Rhode Island vs Dayton: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

The Rhode Island Rams will play their final scheduled home game of the 2020-21 season on Tuesday night when they host the Dayton Flyers.

Game time: Tuesday, February 16, 7:00 p.m. ET

TV schedule: CBS Sports Network

Location: Thomas M. Ryan Center, Kingston, Rhode Island

The 2020-21 Atlantic 10 season is winding to a close. And while some teams are looking forward to the A-10 Tournament or looking for wins to solidify their position on the right side of the bubble, others… well, they can’t wait for the season to mercifully come to a close. Both Rhode Island and Dayton fall into the latter category, and they’ll face off on Tuesday night in Kingston.

Both the Flyers and Rams came into this season with decently high expectations that haven’t exactly materialized. Rhody reloaded their squad with talent via the transfer market, but injuries, lack of continuity, and a grueling schedule have left URI at just 9-12 overall and 6-8 in conference play. As for UD, they were looking to build on their best season in school history last year, but doing without their best player in school history has proved to be too tall of a task. Dayton checks in at 11-6 (7-5) on the year.

The Flyers have been in a win-one, lose-one pattern since they last faced Rhode Island on January 30th. UD has fallen to Duquesne and VCU in that stretch, with their lone win coming over George Mason at home. They did snag the win over Rhode Island in the first match-up, using a dominant second half to coast to a 67-56 victory. Ibi Watson led the way the first time around with 22 points on 9-14 shooting (4-8 from three).

Aside from Watson, Dayton also boasts another stellar guard in senior Jalen Crutcher. The Memphis native is averaging 18.7 points and 4.8 assists per game — both team bests — while shooting it at 50.1 percent from the field. But the player to watch on Tuesday night may be the Flyers leading rebounder (8.1 per game) Jordy Tshimanga. His line from the first Rhody game doesn’t exactly jump off the page (11 points, eight rebounds), but his defense in the paint played a major role in UD’s comeback victory.

As for the Rams, they’re currently riding a four-game losing streak and in a bit of a tailspin. The streak began with the first loss to Dayton, and it has been followed up with losses to VCU, UMass, and Saint Louis. Those three teams are in the top half of the A-10 standings, so it’s not a complete disaster, but it has left Rhody on their heels a little bit.

Star guard Fatts Russell was injured early on in the first game versus Dayton, so URI didn’t reap the full benefit of his team-best 14.2 points per game. Instead, they leaned on fellow senior Jeremy Sheppard to lead the way, which he did with 16 points on 6-11 shooting. Makhel Mitchell tacked on 12 points and six rebounds in that one, and his battle with Tshimanga might be what makes-or-breaks Tuesday night’s game for either team.

Prediction: Dayton 70 – Rhode Island 62