I’m stepping away from the giant leaf piles in my yard to write the second edition of the Flyer Connection, a weekly newsletter that now has a more personal touch. First, we rake the leaves. Then my son Chase, 4, and I jump in them and he buries me in them. Then we (well, I) turn videos of our leaf adventures into social media content. Then we (well, I) mow the leaves into mulch, which helps the grass grow, and the cycle begins again — all of it cutting into the time I have to write about the Flyers.

However, I have to make time these days because the season starts Monday with the first of 31 regular-season games in a four-month stretch.

As they say as they players take the court at UD Arena before every game, “Let’s get ready to rumble.”

The opener is more of a second exhibition game because the opponent, Lindenwood University, of St. Charles, Mo., is a new Division I school. Dayton fans know not to overlook any opponent after the trials and tribulations of last November. I’m sure the Flyers have learned the same. Still, the chances of Dayton winning this one are 99.6%, according to the KenPom.com math. I have the same chance of taking care of my leaf issues today as Lindenwood has of winning Monday.

Let’s get ready to rumble

DaRon Holmes II has twice used the phrase “ten toes down” in interviews in recent weeks. He said it again Saturday after an 80-42 exhibition game victory against Capital University, so I asked him where it came from. He didn’t really know where he picked it up, but it means “locked in,” another favorite phrase of players and coaches these days, or “committed.”

Dayton was all those things in its last tune-up before the start of the regular season. Holmes made six shots from the field, and five of them were dunks. The Flyers took advantage of mismatches against a Division III opponent and dunked 11 times in all.

“First of all, it was great to be back in front of our fan base,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “That never gets old to see the arena with a lot of people out there. I thought it was really good for our guys to get the first experience with outside competition in front of a crowd tonight. Like I told the guys, I think this is practice No. 25. It was the next step in terms of getting ready for the regular season to start, but it’s the first time playing outside competition with our fans. There were a lot of good things I saw out there tonight.”

Leverage and loyalty — The ‘lost art’ of Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II

Tom Archdeacon has written about the Dayton Flyers since 1989 — yes, his mustache was just as big and famous back then. His start at the Dayton Daily News coincided with the end of the Don Donoher era and continues six seasons into Anthony Grant’s tenure as head coach. However, Archdeacon’s UD connection goes back even further. He’s a UD graduate and found ways to write about the Flyers when he worked for the Miami News. In 1984, he wrote about Miami native Anthony Grant and “his year of redemption” as a sophomore for the Flyers.

Already this season, Arch has provided several deep dives into the 2022-23 Flyers. He sat down with freshman Mike Sharavjamts’ dad, Sharavjamts Tserenjankhar, at Milano’s on Brown Street for an interview earlier this month and learned Mike’s parents will spend the whole season in Ohio watching Mike play — and feeding him.

“We’ve just been here five days and he’s picked up four pounds,” Tserenjankhar, known as the Mongolian Shark when he played for the Harlem Globetrotters, told Arch.

Also, Arch wrote his latest in-depth profile of Holmes. The biggest takeaway from his column this week was the Dayton fans’ fear of Holmes leaving for a Power 5 program was justified. Another program — or at least someone connected to that program — did try to get Holmes to leave Dayton after one season.

Here’s what Arch wrote:

Holmes admitted last summer he was approached by another school’s proxy (he won’t name the school) who said if he transferred he would have a bigger stage and get better NIL deals.

“It wasn’t six figures,” he said.

But even if it had been, he said he wasn’t interested.

“Chasing the money isn’t worth it,” he said. “I’d rather have the true love.

“Loyalty really does mean something to me.”

‘Dayton got a good one’ — UD recruit’s high school coaches praise his versatility, high motor

I always try to get photos of the recruits sitting behind the Dayton bench because you never know if they might end up picking the Flyers. Even if they don’t, fans want to know who the coaches are recruiting. Many of my first photos of Flyers are these types of photos: Koby Brea in 2019, for example; or Sharavjamts last season; and most recently, Jaiun Simon, a 6-foot-7 forward from Georgia who sat behind the bench during the Red & Blue Game on Oct. 15 and committed to Dayton 12 days later.

The big challenge with new recruits is getting them on the phone. It’s much easier connecting with their coaches. That’s where I started with Simon, finding his AAU coach and then his high school coach. Then I did get Simon on the phone a day after he committed. He had called me the previous night at 10:30 p.m., but I had fallen asleep. I texted him the next morning and told him my toddler tires me out and asked if we could find another time.

Simon is the first member of Dayton’s 2023 recruiting class. Theoretically, he could be Dayton’s only 2023 recruit because the 12 scholarship players on the current team could return for the 2023-24 season. That’s unlikely to happen. DaRon Holmes II and Toumani Camara could take their games to the pro level. The players who don’t get much playing time this year could transfer.

Simon should have company eventually in the 2023 class, whether that be in another freshman (or freshmen) or in a transfer (or transfers) who join the program in the months ahead or in the spring recruiting cycle.

Fast Break

Each week, I’ll spotlight news from around the A-10 or other news that might interest Flyer fans.

🏀 Sam Vecenie, of The Athletic, talked to Holmes via Zoom, and together they dissected Holmes’ highlights from last season. Holmes walked Vecenie through his thinking on a number of plays and talked about his game in general.

“I just try to keep it simple,” Holmes said. “I really try to do a good job getting to the open spot. I try to use physicality when it’s needed. You know, I definitely love to have energy. I try to have a high IQ and make the right play.

🏀 CBSSports.com ranked Holmes the 43rd-best player in college basketball this season.

“A year older and wiser, Holmes enters his second season as the leading returning shot-blocker in the A-10 and the reigning returning leader in field goal percentage to boot,” Kyle Boone wrote.

🏀 Former Dayton and Indiana coach Archie Miller makes his Rhode Island debut Monday against Quinnipiac. The Rams held an intrasquad scrimmage in front of fans last weekend, and George Washington transfer Brayon Freeman led all scorers with 17 points. Three players — Jalen Carey, Josaphat Bilau and Lou Hutchinson — were sidelined with injuries, according to a report by UD grad William Geoghegan, of The Independent.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us. We’re battling a lot of health and injuries,” Miller told reporters. “That’s been the most challenging thing for this group. Fairly or unfairly, we haven’t had a great chemistry practice because we haven’t had the bodies. But it is what it is. The guys are working hard. I’m looking forward to Monday.”

🏀 Dayton and Kansas could meet for the third time in four seasons on Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day), and if it happens, Kansas coach Bill Self will be there. The university announced a four-game suspension for Self because of NCAA infractions on Wednesday. He will return for the first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis against N.C. State. The winner or loser of that game will play Dayton.

What do you want to know about the Flyers?

I want to hear from you. Reach out to me directly at david.jablonski@coxinc.com with your questions and feedback on the team or this newsletter.

Also be sure to follow our Flyer Nation Facebook page for the latest news on the team. I’ll have updates, photos and videos on Twitter, as well.