New Faces for UD Men’s Basketball

Atticus Hughes
Sports Staff Writer

Many transfers, who are eligible to play this year, are expected to strengthen the UD men’s basketball lineup. Photo courtesy of Griffin Quinn 

Flyer fans, ‘tis the season! A fresh start for UD basketball is less than a week away and with every new season brings with it massive amounts of excitement for Flyer Fanatics. Dreams of hoisting the Atlantic-10 trophy (and eventually cutting down the nets in Atlanta) play over and over in our heads, but this year we have something else to be excited about. 

That X-Factor this season is the injection of a couple of fresh faces into UD’s lineup. With four of the five starters from last year’s team returning, there’s no question there will be familiarity in UD Arena. However, with the addition of four division one transfers, the situation at UD Arena is shaping up to be a scary sight, for other teams that is.

Ibi Watson, Chase Johnson, Rodney Chatman and Jordy Tshimanga are all eligible to play for the Flyers this year, adding depth to a bench that so desperately needed it a season ago. Senior forward Trey Landers commented on the new additions on the roster.

“Having depth and having our transfer guys back were going to be a really special team,” Landers said.  

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Special no doubt, Dayton is going into the season projected to finish third in the Atlantic-10, which for many of the fans feels like a bit disrespectful to the talent up and down this roster.

“It is what it is, we don’t really pay much attention to that stuff,” Landers said. “People are gonna say what they say but at the end of the day the guys between these lines know where we stand in terms of rankings.”

It is evident this Flyer team is ready to get on the court against some different colored jerseys, even more so those aforementioned Flyers who had to sit out the entirety of last season. Junior guard, and preseason second team all A-10 selection, Jalen Crutcher commented on the readiness and excitement of the transfers. 

“I see the hunger in them, being outside for a whole year I can tell they’re ready to play,” he said. 

One of the four transfer’s season was in question up until two weeks ago when the NCAA ruled that redshirt sophomore Chase Johnson was eligible to suit up for the Flyers this season. When asked if he’s excited to take the court with his teammates in front of Flyer fanatics, Johnson had a simple answer: “I’m super excited to get out there and play in front of all 13,000 of them.” 

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