VIDEO: Dayton basketball interview: Anthony Grant (Sept. 30, 2026)
Zaide Lowery had no idea the Xavier Musketeers used to be the biggest rival for the Dayton Flyers.
That’s understandable. Lowery is in his first season at Dayton after three seasons at Marquette. Dayton and Xavier haven’t played a game that counts in 11 years and haven’t played regularly in 13 years. The series is ancient history for current college basketball players.
Dayton players who have been around the program for a few years have a better knowledge of the history of the rivalry, including fourth-year forward Jaiun Simon, the only scholarship player who appeared in the last exhibition game against Xavier in 2024.
The Flyers and Musketeers meet again at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the CareSource Invitational at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.
“I don’t think the new guys are really aware (of the rivalry),” Simon said, “but at the end of the day, it’s still a rubber-bullet game. It’s just another test.”
This is a unique test in that it will be played outside, weather permitting. If there’s rain in the forecast, the event will move to UD Arena. Ohio State plays Cincinnati in the second game.
The weather cooperated for another outdoor basketball event played at a tennis facility on Sept. 27. The LinkU Invitational at Credit One Stadium featured men’s basketball games between Virginia and Vanderbilt and between the College of Charleston and The Citadel, plus a women’s game between Charleston and South Carolina.
“It was unique,” Virginia coach Ryan Odom said. “We weren’t quite sure. Was the sun going to be on the entire court, or was it going to be halfway? It ended up being halfway. I think next year if we do it, we may have to switch the benches at halftime. It was a good experience for us.”
Beemok Sports & Entertainment organized the LinkU Invitational and also put together the CareSource Invitational. It runs tennis tournaments — the Charleston Open and Cincinnati Open — in Charleston and Mason, respectively, at the same facilities where the basketball events will be played
On its website, Beemok bills itself as “a global leader in crafting experiences that transcend the ordinary.”
“The CareSource Invitational is exactly the type of unique event we envisioned when we reimagined the Lindner Family Tennis Center beyond the Cincinnati Open,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, in a press release. “Center Court has long been the stage for unforgettable moments, and we’re excited to create an atmosphere and energy that will be unlike anything college basketball fans have experienced before.”
Preseason practices underway for Flyers, who play early exhibition game
While playing outside in front of fans will be different, playing basketball outside is how most players first experience the sport. Dayton coach Anthony Grant had many opportunities to do that growing up in Miami, Fla.
“Back then, you would play pickup,” Grant said. “In order to stay on the court, you had to win, and if you didn’t win, you had to sit for a while, so that’s what I remember about it. I think this will be a unique atmosphere for everybody, and I think that novelty is something that will bring a level of excitement to it as well. Pretty much everything about it will be completely different in terms of the elements, the lighting and the space.”
Simon said Dayton had not practiced outdoors in preparation for this game. There’s an outdoor court by the UD RecPlex, he said, but he had not played there since his freshman year.
“It’s going to be new,” Simon said. “It’s going to remind me of when I was a kid playing in the backyard with my dad.”
Lowery watched the outdoor game between Virginia and Vanderbilt and that made him more excited for this game. Asked about his favorite outdoor court growing up, Lowery said, “My driveway. That’s where I played for the most part. This is really maybe my seventh year playing organized basketball. When I was younger, I just played for fun.”
People attending the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament on Friday, Aug. 21, were treated to this magnificent display of clouds in the sky above the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. The tournament ended Sunday, Aug. 23. Sarah Gillis / Contributed Sarah Gillis — Contributed
Sarah Gillis – Contributed