Welcome to The Holy Land of Hoops

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1. A NOTE OF APPRECIATION

In Post # 1 billyjack wrote:
All things related to the Dayton Flyers program can be posted here.

Thanks again billyjack.

I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to respond to posts by other HLOH members without ‘contaminating’ the main board with information about Dayton.

Those of you who have no interest in the thread topic should give this post (and this thread) a miss, as you will not find anything inflammatory posted here.

Surprisingly, this thread had been viewed about 4,000 times since it was moved it to the Off Topic board, so it is generating considerable reader interest.
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2. ATTENDANCE

2017-18 Attendance – HLOH MB thread

In Post # 1 on July 17, 2018 Irishdawg wrote:
Released by the NCAA: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketb ... ndance.pdf

5. Creighton - 17,000
23. Dayton - 12,996
26. Marquette - 12,323
30. Villanova - 11,828
-- Xavier - 10,475
-- Providence - 9,547
-- St. John's - 9,134
-- Butler - 8,554
-- Seton Hall - 8,456
-- Georgetown - 7,531
-- Saint Louis - 6,235
-- DePaul - 6,147
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3. TRAVELLING FAN BASE

Delaney wants Big Ten Tourney at MSG and not a week early – HLOH MB thread

In Post # 47 on October 15, 2018 GoldenWarrior11 wrote:

On October 15, 2018 Toronto Rapture wrote:

Dayton fans travel pretty good? I wonder how much of a consideration a program's ability to draw fans to the BET could be among other things?

Dayton was rated #1 by the NCAA in traveling fan bases (https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/dayton-flyers-lauded-for-traveling-fan-base/LRV7iBIMSODbMFEOSQdGWN/).

In addition, they consistently average 12/13k per game on campus, even when they are down. I have consistently said when conferences considered expansion, you need to acquire members that offer value even when they do not compete in the revenue sports. For the Big East, obviously every member is a Private school, mostly Catholic, with a non-FBS athletic program in strong college basketball markets. For Dayton, they check all of those boxes. Not only would the league be acquiring a peer institution, but it would be acquiring a great fan base that would help sell tickets at away games and at MSG for our tournament. And, in expanding in advance of our next TV/MSG contract, you would be providing more content for viewership, as well as more games to attend at the tournament.

I have long believed that expansion for the Big East would take place in advance of our next deal, in order to give a bump to our annual revenue. Delaney's comments, among heavy program and stadium investments from Dayton (and even SLU), from appearances, appear to align with that projection.

Much appreciated, GoldenWarrior11.
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4. MORE PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Atlantic 10 Predictions – The Sporting News – October 17, 2018

1. Saint Louis
2. Davidson
3. George Mason
4. Dayton
5. Richmond
6. Rhode Island
7. Saint Joseph’s
8. Saint Bonaventure
9. VCU
10. UMass
11. Duquesne
14. George Washington
13. La Salle
14. Fordham

Atlantic 10 Coaches and Media Preseason Poll – Atlantic 10 Conference – October 18, 2018

A panel of the league’s head coaches and select media members voted in the annual preseason poll.

1. Saint Louis (15) - 348
2. Saint Joseph’s (4) - 324
3. Davidson (6) - 314
4. George Mason (1) - 287
5. Rhode Island - 221
6. Dayton - 206
7. VCU - 195
8. Massachusetts - 175
9. St. Bonaventure - 167
10. Richmond - 156
11. Duquesne - 146
12. La Salle - 85
13. George Washington - 73
14. Fordham - 33

Dayton earns third-highest ranking among A-10 teams in preseason Pomeroy ratings – Dayton Daily News – October 21, 2018

The Dayton Flyers rank 100th out of 353 Division I teams in the preseason Ken Pomeroy ratings, which were released this weekend. The website, known for its advanced analysis of college basketball, predicts Dayton will finish 17-12 and 10-8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Dayton has the third-highest ranking among Atlantic 10 Conference teams, trailing No. 68 Saint Louis, the A-10 preseason favorite, and No. 83 Davidson. Behind Dayton are: No. 103 St. Bonaventure; No. 104 St. Joseph’s; No. 108 Rhode Island; No. 115 Richmond; No. 117 George Mason; No. 126 Virginia Commonwealth; No. 142 Massachusetts; No. 171 Duquesne; No. 175 La Salle; No. 194 George Washington; and No. 239 Fordham.

CBS Sports' Rankings 1-353 (Matt Norlander) – HLOH MB thread

In Post # 1 on October 24, Red Rooster wrote:
9. Villanova
20. St. John's
27. Marquette
37. Xavier
39. Providence
55. Seton Hall
71. Creighton
74. Butler
100. Georgetown
122. DePaul

https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... very-team/

49. Saint Joseph's
50. Saint Louis
68. Davidson
115. George Mason
134. Rhode Island
140. Dayton
155. VCU
173. St. Bonaventure
178. Massachusetts
210. Richmond
229. Duquesne
262. George Washington
282. La Salle
300. Fordham
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5. 2019-20 ROSTER UPDATE

Newest Dayton Flyers recruit described as ‘phenomenal athlete’ - David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News – October 9, 2018

Moulaye Sissoko committed to Dayton on Monday

Moulaye Sissoko – 247 Sports . . . Moulaye Sissoko – Verbal Commits


DAYTON FLYERS DEPTH CHART 2019-2020 (12 active players with present-day player weights listed)

C: (1) R-Jr. Jordy Tshimanga, (6’-11”, 270 lbs.)
PF/C: (1) Fr. Moulaye Sissoko (6’-10”, 240 lbs.)
SF/PF: (2) R-Soph. Obi Toppin (6’-10”, 230 lbs.), Soph. Frankie Policelli (6’-8”, 210 lbs.)
SF: (1) R-Sr. Ryan Mikesell (6’-7”, 215 lbs.)
SF/SG: (3) Sr. Trey Landers (6’-5”, 224 lbs.), Sr. Jhery Matos (6’-6”, 190 lbs.), Jr. Ibi Watson (6’-5”, 200 lbs.)
SG: (1 ) Jr. Jordan Davis (6’-2”, 195 lbs.)
SG/PG: (1) Soph. Dwayne Cohill (6’-2”, 176 lbs.)
PG: (2) Jr. Jalen Crutchen (6’-1”, 161 lbs.), Jr. Rodney Chatman ( 6’-1”, 178 lbs.)

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REPLIES TO POSTS ON THE UConn smoke THREAD

On December 14th Gopher+RamFan wrote:
In the 4 seasons since Shaka Smart left VCU:

VCU has 3 Tournament appearances, 1 Conference Championship, 1 Conference regular season Championship
Dayton has 3 Tournament appearances, 2 Conference regular season Championships (all under Archie)
SLU has 0 Tournament appearances, 0 Championships.

