Dayton Flyers
Atlantic 10 (29-2, 18-0)
Dayton has had an amazing 2019-2020 campaign. They cruised through the Atlantic 10 with an amazing 18-0 record. In non-conference play they fell just twice and both were in overtime. The first loss was in Maui against Kansas. The second came again on a neutral floor, this time against Colorado. None of those are bad losses and the Flyers have proven that they can beat anybody on any given day.
Big Wins: 12/8 vs St. Mary’s (78-68), 1/17 at St. Louis (78-76), 1/25 at Richmond (87-79)
Bad Losses: 11/27 vs Kansas (84-90), 12/21 vs Colorado (76-78)
Coach: Anthony Grant
Why They Can Surprise:
Few teams in the country are as efficient as Dayton. They rank fourth in the nation in assists per game and first in field-goal percentage. Jalen Crutcher is the reason why Dayton shares the ball so effectively. The junior point man dishes out 4.9 assist per game and scores 15.1 points. Fellow guards Trey Landers and Rodney Chatman are capable passers too. While the backcourt deserves a ton of credit, the explosive Dayton offense runs through forward Obi Toppin. The 6-9 sophomore averages 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
By the numbers, Dayton is a pretty good rebounding team. However, that number is a little skewed since they miss so few shots. Toppin and frontcourt mate Ryan Mikesell must be tough on the glass if Dayton is going to make a deep tournament run. They will get some help from Landers, who is a superb rebounding guard, but some teams with a larger, tougher frontcourt could beat up the Flyers in the rebounding department. The other potential concern is in the turnover department. Considering how many points this team scores, it is not surprising that they turn the ball over more than most in the A-10, but they must keep it under control in the NCAA Tournament. Even when Dayton was shooting well from the floor in those losses to Kansas and Colorado, losing the rebounding and turnover battles proved to be the difference.
Probable Starters:
Jalen Crutcher, Junior, Guard, 15.1 ppg, 4.9 apg
Trey Landers, Senior, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 6.9 rpg
Rodney Chatman, Junior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 3.2 apg
Obi Toppin, Sophomore, Forward, 20.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 bpg
Ryan Mikesell, Senior, Forward, 8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Key Role Players:
Ibi Watson, Junior, Guard, 10.1 ppg, 1.3 apg
Jhery Matos, Junior, Guard, 1.8 ppg
Jordy Tshimanga, Junior, Center, 3.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Dwayne Cohill, Sophomore, Guard, 2.6 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 80.0 (14th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.5 (45, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 52.5 (1, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.1 (74, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.0 (92, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.1 (28, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.0 (133, 4)
Rebound Margin: 3.4 (78, 2)
Assists Per Game: 17.6 (4, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.4 (102, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2019 | NIT | First Round loss to Colorado |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Wichita State |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Syracuse |
| 2015 | NCAA | Opening Round win over Boise State |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Providence |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Oklahoma |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Ohio State |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Syracuse |
| 2014 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal win over Stanford |
| 2014 | NCAA | Regional Final loss to Florida |
| 2012 | NIT | First Round loss to Iowa |
| 2011 | NIT | First Round loss to College of Charleston |
| 2010 | NIT | First Round win over Illinois State |
| 2010 | NIT | Second Round win over Cincinnati |
| 2010 | NIT | Quarterfinal win over Illinois |
| 2010 | NIT | Semifinal win over Mississippi |
| 2010 | NIT | Final win over North Carolina |
| 2009 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over West Virginia |
| 2009 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Kansas |
| 2008 | NIT | First Round win over Cleveland State |
| 2008 | NIT | Second Round win over Illinois State |
| 2008 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to Ohio State |
| 2004 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to DePaul |
*all team stats through 3/8
