DAYTON -- The University of Dayton Flyers close out non-conference play as well as the 2019 calendar year with a home game against North Florida. Game time is 7:00 ET.
Dayton is 10-2, with both losses in overtime to Top 25-caliber teams -- Kansas in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational final and Colorado in a buzzer-beater last Saturday at the Chicago Legends. The Flyers are 18th in both the Associated Press poll and the USA Today Coaches poll.
The game will be carried by WHIO Radio, televised on Fox Sports Ohio and streamed on ESPN+. Streaming audio, streaming video and stats will be available at DaytonFlyers.com.
THE TRANSFORMED UD ARENA
The University of Dayton has completed a three-year, $76.2 million transformation project of UD Arena in time for the Arena's 50th anniversary season. The project transformed the 50-year-old facility into a state-of-the-art venue. The upgrade, the largest construction project in University history, modernizes the Arena without losing the "soul of the bowl" – the atmosphere that has made UD Arena one of the best places to watch college basketball.
#TRENDING
• All 10 Dayton home games left on the schedule are sellouts. That streak alone would break the previous Arena record for cap crowds in a season (8), but with four previous sold-out games, the record will be 14. UD is also projected to average a record 13,363 fans a game.
• This is Dayton's first national ranking in head coach
Anthony Grant's short tenure (two years and six games when the Flyers were first ranked) as the Flyer head coach. UD was last ranked this high in December of 1967, when the Flyers were ranked sixth.
• Dayton has been ranked in the Top 20 for five consecutive weeks for the first time since the last eight weeks of the 1957-58 season. WHIO analyst Bucky Bockhorn was the senior leader on that team.
•
Obi Toppin is on three national player of the year watch lists -- the USBWA's Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch Lis, the James Naismith Trophy and Lute Olson Award. The Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection is also on the Karl Malone Award Watch List, which goes to the top power forward. Jay Bilas listed him as his top breakout candidate this year.
• Toppin had his 100th career dunk during the Virginia Tech game in Maui, which was just his 20th start and 38th career game. He now has 118.
• UD is first in D-I in FG% (.534, 371-695) and assists (19.6), and sixth in scoring (83.8).
• Seven different Flyers have already scored in double figures this season, and five different players have led UD in scoring within the last seven games.
• In the Grambling win,
Ibi Watson celebrated his first career start (replacing
Jalen Crutcher, who was in concussion protocol) by scoring a career-high 30 points.
Rodney Chatman added a season-best 17 points (with six assists). Five other Flyers scored at least five points.
UP NEXT
• UD begins Atlantic 10 play with a two-game trip to La Salle (Jan. 2) and St. Joe's (Jan. 5).
• The Flyers are home on Jan. 11 vs. UMass. That is UD's annual Hall of Fame Game.
