20. Dayton (19-4)
While the league isn’t in its best shape currently, the A-10 is still a very strong mid-major league and Dayton has spent most of the season looking like the favorite. The Flyers used a 13-game winning streak to build quite the record, including a hot start to league play. They did lose at Richmond a few weeks ago, but bounced back nicely the following week. That wouldn’t quite continue this week.
First off, the Flyers headed to Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday, using a productive second half to undo an early deficit and win 94-79, claiming their fourth road win in conference play. Kobe Elvis had 21 points and 10 assists while Nate Santos scored 21 as well. Offensive was at a premium on Friday night, as Dayton fell 49-47 in quite the clash at VCU. Santos played well again with 19 points and 6 rebounds while Daron Holmes II had a double-double, but the Flyers fell just short.
Should that performance be a concern? The Flyers played what was easily their worst offensive game of the season in a tough environment against a strong VCU team. They’ve looked the part of a great team for much of this season and have been in every game they’ve played, aside from a tough loss to Houston back in November. They’ll look to get back on track again at home, welcoming in Duquesne and Fordham in the coming days.