New UD recruit described as a versatile big man by his high school coach

Cam Joyce hopes Damon Friery helps lead St. Ignatius back to state championship game at UD Arena in 2025

Cam Joyce hopes that Damon Friery’s new court will become a second home for his Saint Ignatius High School basketball team in the future, especially come March.

Friery, a 6-foot-10 senior forward, committed to the Dayton Flyers on Monday, starting his college career in 2025 at UD Arena. Joyce, who has coached Saint Ignatius since May 2019, is optimistic that Friery will conclude his high school career there, as UD Arena will host the state championship game for the fifth consecutive year.

“If we’re playing there, it means we’re in the championship game,” Joyce said on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we’ll be in that position.”

Last March, Saint Ignatius played two games at UD Arena, winning against Delaware Hayes 55-54 in the state semifinals and defeating Centerville 66-56 in the championship game. Friery scored a total of 25 points across those games.

Due to the Ohio High School Athletic Association expanding basketball from four to seven divisions, future state semifinal games will be held at different venues from the championship game. Therefore, if Saint Ignatius reaches the finals in subsequent seasons, they will only play one game at UD Arena.

Friery’s return enhances Saint Ignatius’ chances of repeating as champions. He is currently ranked as the fourth-best 2025 recruit in Ohio, according to 247Sports.com. The players ranked above him include Ohio State commit Dorian Jones from Richmond Heights, North Carolina State commit RJ Greer from Alter (son of UD associate head coach Ricardo Greer), and DePaul commit Kruz McClure from Westerville South.

Dayton has also offered scholarships to the three players ranked ahead of Friery, as well as to the No. 5 Ohio recruit, guard Antione West from Toledo Whitmer, and No. 7 recruit Tyler Kropp, a forward from Powell Olentangy Liberty.

Friery, ranked No. 190 in the 247Sports.com composite rankings, is the highest-rated Ohio player to choose Dayton since Dwayne Cohill, who was No. 132 in the 2018 class.

“I’m really happy for Damon and his family,” Joyce said. “The Dayton coaching staff did an excellent job recruiting him over the past couple of years. The relationship they built was a significant reason he felt that this would be his next home.”

Jermaine Henderson was the assistant coach responsible for recruiting Friery, and Joyce praised him, head coach Anthony Grant, and the entire coaching staff for their successful connection with Friery.

Friery lives in Brunswick with his parents, about 23 miles from Saint Ignatius, which is located near downtown Cleveland.

“Damon is a fantastic young man both on and off the court,” Joyce said. “He comes from wonderful parents, Amanda and Greg, who have done an excellent job raising him. As their only child, he works incredibly hard and is determined to achieve his dream. When he decided to attend Saint Ignatius, he expressed his desire to play Division I basketball, and I told him I wanted to be the coach to help him reach that goal. I give him credit for believing in us.

“Dayton is getting a dedicated player. He’ll be in the gym, honing his skills because he strives for greatness. Beyond basketball, he’s a great kid—friendly, kind, and sincere. He enjoys sports, video games, and spending time with friends. Academically, he excels; he and his parents take his education seriously. I couldn’t be prouder of him, and I believe he will have a successful college career.”

Entering his third year as a starter on the varsity team, Friery would likely have played varsity in most schools as a freshman. Instead, he played junior varsity and helped lead the team to an undefeated season, with many players from that team contributing to the recent state championship victory.

As a sophomore, Friery was the team’s second-leading scorer and shot over 40% from beyond the arc, though the team was eliminated in the regional semifinals in 2023.

Friery averaged 10.6 points per game as a junior, and Joyce anticipates even greater reliance on him as a senior.

“We lost a lot of size,” Joyce noted, “so we’ll count on him to guard bigger opponents, rebound, and serve as our defensive anchor. Offensively, we need him to score at all levels—near the rim, in the post, and from long range, which he has excelled at over the last two years. Last year, he played primarily as a three and four, but with the graduation of some key players, he’ll likely play more at the five position. This will give him a chance to showcase his versatility. He can play both on the wing and inside. We’ll prepare him to adapt to whatever position the Dayton coaches ask of him, whether that’s the three or the four, as they are often interchangeable in various systems.”

Joyce revealed that Friery’s final decision was between Dayton and Loyola Chicago. He initially planned to visit both DePaul and Loyola after his visit to Dayton, but only went to Loyola after DePaul secured a commitment from another 2025 big man.

“I think deep down he knew he wanted to go to Dayton,” Joyce said, “but he also liked Loyola and was interested in what their staff had to offer.”