Junior forward to leave Flyers
Wayne grad Xeyrius Williams was released Sunday by Grant.
Dayton Flyers coach Anthony Grant announced Sunday he has granted junior Xeyrius Williams a release from his scholarship and that Williams intends to transfer.
Williams, a 6-foot-9 forward, said he would have “no further comment” on his decision. He appeared in 18 games this season, averaging 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Williams, a graduate of Wayne High School and Springfield native, played in 77 games the last three seasons. He scored 407 points in his career. As a freshman, he played a limited role, averaging 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game.
Williams had a breakout year as
a sophomore, averaging 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. His most memorable moment came when he hit two 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to carry Dayton to a victory at Rhode Island.
Last summer, talking about the season ahead, Williams said, “I think me working on scoring off the dribble is a big deal that will help me become an all-conference player.”
This season did not go as planned for Williams or the Flyers, who finished a 14-17 season Thursday with a 77-72 loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. Williams didn’t travel with the team to Washington, D.C., for the tournament and also wasn’t on the bench for the previous game, the regular-season finale at home against George Washington.
Williams started his junior season in the starting lineup. He had the assist on the game-winning basket by Josh Cunningham in the season opener against Ball State. Williams played 34-plus minutes in each of the first four games, averaging 11.3 points. Then he missed the next five games with a back injury.
Williams returned to action against Georgia State on Dec. 16 and had two points in 13 minutes. He scored 16 points against Saint Mary’s in the next game, with most the baskets coming in the final minutes, and then scored in double figures only once more. He never got his starting job back and played 20-plus minutes only once in 18 Atlantic 10 games.
On Feb. 28, Dayton announced Williams was out indefinitely with a back injury. Earlier in the month, he had stopped traveling to away games. The official explanation was he was focusing on academics.
Williams is the second member of the four-man recruiting class that also included Sam Miller, Ryan Mikesell and John Crosby to transfer. Miller transferred to the College of Charleston.
Dayton now has one scholarship open for the 2018-19 season.