Dayton Flyers 2019-20 Season Thread

Huge game tonight. As I, and a lot of Flyer fans, have said: do NOT fall in love with the three pointer. The Flyers are not going to win a shoot-off against a small Virginia Tech team that has no one to guard Obi Toppin. Pound the ball inside, and let the big man go to work. Worst case, they foul a lot, and you're getting to the line for easy points rather than throwing them up from three. This is a very winnable game, and it could mean a lot in March if the Hokies are legit.
 
Real test for Dayton tonight. Two bigs (7'0" and 6'10"). I still like Dayton's chances though with our guards and wings.
 
Real test for Dayton tonight. Two bigs (7'0" and 6'10"). I still like Dayton's chances though with our guards and wings.

I like Dayton's chances too. Haven't seen a spread on the game yet, but I'm guessing it's going to be Kansas -4 or something like that? KU definitely the bigger team, but Dayton has been a lot better than the Jayhawks on the glass this year. Guards/wings will be key, especially lockdown defender Rodney Chatman.
 
Holy crap this is fun... against all odds, Dayton goes into the half with the lead. Flyers did all of the little things right on the defensive end of the floor, taking charges and forcing Kansas' bigs into foul trouble. 20 MORE MINUTES!!!
 
How about the praise for Dayton here??? Gary Parrish has the Flyers ranked 9th in his top 25.

 
Wow... that's incredible. Definitely looking forward to seeing Richmond play Dayton.

I feel like there's going to be so many changes to the AP Top 25 this week, that I have no idea where Dayton is going to end up. I feel like you can't justify putting the Flyers ahead of Michigan who just beat #6 North Carolina, and both were unranked. Yet, does Dayton sneak in and jump a team like #12 Texas Tech that just lost to Iowa on a neutral court. A lot of changes coming up, so I'm pretty excited for the poll to be released on Monday.
 
Dayton came in 19.

HUGE game Sunday on a neutral court against Saint Mary's, a KenPom Top 40 team. IF Dayton can win that game, they may come in next Monday around 14-15.
 
It has been fun watching Dayton so far this season. What is the story on the big Nebraska transfer, Tshimaga? Has he been hurt? He has only played in three games.
 
It has been fun watching Dayton so far this season. What is the story on the big Nebraska transfer, Tshimaga? Has he been hurt? He has only played in three games.

I think he started the season injured but has played limited minutes in Maui due to foul trouble and some early mistakes on the court. I think he can be a vital contributor off the bench, but Chase Johnson's been playing a bit better, and Ryan Mikesell has played most of the time at the 4 with Obi at the 5.
 
Dayton came in 19.

HUGE game Sunday on a neutral court against Saint Mary's, a KenPom Top 40 team. IF Dayton can win that game, they may come in next Monday around 14-15.

I've been thoroughly looking forward to this game and the game against #20 Colorado since the schedule came out. I like Dayton's chances in both, but more so in the United Center game. I went to a Dayton-Northwestern game at the UC a few years back, and the Flyers absolutely packed the place. That one's going to feel like a home game. I also think UD will travel decently to Arizona... maybe more than Saint Mary's. Either way, you're right that this is a huge opportunity. SMC's NCAA Tourney stock is only going to rise in league play, as they could end up being a 4 or 5 loss team come March. Gotta shut down Jordan Ford; queue Rodney Chatman's defense.
 
It has been fun watching Dayton so far this season. What is the story on the big Nebraska transfer, Tshimaga? Has he been hurt? He has only played in three games.

Story on Tshimanga is that he has a lingering injury suffered in practice late in the summer. Coach Grant has been easing him back into play as the season goes on. He played 14 minutes in the Houston Baptist contest Tuesday and showed some better up and down play (8 pts, 5 boards, [2 steals ?]) and I am certain his role will expand as non conference continues. He has lost roughly 20 lbs since arriving in Dayton over a year ago and has shown some signs he can be a real presence down low (on both sides of the ball). The usual questions of conditioning and agility are there with a big that size, but if he is effective on the court I am sure he will play. I would still expect him to get minutes depending on how we match up with teams, but I don't see a starting spot for Jordy in the future with the likes of Mikesell, Toppin, and Johnson around down low.
 
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Today's game against Saint Mary's is an enormous test for the Flyers, and holding Kansas, it will be the toughest game the Flyers have played. SMC shoots the ball really well from three (something Dayton doesn't defend very well), and Jordan Ford is a dynamic senior guard who will make you pay if you give him too much space. I watched this team beat Wisconsin earlier this year, and the Gaels are legit. I said this against Virginia Tech (and I turned out to be wrong), but I wouldn't get in a three point shooting contest with Saint Mary's. It's crazy that UD is taking 43.9% of its field goal attempts from long range when it has a guy named Obi Toppin on the inside and is shooting the best field goal percentage in the nation from 2. So again, I wouldn't try to outshoot SMC from deep. I'd use Toppin to attack the glass, try to draw SMC's bigs into foul trouble, and even if Toppin gets doubled, he's good enough to pass out of the post and find a shooter.
 
In the scheduling world of the Flyers there are games we can't lose and games that we need to win. This is another one of those games today if my Flyers want to be sure their name is called on a Sunday in March. A great opportunity to score a Q1 win. Both teams are efficient on the offensive end, but will not be trying to outpace one another and will be confident going deep into the shot clock searching for an open look. The Gaels 3-headed monster (Fitts, Ford, and Krebs) will face likely the best player they will see all season in Obi Toppin, and Grant's squad will come ready to play. A UD Pride poster pointed out that the flyers don't have bench players, they have an array of starters who share minutes, and I like that analysis of this Dayton squad this year. When Chatman is struggling to score, Johnson steps up. When they double Obi in the post Ibi, Crutch, and Chatman are hitting 3's. Landers and Mikesell are the motor that makes this team run and heck, even leaving Matos and Cohill open might result in a rare 3pt flush. This season will be defined by how different players step up in different games and I predict this one will be no different. I've got the Flyers by 5. Go UD.
 
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Kenpom predicts a 76-60 win for Dayton over Drake today, pretty consistent with the spread. Hopefully UD doesn't overlook Drake or North Texas before its date with Colorado in Chicago next weekend.
 
Flyers up to #13 in this week’s AP Poll!! Take down Colorado next weekend, and this team is in great position to enter conference play as a top 10 team. Obviously gonna need some help from other top 10 teams losing though.
 
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