Dayton fans give future Flyer a loud, warm welcome
DaRon Holmes leads all scorers in final game of Top Gun Showcase.
The public address VANDALIA — announcer at Butler High School saved DaRon Holmes for last when introducing the AZ Compass Prep starters on Monday.
“And future UD Flyer, ladies and gentlemen, 6-9 senior forward No. 35 DaRon Holmes!”
The hundreds of fans in attendance, many wearing Dayton Flyers apparel, applauded Holmes, who then put on a show in his first visit to the Dayton area.
Playing in the final game of the Top Gun Showcase, a new event put together by the organizers of
the Flyin’ To The Hoop, Holmes scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting in a 76-35 rout of Ypsi Prep Academy (Mich.).
Holmes dunked three times, twice off assists by Creighton recruit Ty Ty Washington, and also led the team with 14 rebounds and two blocks.
“He played well today,” Compass Prep coach Ed Gipson said. “He was a little nervous I could tell in the beginning, but he turned it around. DaRon is always a hard worker. He’s going to run the floor hard, finish around the rim and hit 3s, too. This was big for us and for him to come here. He’s never been to Dayton outside of Zooms. He gets to see the atmosphere, the fanfare.”
Holmes warmed up for the game in a Dayton T-shirt, so it was easy for the Dayton fans to spot him, and they cheered him throughout the game — all the way to his final play. He left the game after converting a 4-point play on his only 3-point attempt of the game in the final minutes.
Although an attendance number wasn’t announced, the state allowed the event to have as many as 700 fans. Holmes was shocked to see so many cheering for him. Then after the game, he posed for photos with a number of fans and signed autographs.
“I didn’t expect all those fans to be out here,” he said. “It’s a good thing. It shows me what I’m about to get into.”
If the COVID-19 situation improves, Holmes could be playing in front of more than 13,000 fans next season at UD Arena. Holmes committed to Dayton in October and
Dayton recruit DaRon Holmes started his senior season at Montverde Prep in Florida but moved back home to Arizona to play for Compass Prep in January. signed in November. He’s part of a four-man recruit- ing class that also includes Malachi Smith, Kaleb Wash- ington and Lynn Greer III. That group ranks 19th in the nation among 2021 recruit- ing classes, according to 247Sports.com. That website ranks Holmes 40th in the 2021 class. Rivals.com ranks him 36th.
Until Monday, Holmes had not seen the Dayton campus but he, Gipson and one of the assistant coaches took a tour earlier in the day. He was not able to talk to Dayton coaches in person, because of NCAA recruiting restrictions during the pandemic or tour UD Arena because it was being used as a COVID- 19 vaccination site, but he otherwise got to see dorms and classrooms and everything he’ll experience as a student when he arrives in June.
“You can obviously tell the culture is there,” Holmes said. “Great culture. Great fans. The atmosphere is amazing. That’s what makes this place special.”
Holmes has been in communication with the Dayton coaches throughout his senior season.
“They check in all the time,” Holmes said. “That’s what makes it special. They can’t wait to have me, and I can’t wait to be there.”
Holmes was the second recruit in Dayton’s 2021 class to commit, following Smith, who announced his deci- sion in August. Washing- ton picked Dayton two days after Holmes. Then Greer III joined the class in February. They’ve all connected on social media.
“We’re all excited,” Holmes said, “and we can’t wait to get this thing started.”
Holmes started his senior season at Montverde Prep in Florida but moved back home to Arizona to play for Compass Prep in January.
“It was a smart move,” he said. “It was a great move. I talked to my parents about it. They supported it. Now we’re having major success. It’s just a blessing.”
Compass Preps ranks second in the country in the MaxPreps.com top 25 behind Montverde. DaRon’s father, DaRon Holmes Sr., said it was a tough decision to leave Montverde, but Holmes was coming off the bench on a talented roster and was also homesick.
“We didn’t go to Montverde with the intention of not being happy and leaving,” Holmes Sr. said. “I think the longer we were there, considering COVID, considering the restrictions, considering the lack of gym time, it just ended up being not what we imagined. We thought we could do better.”
Compass Prep is nearing the end of a busy season. It returned to action Monday two days after winning a tournament in Phoenix. It beat BFL Prep, of Seattle, Wash., 70-67 in the final of the Grind Session World Championships.
Holmes drew the task of guarding Duke recruit Paolo Banchero, who ranks third in the 2021 class, and held him to 22 points on 7-of-25 shooting. He averaged 36 points in the other three games in the event.
“(Holmes) sacrificed his body and dedicated himself to not allowing a superstar player to dominate the game,” his dad wrote on
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Clayborn appeared in 15 games for the Browns last season after signing a twoyear, $5.75 million contract as a free agent in March. The 32-year-old had 3 1/2 sacks, 12 tackles and forced a fumble while in Cleveland’s defensive line rotation.
The team will save $3 million under the cap with Clayborn off the books. Clayborn spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and four in Tampa Bay before signing with the Browns.
Cleveland wants to add another bona fide edge rusher to pair with All-Pro Myles Garrett, and may try to sign one in free agency, which begins next week.
The Browns showed some interested in threetime
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Cleveland prioritized its offense in free agency a year ago, but could try to upgrade a defense with plenty of weak spots and not enough depth.
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A person familiar with the trade says the Raiders agreed Tuesday to deal Brown to New England and that Brown will rework his contract, which had two non-guaranteed years for $29.25 million remaining, to an $11 million, one-year deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be finalized until the start of the new league year March 17.
NFL Network first reported the trade that also includes a swap of 2022 draft picks, with the Raiders getting a fifthrounder from New England and sending a seventh-round pick back to the Patriots.
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The team said the agreement was reached Monday. It’s a $160 million, four-year contract with $126 million guaranteed and an NFL-record $66 million signing bonus, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details weren’t announced.
The deal comes a day before a deadline to put the franchise tag on Prescott for a second straight year at a salary cap charge of $37.7 million. The new contract will lower that cap hit.