redshirt sophomore forward: Simon sat out his first season as a redshirt and overcame surgery late in the 2023-24 season to get back on the court for summer practices. More often than not, he played single-digit minutes in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 1.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game in 32 games.
Mousa, 6-8 sophomore guard/forward: The native of Qatar appeared in 20 games, averaging 1.3 points in 7.6 minutes per game. He did not play in the last eight games of the season.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
INCOMING FRESHMAN
Damon Friery, 6-10 forward: Friery announced his commitment to Dayton on Sept. 9. He averaged 20.2 points per game as a senior at Cleveland St. Ignatius and was named to the All-Ohio Division I first team.
Jaron McKie, 6-3 guard: McKie committed to Dayton a week after Friery in September. As a senior at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, he was named to the Philadelphia Catholic League first team for the third time. He averaged 15.0 points, 2.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot 47.5% (67 of 141) from 3-point range.
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