Week 5 AP Poll (12/2/19) – Dayton Flyers ranked No. 19
After beating the breaks off Georgia and Virginia Tech by a combined 46 points, the Dayton Flyers grabbed ahold of the nation’s attention. Making it all the way to the championship game at the Maui Invitational, the Flyers faced one final test against the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks. Dayton proved to be up for the challenge as it gave the Jayhawks all they could handle. The Flyers led 66-58 with seven minutes left, but ultimately fell to Kansas in overtime.
Despite the loss, Dayton’s trip to Maui was a raging success. Dismantling two solid Power Five squads and taking a top five team to overtime, the Flyers earned substantial recognition throughout the college basketball world. Gary Parrish and Seth Davis, two of the country’s leading college basketball analysts at CBS, both placed Dayton at No. 9 in their rankings this week. In addition, the Flyers checked in at No. 14 on ESPN’s latest Power Rankings. Rob Dauster, of NBC Sports, also put Dayton in the top 15, ranking the Flyers No. 12 in the nation.
Ultimately, however, Dayton checked in at No. 19 in this week’s AP Poll. This is due to a number of voters (who should not have votes at all) not placing Dayton anywhere in their rankings. These voters primarily consist of writers who cover one local team and do not watch college basketball on a national scale. Nevertheless, the Flyers and their fans are thrilled with their start to the season and happy to be ranked. Facing Houston Baptist at home before flying to Phoenix to take on Saint Mary’s this week, Dayton will have its chance to continue climbing the rankings.
Featured Image Via David Jablonski – Dayton Daily News