On December 15th adoraz wrote:

On December 15th gosports1 wrote:
Dayton seems to check the most boxes
Commitment to BB
Institutional fit
Geographic footprint
Brings fans to Garden

None of the other realistic candidates check all of these 4 boxes (UConn, VCU, SLU, Richmond , Gonzaga)

Maybe, but they don't check off the biggest box, which is being consistently good in basketball.

Give Anthony Grant a couple of years, and we could well see the Flyers returning to being consistently good in basketball.

Archie Miller left Dayton with the program in a mess, and Anthony Grant has devoted his first two seasons at UD to cleaning it up. His efforts are already beginning to show dividends.

Dayton will play season with eight scholarship players after deciding to redshirt one freshman - Dayton Daily News - November 10, 2018

Dayton coach Anthony Grant said that forward Frankie Policelli from New Hartford, N.Y., and Long Island Lutheran High School, will redshirt this season.

Dayton’s Anthony Grant provides update on injured junior guard Jhery Matos - Dayton Daily News - December 3, 2018

Matos will undergo season-ending surgery

Matos averaged 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game in the first six games and made his mark on the defensive end and with some standout passing. Without Matos, who joined Dayton after two playing two seasons of junior college basketball, Dayton has eight scholarship players. Freshman Frankie Policelli, who was going to redshirt this season, made his debut Friday.

Long-armed, athletic wing Jhery Matos was widely regarded as the Flyers’ best defensive player and passer. His replacement, Frankie Policelli is widely regarded as the Flyer’s worst defensive player and passer, which is why Anthony Grant chose to give Policelli a red shirt for his freshman year.
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UPDATED DAYTON FLYERS 2018-19 DEPTH CHART (8 active players with the lone Senior in red and Juniors in blue)

Starters:

C: R-Sr. Josh Cunningham (6’-8”, 240 lbs.)
PF: Jr. Trey Landers (6’-5”, 221 lbs.)
SF: R-Jr. Ryan Mikesell (6’-7”, 215 lbs.)
SG: Soph. Jordan Davis (6’-2”, 195 lbs.)
PG: Soph. Jalen Crutcher (6’-1”, 170 lbs.)

Bench:

SF/PF: R-Fr. Obi Toppin (6’-9”, 225 lbs.), Fr. Frankie Policelli (6’-8”, 215 lbs.)
PG/SG: Fr. Dwayne Cohill (6’-2”, 176 lbs.)

Hats off to 6’-5” junior Trey Landers. Four years ago, Landers was a 6’-3”, 185-lb. wing for local Wayne HS. This season, Landers is the Flyers’ starting power forward, averaging 9.8 PPG and leading the Flyers in rebounding with 7.4 RPG. Dayton Flyers’ Stats

The 2018-19 Flyers have one senior, a serious lack of height, and a bench without any college basketball experience. This would normally be a recipe for disaster, but Anthony Grant has the team playing much better than expected. The big problem – as was predicted by all – is that having only three reserve players who are all freshmen puts Dayton at a big disadvantage in every game. To wit:

Nov. 22, 2018: #4 Virginia 66, Dayton 59 – Dayton trailed #4 Virginia 60-56 with 1:30 left to play, then ran out of gas.

Nov. 23, 2018: Oklahoma 65, Dayton 54 - Dayton trailed Oklahoma 50-48 with 4:30 left to play, then ran out of gas.

Dec. 1, 2018: #25 Mississippi State 65, Dayton 58 - Dayton led #25 Mississippi State 53-50 with 3:30 left to play, then ran out of gas.

Dec. 9, 2018: #8 Auburn 82, Dayton 72 - Dayton trailed #8 Auburn 51-32 at halftime and Auburn coasted to an easy homecourt win.

But help is on the way:

. . . Medical Red Shirt for the 2018-19 Season:

. . . . . . SG/SF: R-Jr. Jhery Matos (6’-5”, 192 lbs.)

. . . Practicing with the team but red-shirting the 2018-19 season as transfers:

. . . . . . C: R-Jr. Jordy Tshimanga, (6’-11”, 275 lbs.)
. . . . . . SF/SG: R-Jr. Ibi Watson (6’-5”, 200 lbs.)
. . . . . . PG: R-Jr. Rodney Chatman ( 6’-1”, 178 lbs.)
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Height and depth – the Flyers’ two biggest deficiencies this season – will not be a problem the next two seasons - Anthony Grant’s 3rd and 4th at UD:

DAYTON FLYERS 2019-20 DEPTH CHART (12 active players with present-day player weights listed)

C: R-Jr. Jordy Tshimanga, (6’-11”, 275 lbs.)
PF/C: Fr. Moulaye Sissoko (6’-10”, 240 lbs.)
SF/PF: R-Soph. Obi Toppin (6’-9”, 225 lbs.), Soph. Frankie Policelli (6’-8”, 215 lbs.)
SF: R-Sr. Ryan Mikesell (6’-7”, 215 lbs.)

PF/SF/SG: Sr. Trey Landers (6’-5”, 221 lbs.)
SG/SF: R-Jr. Jhery Matos (6’-5”, 192 lbs.), R-Jr. Ibi Watson (6’-5”, 200 lbs.)
SG: Jr. Jordan Davis (6’-2”, 195 lbs.)
PG/SG: Soph. Dwayne Cohill (6’-2”, 176 lbs.)
PG: Jr. Jalen Crutchen (6’-1”, 161 lbs.), R-Jr. Rodney Chatman ( 6’-1”, 178 lbs.)
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DAYTON FLYERS 2020-21 DEPTH CHART (10 active players with present-day player weights listed)

C: R-Sr. Jordy Tshimanga, (6’-11”, 275 lbs.)
PF/C: Soph. Moulaye Sissoko (6’-10”, 240 lbs.)
SF/PF: R-Jr. Obi Toppin (6’-10”, 230 lbs.), Jr. Frankie Policelli (6’-8”, 210 lbs.)

SF/SG: R-Sr. Jhery Matos (6’-5”, 192 lbs.), Sr. Ibi Watson (6’-5”, 200 lbs.)
SG: Sr. Jordan Davis (6’-2”, 195 lbs.)
SG/PG: Jr. Dwayne Cohill (6’-2”, 176 lbs.)
PG: Sr. Jalen Crutchen (6’-1”, 161 lbs.), Sr. Rodney Chatman ( 6’-1”, 178 lbs.)

The Flyer Faithful are quite pleased with the job Anthony Grant is doing at UD, and find optimism in the fact that this season’s team – with all of its deficiencies – is still competitive with the likes of Virginia, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State. With only one senior graduating in the spring and being replaced by four juniors and a very big freshman, such optimism appears justified.

