DAYTON -- The University of Dayton Flyers will play the first of two consecutive road games Saturday when they travel to Amherst to visit the UMass Minutemen. Game time is 12:30 p.m. ET.
Dayton is 22-2, with both losses in OT to Top 20-caliber teams -- Kansas in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational finals and Colorado in a buzzer-beater at the Chicago Legends. The Flyers are sixth in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. UD is 11-0 and in first place in the A-10 after Tuesday's 81-67 win over Rhode Island. The Flyers have won 13 in a row, fifth-best in D-I.
The game will be carried by WHIO Radio televised on the NBC Sports Network and streamed at NBCSports.com. Streaming audio, 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
• This is the third time UD has started 22-2. It also happened in 1955-56, and 1957-58.
•
Obi Toppin was named on Thursday to the USBWA and Oscar Robertson Mid-Season Watch Lists. The Athletic named Toppin its Mid-Season Player of the Year in a vote of their college basketball writers and the Sporting News selected him to be one of its First Team Mid-Season All-Americans. He is on five national player of the year watch lists.
• 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 163 in 57 career games.
• Seth Davis named
Jalen Crutcher college basketball's "Best Supporting Actor" during CBS Sports' college basketball studio coverage on Jan. 25. He is the first Flyer to earn back-to-back A-10 Player of the Weeks when he was named on Jan. 20 and 27.
• UD's No. 6 ranking is its best since December, 1967, when the Flyers were ranked sixth.
• Dayton has been ranked in the Top 20 for 10 consecutive weeks for the first time since the last 16 weeks of the 1955-56 season. The Flyers finished ranked third in the final poll that year.
• UD is first nationally in FG% (.523, 716-1369) and is second in assists (18.3).
• Seven different Flyers have scored in double figures this season. Six have led UD in scoring.
• Dayton is 11-0 in any league for the first time in school history. UD joined the A-10 in 1996.
• Peanut Butter and Jelly/Jam (aka
Jalen Crutcher and
Obi Toppin) each scored 20+ points and Toppin and
Trey Landers both had double-doubles to lead UD to the 81-67 win vs. Rhode Island on Feb. 11. Toppin had 22 and 10 (7-9 FG, 7-9 FT), while Landers had 10 and 14. Crutcher had 21 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3-pt., 9-9 FT).
Rodney Chatman had five points but his +/- score was +29.
UP NEXT
• UD at VCU (Feb. 18) before returning home vs. Duquesne (Feb. 22). VCU tips at 8:30 p.m. ET.
