Dayton Flyers
There was some hope that the Atlantic 10 could be a multi-bid league after some good non-conference performances from some teams. However, the first two weeks have all but eliminated those hopes, as St. Joe’s, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, and VCU all lost at least two games in the league play.
The one preseason contender that has played up to expectations is Dayton. With wins over St. John’s, LSU, and Cincinnati and just losses to Northwestern and Houston, they’re safely in the NCAA Tournament field. But after an injury to Kobe Elvis, the Flyers could’ve been vulnerable against capable opponents, UMass, and Duquesne.
To Dayton’s credit, they handled business, beating both of the A-10 opponents, including beating the Dukes in Pittsburgh on Friday night. DaRon Holmes had 33 points in the Quad 2 victory to keep them unbeaten in league play. Elvis recovered to play, eliminating more injury concerns for now.
Dayton returns home for both of its games this week, taking on Saint Louis and Rhode Island. The Rams could be a sneaky threat, currently 3-0 in the league after being picked last in the conference in the preseason.