DaRon Holmes II

DaRon Homes II grew up in Goodyear, Arizona and initially attended Millennium High School. He was named the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 23.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.1 assists per game as a junior. Holmes transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida prior to the start of his senior season. He ultimately moved back to Arizona during his winter break and transferred a second time to Arizona's Compass Prep School. Holmes was rated a four-star recruit and committed to playing college basketball for Dayton over offers from Arizona, Marquette, and California. Holmes started all 35 games at Dayton as a freshman and led the team with 12.8 points per game and also averaged 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He also set a school record with 81 total blocks in a season. His strong performance was rewarded by being named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year, second-team All-Atlantic 10, and he was named to the conference All-Defense team. As a sophomore, Holmes averaged 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game and was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 team. After the season he declared for the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He later withdrew and announced he was returning to Dayton for his junior season. Holmes set career highs in scoring (20.4) and rebounds (8.5) during his junior season at Dayton. He was named Atlantic 10 co-Player of the Year and announced after the season that he was entering the NBA Draft.