APRIL 10, 2019 UPDATE

1. NET and NIT
2. ATTENDANCE
3. THE ANNUAL WALL STREET JOURNAL COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM VALUATIONS
4. OBI TOPPIN IS THE REAL DEAL
5. 2019-20 ROSTER UPDATE
6. EARLY PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON
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1. NET and NIT

No. 6 Saint Louis Upsets No. 3 Dayton to Advance to A10 Championship Semifinals – Atlantic 10 Conference – March 15, 2019

Final 2018-19 Atlantic 10 Basketball Standings - ESPN

NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL NET RANKINGS - ncaa.com - Games through Monday, April 8, 2019

2 – Gonzaga (30-3; NCAA Tournament # 1 Seed)
26 – Villanova (25-9; NCAA Tournament # 6 Seed)
28 – Marquette (24-9; NCAA Tournament # 5 Seed)

53 – Creighton (18-14; NIT # 2 Seed)
57 - Seton Hall (20-13; NCAA Tournament # 10 Seed)
64 – Butler (16-16; NIT # 5 Seed)
67 – Xavier (18-15; NIT # 3 Seed)
69 - Dayton (21-11; NIT # 5 Seed)
70 – Providence (18-15; NIT # 4 Seed)
73 - St. John's (21-12; NCAA Tournament # 11 Seed – First Four Play-in Game at UD Arena)
82 – Georgetown (19-13; NIT # 3 Seed)

95 – UConn (16-17)
102 – DePaul (15-15; CBI Tournament)
103 - Saint Louis (23-12; NCAA Tournament # 13 Seed)
112 - Notre Dame (14-19)
118 - St. Bonaventure (18-16)
194 – Richmond (13-20)

#4 Colorado 78, # 5 Dayton 73 – NIT First Round Box Score – March 20, 2019
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2. ATTENDANCE

2018-19 Average Home Attendance

Creighton - 15, 980
Marquette - 15,821
Dayton 12,941
Xavier - 10,034
Providence - 9542
St. John's - 9193
Villanova – 9053
UConn - 8652
Seton Hall – 8507
Butler – 8419
Notre Dame - 7627
Georgetown – 7212
Saint Louis 6890
Gonzaga - 6000
Richmond - 5730
DePaul - 3847

Dayton Flyers will hit attendance milestone Sunday in A10 opener against Richmond – Dayton Daily News - January 3, 2019

The 10 millionth fan to see a Dayton Flyers men’s basketball game at UD Arena will pass through the doors on Sunday, January 6 when the team begins Atlantic 10 Conference play with a noon game against Richmond at UD Arena. Dayton enters game needing 380 fans to hit the milestone.

Dayton will become the 11th program to draw 10 million fans to its arena, joining Purdue, Butler, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt.

Dayton has averaged 12,897 fans in eight home games this season. In the previous 49 seasons, Dayton averaged 11,952 fans with the low average of 9,950 coming in 1982-83 and the high average of 13,018 coming in 2016-17. Dayton ranked 23rd in the nation in attendance last season (12,996) and has finished in the top 30 in the nation 20 straight seasons.

UD Arena's 10 Millionth Fan To Attend Sunday's Richmond At Dayton Game – University of Dayton - January 3, 2019
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3. THE ANNUAL WALL STREET JOURNAL COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM VALUATIONS

How Much Is Your College-Basketball Team Worth? - Andrew Beaton, The Wall Street Journal - April 8, 2019

Kentucky leads the country with a valuation of $334.2 million, according to an annual study by Ryan Brewer, an associate professor of finance at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus. This is Kentucky’s third straight year atop the rankings, while its value shot up 35.5% over a year ago.

The annual study assesses what every college team would be worth if it could be bought and sold on the open market like a professional franchise. Brewer’s analysis takes into account each program’s revenues and expenses with cash-flow adjustments, risk assessments, and growth projections.

The two teams in this year’s title game, No. 1 seed Virginia ($64 million) and No. 3 seed Texas Tech ($40.3 million) ranked 36th and 62nd, respectively. But those low rankings probably don’t matter much to either of them: Both the Cavaliers and Red Raiders are playing for their first ever championship on Monday night.

RANK SCHOOL ... VALUATION ... 1-YR VALUE CHANGE

18. University of Dayton .... $100,010,000 ... 18.40%
26. Marquette University ..... $72,400,000 .... 4.50%
28. Villanova University ....... $71,080,000 ... 64.90%
35. Gonzaga University ........ $66,120,000 ... 37.80%
38. Xavier University .......... $61,870,000 ..... 3.30%
50. Georgetown University ... $50,270,000 ... -13.90%

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4. OBI TOPPIN IS THE REAL DEAL

Freshman forward Obi Toppin lived up to the national preseason hype he received.

WATCH: Dayton’s Obi Toppin pulls off through-the-legs dunk in win over Georgia Southern – Fox Sports - December 29, 2018

WATCH: Dayton's Obi Toppin throws down insane between-the-legs dunk vs. Georgia Southern – CBS Sports - December 29, 2018

OBI TOPPIN EARNS SEVENTH ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONOR – Atlantic 10 Conference – March 11, 2019

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE END OF YEAR AWARDS – Atlantic 10 Conference – March 12, 2019

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Obi Toppin, Dayton

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
Kellan Grady, Davidson
Obi Toppin, Dayton
Courtney Stockard, St. Bonaventure
Marcus Evans, VCU

Four Flyers Earn All-Atlantic 10 Honors – University of Dayton – March 12, 2019

Obi Toppin was named A-10 Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Atlantic 10. He is the first University of Dayton player to be named Rookie of the Year, and the first freshman named First Team All-Atlantic 10 since Lamar Odom was selected in 1998-99.

The 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman forward from Ossining, N.Y. is fourth nationally in FG% (.673, 189-281) and is second in dunks (school-record 80). He leads UD in scoring (14.4), is second in FT% (.718, 61-85), and third in rebounding (5.6) and assists (59). Since conference play began in January, he has increased his scoring production every month – 12.0 in January, 17.0 in February and 19.3 in March. Over the last 12 games of the season, he has averaged 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. Toppin was also named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team.

Sophomore Jalen Crutcher was named Third Team All-Atlantic 10. Crutcher was on the All-Rookie team as a freshman last season. The point guard from Memphis is second in the A-10 in assists per game (5.7), and also second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.11). He is third for Dayton in scoring this year (13.0) and leads the team in three-pointers made (2.1).

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5. 2019-20 ROSTER UPDATE

The Flyers will be losing only one senior to graduation this spring, 6’-8” Center Josh Cunningham. Since my last post on this topic on December 16, 2018, Dayton has had one player transfer in (committing to the 13th and final scholarship for 2018-19), then recently, two players have decided to transfer from UD, leaving two scholarships available for the 2019-20 season. It is widely anticipated that Coach Grant will use the two newly-available scholarships for a couple of transfers who will sit out the upcoming 2019-20 season.

