Helena Frye
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I. The Flyers have a rich history in college basketball, most notably in the 1950s and 1960s, when they were established as a national basketball power under coach Tom Blackburn. More recently, in March 2020, the Flyers were ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll, their highest ranking since the 1955-56 season. The team has never been ranked #1 but has consistently performed well and reached the NCAA tournament 19 times, most recently in 2024. So, is Dayton Basketball ranked? Yes, and they are a force to be reckoned with.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Dayton Flyers |
| Team Conference | Atlantic 10 |
| Coach | Anthony Grant |
| Coach's Season | Seventh Season |
| Previous Coach | Brian Gregory |
| Previous Coach's Record | 24-9 |
| NCAA Tournament Appearances | 19 |
| Highest Ranking | #2 (1955-56) |
| Highest Ranking in 2020s | #3 (March 2020) |
| 2024-25 Record | 19-9 |
| 2024-25 NET Ranking | 72 |
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What You'll Learn
Dayton Flyers' highest ranking
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I. The Flyers are coached by Anthony Grant, who is in his seventh season.
The Flyers have enjoyed success in the past, most notably in the 1950s and 1960s under the leadership of coach Tom Blackburn. Blackburn recruited future NBA player Don Meineke, along with local standouts Junior Norris and Chuck Grigsby in 1948, forming the nucleus of the school's first nationally recognized teams. The Flyers reached as high as #2 in the AP Poll during the 1955-56 season and won the National Invitation Tournament in 1962.
The Flyers have continued to perform well in recent years, reaching the NCAA tournament 19 times, most recently in 2024. In March 2020, the team was ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll, its highest ranking since the 1955-56 season. The Flyers have never been ranked #1, but they did receive a lone first-place vote in the final AP poll of the 2019-2020 season. When the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Flyers did not get to participate in the NCAA Tournament, despite being projected as a #1 seed by several outlets.
The 2015 study of college basketball team valuations placed Dayton in the top tier of programs, and the Flyers have consistently been ranked in the Top 25 polls in recent years. The team's success has led to the construction of new facilities, including the 13,500-seat UD Arena, which became the Flyers' home court in 1969.
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Flyers' coach Anthony Grant
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The Flyers represent the University of Dayton in Ohio and play their home games at the University of Dayton Arena.
The Flyers are coached by Anthony Grant, who is in his eighth season at the helm of his alma mater's men's basketball program. Grant previously served as an assistant coach and math teacher at Miami Senior High School under Marcos "Shaky" Rodriguez. He then spent two years as an assistant to Donovan at Marshall University, helping them achieve a 35-20 record. Grant served for ten years as an assistant to Billy Donovan at the University of Florida (UF). During his time there, the Gators were 226-98, and Grant played a key role in their 2006 NCAA title.
Grant was hired as the head coach of the Dayton Flyers in 2017. In his first year, the Flyers missed the postseason, but they earned an NIT berth in 2019. The Flyers had a successful run in 2020, winning the A-10 title, and Grant received the A-10 COY and several National COY honours. However, the postseason was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team was unable to participate in the March Madness tournament despite their impressive performance.
Grant has received recognition for his coaching abilities, including being named the Sporting News National Coach of the Year and Naismith College Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
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Tom Blackburn's legacy
Tom Blackburn, born on January 23, 1906, in rural Otway, Ohio, became the University of Dayton's first full-time basketball coach in 1947. Blackburn's renowned coaching abilities and disciplinarian demeanor helped him bring basketball excellence and national recognition to the university.
Blackburn's second team finished with a winning record and was invited to the National Catholic Invitational post-season tournament. He recruited future NBA player Don Meineke, along with local standouts Junior Norris and Chuck Grigsby in 1948 to form the nucleus of the school's first nationally recognized teams. The 1950–51 Flyers reached #13 in the AP Poll and the finals of the NIT. The following year, the Flyers also reached the NIT Finals and participated in the NCAA tournament for the first time, finishing in the regional semi-final. Blackburn established Dayton as a national basketball power, winning the National Invitation Tournament in 1962, reaching the NIT finals six times during the 1950s and early 1960s, and securing a #2 AP ranking for most of the 1955–1956 season.
