Dayton Flyers big man DaRon Holmes II

DaRon Holmes II returning to Dayton: Will the Flyers big man's return swing the A-10?

Modified Jun 02, 2023 08:51 IST

DaRon Holmes II recently announced that he will return to Dayton for his third season of college basketball. He had previously entered the 2023 NBA Draft, however, he withdrew his name from the draft process on Wednesday.

Holmes II made his announcement on Twitter, simply stating:

"Let’s get it Flyer Nation !!!✈️"

Holmes II also spoke with Flyers beat writer David Jablonski on his decision, stating:

"It was a hard decision. It kind of did come down to yesterday. I wasn't leaning one way. My gut told me to come back. I felt like I could have went somewhere in the second round, but honestly, I wanted to boost my stock to try to get to the first round. I think Dayton has what it takes for me to do that. Also, I think the team has unfinished business. I want to win games."

Check out the tweets below:

DaRon Holmes II

@DaRonagon

Let’s get it Flyer Nation !!!

David Jablonski

@DavidPJablonski

I just talked to DaRon Holmes II, who will return to UD tomorrow. He told me he was supposed to fly from Houston to Sacramento yesterday but had his flight cancelled, so he flew home to Phoenix and sat down with his parents, brothers and a cousin to talk about his NBA decision.

How has DaRon Holmes II performed in his college career?

DaRon Holmes II joined the Dayton Flyers as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He turned down offers from the UCLA Bruins, Arizona Wildcats and Tennessee Wildcats to join the Flyers.

Holmes II stepped into a large role as a freshman, averaging 12.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. He shot 64.9% from the field, 14.3% from 3-point range and 58.6% from the free-throw line.

He was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year while being selected to the second-team All-Atlantic 10.

His production increased in 2022-2023 as he averaged 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. Holmes II shot 59.0% from the field, 31.6% from 3-point range and 66.9% from the free-throw line.

He was named to the first-team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team while being named the Atlantic-10 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

How will DaRon Holmes II's return impact the A-10?

DaRon Holmes II was one of the best players in the A-10 throughout the 2022-2023 season. He finished the season ranked fourth in points per game and third in rebounds per game while leading the conference in blocks per game and field goal percentage.

Furthermore, the Dayton Flyers finished second in the conference in both the regular season and tournament. The return of Holmes II will put the Flyers in a position to once again compete for a conference championship and automatic March Madness berth.