Chase Johnson Transfers To Dayton From Florida – University of Dayton – January 7, 2019

University of Dayton men's basketball coach Anthony Grant has announced that Chase Johnson, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward from Ripley, West Virginia, will transfer to UD from the University of Florida. Johnson will enroll at UD for the second semester, and be eligible next season after the completion of the first semester. Johnson was rated a four-star performer coming out of high school, and ranked 85th in his class. He played his senior season at Huntington Prep, a perennial Top Ten program nationally. He averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds for Huntington Prep, and was named All-West Virginia by USA Today.

Jordan Davis To Transfer From Men's Basketball Program – University of Dayton – March 26, 2019

DAYTON – University of Dayton sophomore guard Jordan Davis has announced that he will transfer from the Flyer men's basketball program. Davis, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard from Irmo, S.C., is the only player from South Carolina to wear the Flyer uniform. He played in all 64 games of his career and started 54 in his two seasons at Dayton. As a freshman, he averaged 8.0 points and 1.0 rebounds a game. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds, while starting in 32 of 33 games played. For his career, he shot .412 (199-483) from the field, .359 (110-306) from three-point range, and .711 (64-90) from the line.

Dayton Forward Frankie Policelli Leaving UD After One Season – Dayton Daily News – April 9, 2019

Policelli saw limited minutes in 20 games. He averaged 0.9 points in 4.8 minutes per game. He did not appear in either postseason game against Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament or Colorado in the NIT.

Dayton Flyers: A Look at 2019-20 Roster After Departures of Jordan Davis and Frankie Policelli – Dayton Daily News – April 9, 2019

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6. EARLY PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON

On September 11, 2018 Fieldhouse Flyer wrote:
The 2018-19 Flyers appear to be much stronger and deeper than the 2017-18 team, and this season, Dayton will return 5 players who have regularly started for the Flyers. Assuming that the Flyers do not have any injuries to key players, I expect the 2018-19 Flyers to be a Top 75 / NIT team.

Without unforeseen roster changes, the 2019-20 Flyers will feature 3 seniors, 5 juniors, and 3 sophomores. Assuming that the Flyers do not have any injuries to key players, I expect the 2019-20 Flyers to be a Top 40 / NCAA Tournament team.

Without unforeseen roster changes, the 2020-21 Flyers will feature 5 seniors and 3 juniors. Assuming that the Flyers do not have any injuries to key players, I expect the 2020-21 Flyers to be a Top 25 / NCAA Tournament team.

2020 NCAA tournament prediction: Does Dayton make the cut? – Dayton Daily News – April 9, 2019

Hours before the 2019 national championship, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released his first 2020 bracket prediction. The Flyers, who return three starters and add four transfers from a team that finished 21-12, are a No. 10 seed in the first bracket.

As things turned out, key reserve junior 6’-5” SG Jhery Matos suffered a season-ending injury (two torn ligaments in left foot) in Dayton’s sixth game of the season, reducing Anthony Grant’s rotation to 7 players, with only freshmen Obi Toppin and Dwayne Cohill to call on as reserves. In January 2019, Obi Toppin replaced 6’-5” Trey Landers as the Flyers’ starting PF, with Trey then becoming a key sixth man – substituting at the PF, SF, and SG positions.

Obi Toppin will be returning as the Flyers’ starting PF in 2019-20 and be backed up by senior Trey Landers until the end of the first semester in December 2019, when 6’-9”, 220-lb. PF Chase Johnson becomes eligible to play. Obi Toppin should also be a candidate for the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award if his game continues to develop as rapidly as it has of late. Therein lies the decision of freshman PF Frankie Policelli to transfer from Dayton, as Policelli would be in fourth place at PF on the Flyers’ 2019-20 Depth Chart – not where you want to be if you want to play.

Likewise, the Flyers’ 2019-20 Depth Chart appeared to be the primary reason for 6’-2” SG Jordan Davis transferring from Dayton, as 6’-5” SG Ibi Watson has reportedly been Dayton’s second-best player in practices this season and is expected to be the Flyers’ starting SG next season. 6’-5” SG Jhery Matos is reportedly making a good recovery, and is a better passer and defender than Jordan Davis, who lacked the skill set to play PG.

Archie Miller left Anthony Grant with a real mess to clean up on the Flyers’ Roster two years ago, and to his credit, Coach Grant has done a great job in building for the future, which begins in the 2019-20 season, and hopefully, a return to regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

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2019 Maui Invitational: Bracket, Schedule, and Teams – NCAA.com – November 3, 2019




Dayton rolls over Georgia 80-61 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 26, 2019

Virginia Tech knocks off No. 3 Michigan State 71-66 in Maui - The Associated Press - November 26, 2019

No. 4 Kansas cruises over Chaminade 93-63 in Maui - The Associated Press - November 26, 2019

BYU pulls away late to beat UCLA 78-63 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 26, 2019


No. 3 Michigan St. seeks bounce-back effort vs. Georgia - The Associated Press - November 26, 2019

A matchup between a Georgia team loaded with freshman phenoms and third-ranked Michigan State on the second day of the Maui Invitational might not come as a surprise. That the two teams will meet on the consolation side of the bracket, however, is unexpected.

Michigan State (3-2) could not rally from a late 10-point deficit on Monday en route to a 71-66 opening-round loss to Virginia Tech.

Georgia (4-1), meanwhile, trailed by double digits virtually the entire way in an 80-61 loss to Dayton.

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Bilas Index: 1-68 team rankings, player ranks and more - Jay Bilas, ESPN – November 5, 2019

1. Michigan State Spartans
2. Kansas Jayhawks
3. Florida Gators
4. Kentucky Wildcats
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. Louisville Cardinals
7. Gonzaga Bulldogs
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
9. Duke Blue Devils
10. Villanova Wildcats

15. Davidson Wildcats
17. VCU Rams

21. Ohio State Buckeyes
22. Providence Friars
23. Cincinnati Bearcats
24. Colorado Buffaloes
25. Seton Hall Pirates
27. Saint Mary's Gaels
29. Dayton Flyers

31. Xavier Musketeers
38. Georgetown Hoyas

41. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
47. Marquette Golden Eagles

50. Georgia Bulldogs
51. Wichita State Shockers
52. Indiana Hoosiers
55. Creighton Bluejays
56. Syracuse Orange
57. UConn Huskies

60. Butler Bulldogs
61. BYU Cougars
63. UCLA Bruins

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2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational – Second Round Games

UCLA pulls away to beat Chaminade 74-48 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 27, 2019

No. 3 Michigan State holds off Georgia 93-85 in Maui - The Associated Press - November 27, 2019

No. 4 Kansas beats BYU 71-56 for spot in Maui title game - The Associated Press - November 27, 2019

Toppin leads Dayton to 89-62 win over Virginia Tech in Maui - The Associated Press - November 27, 2019

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Dayton wanted to use its size as an advantage against Virginia Tech, mainly by getting the ball in the post to Obi Toppin.

Twenty dunks is a good sign it worked. Now Obi and the Flyers are headed to the Maui Invitational title game.

