NCAA Basketball: Dayton, Terry Taylor top mid-major performers of the week
By Logan Butts
In Week 12, there was no shortage of mid-major action. Which NCAA Basketball players and teams stood out the most?
Best Performance, Team – Dayton Flyers
Dayton keeps rolling along. The No. 7 team in the nation looks the part of a legit Final Four contender, and they added a top-notch feather to their cap this week. On Saturday, the Flyers took down fellow Atlantic 10 contender Richmond 87-79 on the road.
Dayton went into the Robbins Center and took care of business. Star Obi Toppin finished with 24 points (on 9-15 shooting), 12 rebounds, three assists, and four blocks, all team-best marks except for assists.
His partner in crime, the vastly underrated Jordan Crutcher, compiled a near-triple double stat line of 24 points (on 8-12 shooting and 4-7 from three to tie Toppin), eight rebounds, a team-high seven assists, and a team-high two steals.
The pair was everywhere, making plays all over the court and proving that, when they are rolling, the likes of Richmond, Duquesne, Rhode Island, Saint Louis, and VCU will not be able to stop them, despite the relative impressiveness of all those squads. The A10 is a deep league this year, the deepest it has been in a long time, but Dayton has to be considered the overwhelming favorites until someone proves otherwise.
The Flyers have now won nine in a row, with their only losses coming to Kansas and Colorado, both of which came on neutral courts. If they are able to run the table in a strong A10, their seed better be high in the NCAA Tournament.