NO. 19/17 DAYTON VISITS RHODE ISLAND ON FRIDAY The No. 19/17 ranked University of Dayton Flyers look for their ninth straight victory when they visit the Rhode Island Rams on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
The game will be carried by ESPN2 and is available with live streaming video, audio and stats at DaytonFlyers.com.
ABOUT RHODE ISLAND The Rhode Island Rams come into the contest 14-10 overall and 6-5 in the A-10.
Jarvis Garrett leads the Rams in scoring (13.2 ppg), assists (4.2 apg), and 3-point shooting (.423). He has scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games played this season.
Rhode Island possesses the second-best scoring defense in A-10 play (63.6 ppg), behind the Flyers.
SERIES STUFF Dayton leads the all-time series 15-13.
The Flyers took both meetings last year winning at home, 75-59, and in Brooklyn at the Atlantic 10 Championship, 56-52.
After it opened in 2002, Dayton won the first two games at the Ryan Center, but lost the last six meetings.
JUBILANT JUNIORS The junior class of
Kyle Davis,
Scoochie Smith and
Kendall Pollard are on pace to be the winningest class in UD history.
The trio has 73 victories in their first 96 games, four wins ahead of the pace of the Class of 2011 (Chris Wright, Devin Searcy, Peter Zesterman and Logan Nourse).
The Class of 2011 finished with 97 wins.
Counting redshirt junior
Charles Cooke, the juniors are also four of Dayton's top scorers: Cooke, 16.4 ppg; Pollard, 11.0 ppg; Smith, 10.1 ppg; and Davis, 8.4 ppg.
#TRENDING Dayton is enjoying its best start in the
Archie Miller era at 20-3 through the first 23 games.
The Flyers are 11-0 this year when both
Kendall Pollard and
Dyshawn Pierre play.
Sam Miller has averaged 8.5 points and connected on 5-of-6 (.833) from three-point range in the last two games.
Charles Cooke has scored 20-plus points 10 times this season. The Flyers are 9-1 when he scores 20 or more points.
Scoochie Smith's assist-to-turnover ratio the last three games is 6.0 (12 assists, two turnovers).
UD is 16-1 this year when out-rebounding teams. The Flyers have won the rebounding battle in six straight games.
During the eight-game winning streak, Dayton is shooting .493 from the field, while opponents are just .386 from the floor.
In the first half, the Flyers are shooting .431 (283-656) from the field, but in the second half their marksmanship improves to .517 (307-504).
NATIONAL RANKING NOTES Dayton earned the No. 19 ranking in the Associated Press and No. 17 spot in the USA Today Coaches Polls this week.
UD is 130-43 all-time as a ranked team.
The No. 17 ranking in the Coaches Poll is the best in the
Archie Miller era, eclipsing the previous high of No. 18 at the end of 2013-14.
The Flyers are 7-1 all-time when ranked No. 19.
This is the highest UD has been ranked in the AP Poll since Nov. 19, 2009 when Dayton was 18th.
It is also the highest Dayton has been ranked this late in the regular season since Feb. 15, 1968 when the Flyers were 17th.
Dayton is 3-0 all-time against Rhode Island as a ranked team.
THREE'S COMPANY Dayton is 17-0 this season when three or more players score in double figures.
Offensive balance has been key to UD's success. The Flyers have seven players who average six or more points per game.
In A-10 play, Dayton leads the league in scoring margin ( 14.0) and are third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
UP NEXT Dayton closes its two-game road swing at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Tip is at 7 p.m. ET.
