Game of the Night
Dayton Flyers vs. Arkansas Razorbacks – 8 ET (CBS Sports)
The Flyers close out the non-conference slate later tonight against an opponent from the SEC, the Arkansas Razorbacks. Dayton (9-2) is favored in this one, and according to the KenPom rankings, has a 75% chance at winning this game.
The Flyers are coming off a last-second win over Miami (OH) as they narrowly avoided a huge upset to their inferior in-state rivals. Despite a loss to Chattanooga earlier this season, Dayton has looked pretty good and should be in position to make a run at the A10 title this year.
The matchup to watch in this game will be between Arkansas guard Anthlon Bell and Dayton’s Charles Cooke. Bell is averaging 17.1 PPG and the Razorbacks while Cooke leads Dayton with 14.4 PPG. It will be interesting to see which leader steps up and make the big plays in this game. I’m rolling with the Flyers here.
Prediction: Dayton 80, Arkansas 75
Elsewhere in A10 Action
Brown Bears vs. Rhode Island Rams – 7 ET
The Rams (7-5) bring a balanced scoring attack into their match up with Brown (4-7) this Wednesday night. While URI has been fairly inconsistent this season, they do have the talent and size advantage in comparison to their foes from the Ivy League. Look for the Rams to pummel Brown’s four guard lineup in an easy win here.
VCU Rams vs. North Florida Ospreys – 7 ET
In all seriousness, North Florida is a pretty solid team. Led by sharp shooters Beau Beech and Dallas Moore, the Ospreys (10-5) beat Illinois earlier this year and also hung tough against LSU and Dayton. That being said, this should be a game that VCU wins. The Rams have yet to catch a break in one of their tougher games but they should be able to pull this one out at home. Expect a big game from Mo Alie-Cox against a guard-centric Osprey lineup.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies vs. Niagara Purple Eagles – 7 ET
The Bonnies (7-3) look to add to their non-conference wins when they take on the Purple Eagles of Niagara. There’s no serious threat here, the Bonnies should win fairly easily. KenPom projects them as 94% favorites in this one. I’ll stick with that.