Obi Toppin had 24 points and eight rebounds in another dominating Maui Invitational performance, lifting Dayton into the title game with an emphatic 89-62 victory over Virginia Tech on Tuesday.

"I think all year we have been one of the more efficient teams in the country when you look at it from an offensive standpoint," Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. "So for us, I think it's just understanding who we are, identity-wise, and trying to stick to that identity."

Toppin rose to the occasion on the national stage in Dayton's Maui opener and topped himself against Virginia Tech.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore had the loud Dayton crowd roaring in the first half with a string of 3-pointers and brought them to their feet with a series of dunks in the second as the Flyers (5-0) raced past Virginia Tech (6-1).

Toppin shot 10 of 14 from the floor and led an early charge as Dayton jumped on the Hokies. The Flyers shot 64%, went 11 of 23 from the 3-point arc and have a chance to add a second Maui Invitational title -- with 2003 -- against No. 4 Kansas Wednesday night.

Virginia Tech notched the first upset in Maui, making all the big plays down the stretch to knock off No. 3 Michigan State 71-66.

The Flyers opened their fourth Maui trip by knocking off Georgia 80-61 behind Toppin's 25 points. Dayton closed out the rousing victory by hitting its final 10 shots.

BIG PICTURE

Dayton will be a popular mid-major pick to make a deep run in March regardless of what happens in the title game. The Flyers are that good.

Virginia Tech took down mighty Michigan State, but was no match for Toppin and the Flyers.

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NBA mock draft: LaMelo Ball is now a real No. 1 pick contender - ESPN - September 24, 2019

2020 NBA Mock Draft

24. LA Lakers - Obi Toppin / Dayton / 6-9 PF[/b]

Dayton forward Toppin moves up in latest 2020 mock draft by ESPN - Dayton Daily News - September 25, 2019

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote, “Dayton power forward Obi Toppin moved up 20 spots to No. 24 after his performance at the Nike Skills Academy, which would have won him camp MVP had that award been handed out. The redshirt sophomore is the oldest player projected in our first round, at 21.5 years.”

2019-2020 Men's Basketball Overall Statistics – Atlantic 10 Conference – updated November 27, 2019

Dayton Flyers Stats 2019-20 – ESPN – updated November 27, 2019

Obi Toppin – 24.0 PPG and 8.2 RPG in 30.0 MPG // 72.3% FGs, 75.0% FTs, and 53.3% 3-PT (8 of 15 made)

If Kansas can shut down Obi Toppin later today, the Jayhawks win. If they can’t Dayton just might pull off the upset in the Championship game. We’ll see.

.
2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational – Third Round Games

7th Place Game: Georgia outlasts Chaminade 80-77 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 28, 2019

5th Place Game: No. 3 Michigan State beats UCLA 75-62 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 28, 2019

3rd Place Game: BYU shoots down Virginia Tech 90-77 at Maui Invitational - The Associated Press - November 28, 2019

Championship Game: No. 4 Kansas beats Dayton 90-84 in overtime for Maui title - The Associated Press - November 28, 2019

LAHAINA, Hawaii --The Flyers and Jayhawks spent much of the afternoon trading leads and highlight-reel plays in a bleacher-shaking atmosphere inside the bandbox Lahaina Civic Center. Kansas (6-1) looked as if it would run away with a late 11-0 run in regulation.

The Flyers refused to back down, tying it when Jalen Crutcher buried a 3-pointer from about 5 feet behind the new, deeper arc with 2.1 seconds left.

The Jayhawks absorbed the blow and delivered a few in overtime with their 7-foot, 270-pound center. Kansas went to Azubuike early in the overtime and the big man delivered, scoring three baskets at the rim. A 32% free throw shooter entering the game, he also hit three from the line in overtime. Marcus Garrett made three free throws in the final 18 seconds to seal Kansas' second Maui title in four years.

Dayton made a name for itself by winning the first two Maui games, then went toe-to-toe with a blue-blood in the final.

As expected, Dayton and Kansas played a fast-paced, high-level game with the championship on the line, trading dunks, 3-pointers and buckets in transition.

"That was a great basketball game," Self said. "Two good teams competing against each other and in a terrific atmosphere."

BIG PICTURE

Dayton burst into the national consciousness with its run in Maui, beating two larger-conference schools and taking Kansas to the wire.

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Last night jbarajas0490 wrote:
Dayton is legit this year.

Last night Jet915 wrote:
A-10 has a couple of lock NCAA teams this year in Dayton and VCU. WCC will get Gonzaga and St. Mary's.

I agree.

Maui Invitational: Wrapping up Dayton Flyers’ runner-up finish – Dayton Daily News – November 28, 2019

Flyers rank first in the nation in two offensive categories.

It’s an old story — Dayton fans traveling well, no matter the distance — but one that bears repeating. “We got some of the greatest fans in the country,” Grant said. “You can see by the way they travel, the way they show up here. They love the Flyers. So I can’t thank them enough for coming out here and giving us all the love and support that they give us.”

Dayton had a large fan advantage Monday in an 80-61 victory against Georgia and again Tuesday in an 87-62 victory against Virginia Tech. UD fans may have matched Kansas fans in energy and decibels Wednesday in the championship game, but one of college basketball’s most famous programs did bring more fans, not to mention a talented team that proved just a bit too tough for the Flyers.

Best stats: Dayton’s consistent offense has scored at least 80 points in all six games. The Flyers rank No. 1 in the country in two categories: effective field-goal percentage (62.6), which takes into account 2s and 3s, and 2-point field-goal percentage (66.2). The offense ranks fifth overall in efficiency.

The Flyers improved their 3-point accuracy in each of the three games: 37 percent to 45.8 to 48.5. They rank 36th in the country in 3-point shooting accuracy (38.9) after ranking 231st (33.2) last season.

Best development: Dayton center Jordy Tshimanga, who missed the first three games with a knee injury, played seven minutes against Georgia and two minutes against Kansas, scoring five points in the two appearances. He didn’t get much of a chance to show what he can do in that short time, but it was a step toward getting back to playing meaningful minutes down the line.

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College basketball rankings: Dayton makes an appearance at No. 9 – Gary Parrish, CBS Sports – Wednesday morning November 27, 2019

How much fun was Tuesday night?

First, Dayton put on an amazing performance in an 89-62 victory over a previously unbeaten Virginia Tech team that had topped Michigan State just one day prior. Shouts to Obi Toppin. Then, Stephen F. Austin, as a 28-point underdog, beat No. 1 Duke 85-83 in overtime inside Cameron Indoor Stadium in what was one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. Shouts to Nathan Bain.

Just an incredible evening.

