Dayton Flyers Top 10: Best names

From Scoochie to Bucky, there are some good ones in the UD record books

Credit: Ron Alvey

Credit: Ron Alvey

To kick off coverage of the 2017-18 Dayton men’s basketball season, David Jablonski will publish 17 top 10 lists on various topics between now and the season opener on Nov. 10.

Any list of the greatest names in Dayton Flyers men’s basketball history has to start with Scoochie Smith — and this one does.

From Dave Abel (1977-80) to Jerome Zimmerman (1930-31), the first and last names on the all-time roster in the media guide, to Kostas Antetokounmpo (2016-present), who owns the longest name on the list, there are many names to review before deciding on 10.

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There’s a Crush and a Kill, a Gift, a couple of Chips and one Flyer named Slick. There’s at least one name that rhymes: Shawn Haughn, for example. There are two well-known guys named May (Don and Ken) who made their marks in March, plus one Flyer named August. There was even a Conan Doyle who played for UD from 1923-26, though it’s safe to assume his first name wasn’t Arthur.

Of all the names, here are 10 that stand out:

1. Scoochie Smith (2014-17): His real first name is memorable, too: Dayshon. He's now playing in Australia. Let's hope his name translates.

2. Bucky Bockhorn (1955-58): One of three brothers to play for the Flyers, Bucky is also known as Arlen ... and "The Legend."

3. Roosevelt Chapman (1980-84): If his name was Joe Smith, everyone would remember him because he's UD's all-time leading scorer (2,233 points). He had a presidential-sounding name to go with the record.

4. Negele Knight (1985-90): Much like the players listed above him, Knight had a name to go with his talent. He ranks eighth in UD history with 1,806 points.

5. Don "Monk" Meineke (1949-52): The sixth all-time leading scorer in UD history (1,866 points) would go on to become the NBA's first Rookie of the Year.

6. Glinder Torain (1965-68): This name just glides off the tongue. The 6-foot-6 forward from Muncie, Ind., was the fourth-leading scorer for the 1967 national runner-up team.

7. Razor Campbell (1948-51): Dick was the real first name of this 6-2 guard from Columbus. He averaged 13.3 points for the 1951 NIT runner-up team.

8. Chip Hare (1991-95): The 6-10 forward from Massillon scored 1,323 points in his career. He was a freshman in 1991-92 when Chip Jones was a senior.

9. Gordy Gahm (1970-73): Alliteration can help make a name memorable. It certainly helps in this case. Gahm, a guard from Louisville, Ky., comes from a family that built Valhalla Golf Club, the site of three PGA championships and the 2008 Ryder Cup.

10. Urban Boll (1911-12): Urban Meyer wasn't the first Urban.

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