Blackburn protégés, Don Donoher and Tom Frericks, continued the success of the program in the coming decades. Donoher, with Assistant Coach Chuck Grigsby, guided the Flyers to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in his first two years as coach. Blackburn's legacy continues to be commemorated by the university and the community. The University of Dayton inducted Blackburn into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1969 and named the playing court at the University of Dayton Arena after their former coach. Blackburn's legacy is still felt and honored by the University of Dayton, which is a university centered on basketball culture, which Blackburn helped develop into the successful program it is today.
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Flyers' NCAA tournament appearances
The Dayton Flyers have a rich history in college basketball, with the men's team competing in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The Flyers have made 19 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including a recent appearance in 2024.
The Flyers' first NCAA tournament appearance came in 1951, when they reached the regional semi-finals. During the 1950s and 1960s, under the leadership of coach Tom Blackburn, the Flyers established themselves as a national basketball powerhouse, consistently reaching the NIT finals and securing high rankings in the AP Poll.
The success continued under Don Donoher, who took over as head coach in 1964. Donoher led the Flyers to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in his first two seasons and then to the 1967 NCAA Championship game, where they ultimately fell to UCLA. The Donoher era, spanning 24 seasons, is considered one of the finest in Dayton Flyers history, with eight NCAA tournament invitations and several impressive wins.
In more recent years, the Flyers, coached by Brian Gregory, had a successful campaign in 2006-07, finishing the season with a 19-12 record and notable wins over Louisville, Creighton, and others. The following season, they started with a 14-1 record and wins over several ranked teams, reaching the Top 25 polls for the first time since 2003.
The women's basketball team, also competing in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference, has had its own successes. They have won Atlantic 10 conference tournament championships and regular-season championships on multiple occasions. During their time in Division II, they won the AIAW National Championship in 1980 and have consistently advanced to the postseason in recent years.
The Flyers have a proud basketball tradition, with both the men's and women's teams achieving notable successes in their respective divisions and conferences.
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Flyers' home games
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball programme that competes in the NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), representing the University of Dayton, Ohio. The Flyers play their home games at the University of Dayton Arena, which was constructed in 1969 and has a capacity of 13,500 seats. The Flyers have a rich history in college basketball, with their most successful period coming during the 1950s and 1960s under coach Tom Blackburn, who established the team as a national powerhouse. During this era, the Flyers reached the NIT finals six times and won the National Invitation Tournament in 1962. They also participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time during the 1951-52 season, reaching the regional semi-finals.
The Flyers' success continued into the 1970s and 1980s, with coach Don Donoher leading the team to eight NCAA Tournament invitations and eight NIT invitations during his 24-year tenure. The Flyers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament a total of 19 times, most recently in 2024. They were ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll in 2020, their highest ranking since the 1955-56 season when they were ranked #2.
The Flyers' home arena, the University of Dayton Arena, is located on the university's campus and has been the team's home court since the 1969-70 season. The arena was constructed to accommodate the team's growing fan base and national prominence. The Flyers have a strong following, and their home games are often well-attended, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere for fans and players alike.
In addition to the Dayton Flyers, there is also the Philadelphia Flyers, a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) and play their home games at the Wells Fargo Center, which is known for its easy parking and efficient event management. The Philadelphia Flyers have a long history of success, earning the nickname "The Broad Street Bullies" in the 1970s due to their physical style of play. They have made it to the Playoffs a total of 40 times and won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 1974 and 1975.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is ranked. The Flyers have never been ranked #1, but in March 2020, they were ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll.
The highest rank the team has achieved is #2 in the 1955-56 season.
The team is coached by Anthony Grant, who is in his seventh season.
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Flyers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 19 times, most recently in 2024.