Needless to say, the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings have been impacted. Duke was hit with the same 10-spot auto-drop that I previously used on Kentucky and Michigan State; it's the best way, in my opinion, to blindly punish obviously good teams with strong computer numbers for bad losses without overreacting to a suddenly questionable body of work. Meanwhile, undefeated Dayton jumped to No. 9 in Wednesday's updated Top 25 And 1 because, man, the Flyers just looked terrific against Virginia Tech -- and I won't be surprised at all if Anthony Grant's team beats Kansas in the title game of the Maui Invitational. Toppin, who is averaging 24.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 72.3 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range, will enter the showdown with the highest Player Efficiency Rating in the country. He's a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate.

Wednesday's Top 25 And 1 BIGGEST MOVER: +18 DAYTON

1. Louisville 6-0
2. Kansas 5-1
3. Maryland 5-0
4. North Carolina 5-0
5. Virginia 7-0
6. Gonzaga 6-0
7. Seton Hall 4-1
8. Ohio State 6-0
9. Dayton 5-0
10. Kentucky 5-1
11. Duke 6-1
12. Michigan State 5-2
13. Texas Tech 5-0
14. Oregon 5-0
15. Memphis 5-1
16. Auburn 7-0
17. VCU 6-0
18. Tennessee 5-0
19. Arizona 6-0
20. Utah State 7-0
21. LSU 4-2
22. Washington 5-1
23. Baylor 5-1
24. Villanova 4-2
25. Colorado 5-0
26. Penn State 5-0

This morning the Dayton Daily News wrote:
Dayton’s performance raised the expectations to an even higher level. The Flyers are now favored in every remaining game, according to KenPom.

Quotes like this are fun to read, but foolish to believe. In Joe Lunardi’s November 22nd Bracketology, Joe projected RPI #15 Dayton to be a #11 seed and to host an NCAA Tournament play-in game at UD Arena. Dayton received one vote in Monday’s AP Poll. I would expect both numbers to improve in the coming weeks. And finally,

JANUARY 3, 2020 UPDATE

1. Maui Jim Maui Invitational Announces 2020 Field
2. Dayton Flyers Schedule & Results
3. NET Rankings on January 3, 2020
4. Congratulations to Villanova!
5. Ouch! That Really Stung!
6. Some Impressive Statistics
7. Attendance as of January 2, 2020
8. Academic Rankings
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1. Maui Jim Maui Invitational Announces 2020 Field

Maui Jim Maui Invitational Announces 2020 Field - Maui Jim Maui Invitational - April 19, 2019

Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, Texas, and UNLV will convene in Maui for the 37th annual Tournament, which will be contested November 23-25, 2020 at the historic Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui.

Best of luck to the Friars in November!
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2. Dayton Flyers Schedule & Results

Link: Dayton Flyers Schedule & Results (12-2)
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3. NET Rankings on January 3, 2020

NET Rankings - NCAA.com – Through Games on Thursday January 2, 2020

1 San Diego State
2 Kansas
3 Ohio State
4 Butler
5 Duke
6 Baylor
7 Auburn
8 Gonzaga
9 Dayton
10 West Virginia
17 Villanova
22 Colorado
23 Creighton

27 Saint Mary's
28 Seton Hall
34 Marquette
42 Virginia Tech
43 VCU
44 Xavier
46 Georgetown
48 St. John's

59 Georgia
63 DePaul
64 Richmond
75 Duquesne

78 UConn
79 Saint Louis
90 Rhode Island
96 Davidson

102 George Mason
105 Providence
124 La Salle
131 Massachusetts
172 St. Bonaventure

221 Saint Joseph's
248 George Washington
262 Fordham

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4. Congratulations to Villanova!

On what could turn out to be the Big East’s best non-conference win this season:

Villanova 56, Kansas 55 - ESPN Box Score – December 21, 2019

Kansas free throw shooting: 4-10 (40%)
Villanova free throw shooting: 2-2 (100%)

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5. Ouch! That Really Stung!

Kansas 90, Dayton 84 • OT - ESPN Box Score – November 27, 2019

Kansas 36 37 • 17 • 90
Dayton 37 36 • 11 • 84

Kansas free throw shooting: 20-28 (71%)
Dayton free throw shooting: 14-19 (74%)

Colorado 78, Dayton 76 • OT - ESPN Box Score – December 21, 2019

Colorado 32 34 • 12 • 78
Dayton 36 30 • 10 • 76

Colorado free throw shooting: 17-21 (81%)
Dayton free throw shooting: 5-7 (74%)

It’s interesting that the officials called a total of 12 fouls in the Villanova-Kansas game, but called 47 fouls in the Dayton-Kansas game, which was not any more physical than the Villanova-Kansas game.

Dayton’s only two losses to date were in games featuring numerous very questionable calls that seriously favored Kansas and Colorado. Dayton’s wins over St. Mary's and Virginia Tech were expected, but most disappointingly, the Flyers are only two referees' whistles away from a 14-0 record to start the season.
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6. Some Impressive Statistics

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - Scoring (Points Per Game)

7. Dayton 83.3

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - Field Goal Percentage

1. Dayton .531

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - 2-Point Field Goal Percentage

1. Dayton .628

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - 3-Point Field Goal Percentage

17. Dayton .387

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - Assists Per Game

2. Dayton 19.8

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Statistics - Team Assist/Turnover Ratio

7. Dayton 1.47

Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Statistics - Atlantic 10 Conference – Updated January 3, 2020

Dayton Flyers Men's Basketball Statistics - ESPN – Updated January 3, 2020
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7. Attendance as of January 2, 2020

Atlantic 10 Average Home Game Attendance . . . Big East Average Home Game Attendance

Creighton 16,878
Marquette 14,607
Dayton 13,315
Xavier 10,247
Villanova 10,065

Providence 8,486
Seton Hall 8,202
Butler 8,180
Connecticut 8,106
VCU 7,637
Georgetown 7,008
Saint Louis 6,165
Rhode Island 5,601
Richmond 5,372

DePaul 4,605
St. Bonaventure 3,776
St. John's 3,730
George Mason 3,723
Davidson 3,524
UMass 2,486
George Washington 2,413
Saint Joseph's 2,234
La Salle 2,085
Fordham 1,999
Duquesne 1,347

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8. Academic Rankings

2020 Best Catholic Colleges in America - Niche Best Catholic Colleges

2020 RANKINGS - THE BEST 164 CATHOLIC COLLEGES IN AMERICA

1. University of Notre Dame (National Ranking: #17 of 1,626)
2. Georgetown University (National Ranking: #24 of 1,626)
4. Villanova University (National Ranking: #81 of 1,626)

7. Saint Louis University (National Ranking: #138 of 1,626)
10. University of Dayton (National Ranking: #150 of 1,626)
---- University of Connecticut (National Ranking: #163 of 1,626)
12. Creighton University (National Ranking: #180 of 1,626)
14. Gonzaga University (National Ranking: #185 of 1,626)
---- Butler University (National Ranking: #190 of 1,626)

17. Marquette University (National Ranking: #206 of 1,626)
20. Fordham University (National Ranking: #233 of 1,626)
21. Providence College (National Ranking: #235 of 1,626)
22. DePaul University (National Ranking: #238 of 1,626)
28. Seton Hall University (National Ranking: #280 of 1,626)

---- Virginia Commonwealth (National Ranking: #376 of 1,626)
45. Xavier University (National Ranking: #392 of 1,626)

77. St. John's University (National Ranking: #639 of 1,626)

2020 Best Colleges in America - Niche Best Colleges
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.
Reply to January 13th Posts on the ‘Top 25 - Getting & Staying Ranked (2019-2020)’ Thread

On Monday January 13th kayako wrote:
Re: Top 25 - Getting & Staying Ranked (2019-2020)

351 coaches would thrather play Dayton in NCAAT than Nova.

kayako – I seriously doubt your assertion (which is really an unsubstantiated opinion).

