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Dayton vs. VCU: 2019-20 key storylines for heavyweight A-10 clash

By Jason Burgess

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: The Dayton Flyers bench celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: The Dayton Flyers bench celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 02: Bradford Burgess #20 and Darius Theus #10 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 02: Bradford Burgess #20 and Darius Theus #10 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

A key Atlantic 10 battle takes place Tuesday in Dayton when the Flyers host a hard-charging VCU Rams squad. Here are some key storylines for the game.

The No. 13 Dayton Flyers are off to a hot start this season at 14-2 and look to be the favorite in the Atlantic 10, but on Tuesday they host the VCU Rams who are off to a 12-4 themselves. This A-10 battle early in the conference slate could be a key tipping point for one or both of these teams come Selection Sunday.

When looking at the Atlantic 10, there have been some programs that have struggled more than some experts expected, but the Flyers and Rams are not two of those teams. So far, they have lost a total of six games, with the average margin of defeat being just over five points.

Dayton garnered national attention early by reaching the final of the Maui Invitational where they took Kansas to overtime before falling. Since then, the Flyers have won nine of 10 entering this game, only suffering a 78-76 loss to Colorado.

VCU also made some early noise this season when they knocked off No. 23 LSU 84-82 in their third game of the season. The Rams aren’t a flashy offensive team, only scoring 71 points per game, but they are one of the best defensive teams in the country and make it very difficult for their opponents to put points on the board.

This is the first meeting of the season between two teams with eyes on the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and then some. Here are some things to keep in mind while watching these two go at it.