On Monday January 13th kayako wrote:

scoscox wrote:
Kenpom:
Nova: 23
Wichita: 25
Dayton: 6

I could never be mistaken for a dayton fan, but not sure why you think this. neither nova or wichita have been particularly impressive

You'll convince nobody that Dayton is #6 team or even has the 6th best resume.

kayako – I may be mistaken, but it appears to me that the point scosox was trying to make in his post was that Dayton may have a better team than Villanova or Wichita State this season.

No one has posted ”Dayton is #6 team or even has the 6th best resume”, so I’m at a loss to understand why you are arguing with no one.

While your complaint about Dayton presently being ranking higher than Villanova pertains specifically to the AP Poll, there are others:

NET Rankings (updated January 13, 2020): 8. Dayton, 20. Villanova

Coaches Poll (updated January 13, 2020): 11. Dayton, 18. Villanova
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Another reason why AP Poll voters, national broadcasters, and national sports writers are giving the Dayton Flyers a lot of favorable coverage is their very impressive statistics:

NCAA Division I Statistics: Field Goad Percent – Games through January 13, 2020

1. Dayton .524
108T. Villanova .452

NCAA Division I Statistics – 2-Point Field Goad Percent – Games through January 13, 2020

1. Dayton .623
32T. Villanova .547

NCAA Division I Statistics: 3-Point Field Goad Percent – Games through January 13, 2020

28T. Dayton .375
130T. Villanova .342

NCAA Division I Statistics: Assists Per Game – Games through January 13, 2020

1. Dayton 19.4
42T. Villanova 15.7

NCAA Division I Statistics: Assist/Turnover Ratio – Games through January 13, 2020

4T. Dayton 1.50
17. Villanova 1.37

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On January 3, 2020 Fieldhouse Flyer wrote:
Dayton’s only two losses to date were in games featuring numerous very questionable calls that seriously favored Kansas and Colorado. Dayton’s wins over St. Mary and Virginia Tech were expected, but the Flyers are only two whistles away from a perfect 14-0 record at present.

7 programs with strong cases to be college basketball's next 1st-time champion – NCAA.com – January 13, 2020

Dayton

The Flyers are by no means some under-the-radar program (their home gym hosts the First Four every year) and they went to four consecutive NCAA tournaments last decade, including an Elite Eight appearance, under Archie Miller. But their history also says they're prone to going four or five years, heck, maybe 10, without making the tournament. When they have gone, they've typically earned a seed somewhere between a No. 7 seed and No. 12 seed, which means they're facing an uphill battle to win their opening game, let alone multiple.

But this year, thanks to national player of the year candidate Obi Toppin, Dayton is potentially a top-5 team in the sport. The Flyers are 14-2, ranked No. 6 on kenpom.com, No. 9 in the NET and No. 15 in the AP poll. Their only losses were to likely NCAA tournament teams Kansas and Colorado in overtime on neutral courts. So Dayton is maybe two bounces away from being 16-0 and potentially ranked No. 1 in the country.

Bottom Line: I cannot be convinced that 351 coaches would rather play Dayton in NCAAT than Nova, but think what you will.

On Monday January 13th scoscox wrote:

On Monday January 13th kayako wrote:
Nova and probably Wichita State should have jumped Dayton.

Kenpom:
Nova: 23
Wichita: 25
Dayton: 6

I could never be mistaken for a dayton fan, but not sure why you think this. Neither nova or wichita state have been particularly impressive.

2020 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings - Kenpom.com (updated daily)

Data through games of Wednesday, January 15, 2020 (3199 games)

1. Kansas
2. Duke
3. Baylor
4. West Virginia
5. Dayton
6. Michigan State
7. Butler
8. Gonzaga
9. Ohio State
10. Louisville
11. Seton Hall

23. Colorado
25. Villanova
33. Marquette
36. Saint Mary's
38. Wichita State
39. Creighton
47. Georgetown
50. Virginia Tech
51. VCU

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On January 15th kayako wrote:

Fieldhouse Flyer wrote:
Bottom Line: I cannot be convinced that 351 coaches would rather play Dayton in NCAAT than Nova, but think what you will.

No, you can't convince me that Dayton has the better resume or has the better team.

Fair enough. I’m happy enough to wait until March to see how this all plays out.
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On January 15th kayako wrote:
I shouldn't have mentioned 351 division 1 coaches or placed myself in a hypothetical Mark Few position. There, I'll take it back. Great week for Dayton so far with beating VCU and Georgia & Vtech winning.

Much appreciated, kayako. Thanks.

Link:

On February 2, 2020 kayako wrote:

On February 2, 2020 Fieldhouse Flyer wrote:
5. While it has generally been assumed up until now that Dayton would jump at the opportunity to join the Big East conference, today’s NET Rankings will give the UD administration and athletic department a lot to think about. If Dayton or Gonzaga were members of the Big East Conference this season, it is quite likely that: (a) they would have lost BE conference games by February 1st, (b) they would have worse NET Rankings than they presently enjoy, and (c) they would not be ranked as high in the AP Poll.

6. Item 5 above should end any discussion about Gonzaga joining the Big East in the future, as it can be seen that Gonzaga is clearly better off being the big fish in the WCC. The same logic could also be applied to the Dayton Flyers, who could be better off being the big fish in the Atlantic 10, despite its mid-major status. There are no easy conference games in the Big East, which is great for fans, but not so great for the BE coaches, who have to live with the consequences of having no poor teams in the conference.

7. If Providence were in the Atlantic 10 this season, the Friars would likely be a Top 3 team in the conference and cruising toward an At-large bid in the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Such is the difference in the top-to-bottom quality of the Big East and Atlantic 10.

Being the cream of the crop in a mid-major conference has its advantages. I've argued that Gonzaga probably has no interest in joining the BE, or even a scheduling alliance as suggested by some. Why would they, when they can cherry pick the teams they want to play in OOC to balance out their weak WCC slate? But same logic can not be applied to Dayton, yet. Only if AG guides them to a multi-year domination of A10, which is imo harder than what Gonzaga did in their conference.

You’re right kayako. In fact, you’re probably more ‘right’ than you realize, so I’ll skip to the Bottom Line:

The University of Dayton can afford to pay Anthony Grant $5 million per year, and $5 million per year is enough to keep him at UD.

In Manhattan, you can buy a nice apartment for $5 million. In Dayton, you can buy a nice neighborhood for $5 million.

There are also many other reasons why the Flyer Faithful believe that Coach Grant will finish a very successful coaching career at UD.
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"Gonzaga . . . can cherry pick the teams they want to play in OOC to balance out their weak WCC slate. But same logic can not be applied to Dayton, yet. Only if AG guides them to a multi-year domination of A10, which is imo harder than what Gonzaga did in their conference."

You’re absolutely correct. It always has been, and always will be easier to run the table in the WCC than the Atlantic 10.

NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL NET RANKINGS – NCAA.com - Through Games Played on Monday February 3, 2020

Top 8 WCC Teams:

3 Gonzaga
26 BYU
33 Saint Mary's (CA)
85 San Francisco
100 Santa Clara
124 Pacific
142 Pepperdine
215 San Diego

Top 8 Atlantic 10 Teams:

5 Dayton
36 VCU
40 Rhode Island
56 Richmond
68 Saint Louis
88 Duquesne
98 Davidson
127 St. Bonaventure

8th Place in the Big East Conference:

59 DePaul

The University of Dayton has invested a lot of resources into their basketball program, and it is already paying dividends:

UD Arena Rededication Planned For Men’s Basketball Season Opener – University of Dayton – November 11, 2019

When the Flyers begin the 2019-20 season against Indiana State Saturday night, the University will be celebrating the 50th anniversary season of UD Arena, and the completion of a three-year, $76.2 million Arena Transformation Project. The game is sold out ...

Dayton Flyers sell out 14 of 17 home games in 2019-20 season – Dayton Daily News - December 27, 2019

The 10 remaining Dayton Flyers men’s basketball games at UD Arena this season have sold out. UD announced Friday no tickets remain for the North Florida game. All nine Atlantic 10 Conference home games that follow had already sold out.

Ranking the top 25 players in college basketball two months into the 2019-20 season - John Gasaway, ESPN Insider – January 15, 2020

Here are the top 25 players of the 2020s so far. These are rankings based on college performance and not a mock draft.

1. Obi Toppin, Dayton Flyers

Overlooked national title contender Dayton has surprisingly built an all-time elite offense – Matt Norlander, CBS Sports - January 29, 2020

Matt Norlander focuses on a Flyers team that's so, so much more than Obi Toppin

Just so we're all perfectly clear on this: The Dayton Flyers can win the 2020 national title. UD boasts the goods, so much so that a No. 1 seed isn't out of the equation. If we started the NCAA Tournament today, I'd probably pen UD into my Final Four, regardless of who else was in its quadrant of the bracket. What a powerful, sleek, adroit, satisfying team this is.

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While the recent national publicity has been very positive for the Flyer Faithful, Anthony Grant has not yet led UD to the NCAA Tournament. In April, the sports pages could well be filled with big-money offers for Anthony Grant from big-name basketball programs. There are many reasons to believe that Grant will stay at UD:

Link:

On January 26, 2020 on a Dayton Flyers fan’s message board, a poster wrote:
I don't care what school offers him, I just don't see at this point of his career would AG find anywhere else more attractive. The bigger the school, the better chance that a couple years of disappointment with the fan base will result in him being out of a job. At the age of 53, you are looking for security, continuity and dependability and he's found that here. It's why UD wanted him and he wanted UD. If he were to use this chance as a stepping stone, it would make him disingenuous and that's not who AG is.

I myself will look at these rumors with amusement because I don't believe for a second that an offer he can't refuse to take him away from UD will come. Maybe, when he's in his 60s and the thought of a warm tropical climate is tempting, he would take a step down and coach for a Hawaiian team or something, but he's not going to be lured out of here to step up in status.

On January 26, 2020 on a Dayton Flyers fan’s message board, another poster wrote:
Relax folks...AG is just getting started at UD. He is not leaving after this season. I’m in the camp he retires at UD.

The Grants weren’t planning on leaving OKC until all their kids were thru high school. Based on the DDN article at the time of his hire, AG said he had to talk his wife Chris into changing that plan because UD was such a special place for him. I doubt any other place would rank in that category. Only one I can think of might be Florida and then it’s still a crap shoot like AL ended up being.

But their youngest is 14 years old. That’s another 4 years until he is out of high school. Plus two other kids are enrolled at UD.

And here is something people don’t think about. AG played for Donoher. He was at UD for like 25 years. AG is close to Donoher and I think he would advise AG to stay put, especially if things are going great. Donoher can speak of building a legacy at UD as a successful coach and the satisfaction of being someplace for a long time.

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How Much Is Your College-Basketball Team Worth? - Andrew Beaton, The Wall Street Journal - April 8, 2019

RANK SCHOOL ... VALUATION ... 1-YR VALUE CHANGE

18. University of Dayton .... $100,010,000 ... 18.40%
26. Marquette University ..... $72,400,000 .... 4.50%
28. Villanova University ....... $71,080,000 ... 64.90%
35. Gonzaga University ........ $66,120,000 ... 37.80%
38. Xavier University .......... $61,870,000 ..... 3.30%
50. Georgetown University ... $50,270,000 ... -13.90%

Bottom Line: The University of Dayton can afford to pay Anthony Grant $5 million per year, and $5 million per year is enough to keep him at UD.

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Link:

On February 2nd xudash wrote:
Ohio only has two major teams: Ohio State and Xavier.

AP Men’s Basketball Poll – Week 14 – February 3, 2020

6. Dayton (1271 points)

Others with votes:
Ohio State (19 points)
Bowling Green (1)
Xavier (0)

Bad timing, xudash.
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A lot can change in five years. Link:

On April 10, 2015 xudash wrote:

augkash wrote:
Lol @ all the hate from XU fans. Why are you guys so scared of Dayton? And most people know about Dayton and its basketball program.

You guys haven't proven that you have a clue about putting together a sustainable basketball program that actually wins where it matters.

This is not the time to bring up Archie Miller, because he is not going to stay at UD much longer. If anyone knows about career aspirations when it comes to a member of the Miller family, it would be a Xavior fan.

Dayton's record with respect to naming head coaches is abysmal. There is no other way to look at it.

Finally, most people don't know about UD. That is a ridiculous position to take.

Dick Vitale: Anthony Grant a Candidate for National Coach of the Year – Dayton Daily News – January 26, 2020

Dayton Flyers forward Obi Toppin has been in the conversation about National Player of the Year all season. His coach, Anthony Grant, is starting to get the same type of acclaim. On Saturday, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale wrote on Twitter he would include Grant on his list of five coach of the year candidates.