Game 27: GMU (21-5 / 9-4) vs Dayton (15-9 / 6-5) on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 PM.

[Patriotsince81]

Dayton plays at home against Davidson on Sunday, February 15, at 4:00. I’ll update after that game.

Preseason accolades:
Dayton was picked to finish 3rd in A10 Preseason Polls and received 3 first place votes.
1st Team - Javon Bennett
2nd Team - Amael L’Etang
3rd Team - Keynote Jones
Defensive team - Javon Bennett

The game is on CBS Sports Network.

KenPom: Gives us a 65% chance of winning.
GMU - 85
Dayton - 99
NET:
Mason - 84
Dayton - 92

History:
We are 7-10 against Dayton all-time.
Tony Skinn is 2-0 against the Flyers.

Dayton is currently 15-9 on the season and 6-5 in A10 play. They are 11-2 at home, 3-5 on the road, and 1-2 at neutral sites.

The Flyers are 0-5 agains Quad 1 teams, 3-0 vs Quad 2, 4-3 vs Quad 3, and 8-1 against Quad 4 teams.

Schedule: https://daytonflyers.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule

Wins: Canisius (88-48), UMBC (77-71), Bethune-Cookman (91-82), Marquette (77-71 OT), NC Central (74-55), Georgetown (84-79 OT), East Tennessee St. (88-71), North Florida (84-61), Florida St. (97-69), Fordham (63-56), Loyola Chicago (70-68), GW (79-72), Duquesne (71-65), Loyola Chicago (78-51), St. Bonaventure (72-70)
Losses: Cincinnati (74-62), #9 BYU (83-79), UVA (86-73), Liberty (64-61), La Salle (67-64), St. Joe’s (81-74), Rhode Island (81-76), #21 St. Louis (102-71), vcu (99-73)

Probable Starters: 8 Flyers have started at least 3 games this season.
5’10” Javon Bennett - 16.0 ppg - Senior
6’4” De’Shayne Montgomery - 15.0 ppg - Junior
7’1” Amael L’Etang - 11.2 ppg & 5.8 reb - Sophomore
6’5” Jordan Derkack - 8.6 ppg & 4.3 reb - Senior
6’6” Keonte Jones - 8.4 ppg & 5.7 reb - Grad Student

Reserves averaging double figure minutes:
6’6” Bryce Heard - 7.1 ppg - Sophomore - has 6 starts
6’6” Jaiun Simon - 5.5 ppg - Sophomore - has 3 starts
6’8” Malcolm Thomas - 4.9 ppg - Freshman
6’10” Jacob Conner - 3.5 ppg - Senior - has 8 starts

Roster: https://daytonflyers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster

Team Stats:

Dayton averages 76.1 points per game (7th in the A10) while giving up 71.9 (7th in the A10).

The Flyers shoot 44.6% from the floor (10th in the A10) and 32.8% from 3 (9th in the A10).
Opponents are shooting 44.0% from the field and 35.9% from 3.

The Flyers shoot 75.2% from the free throw line (4th in the A10).

They have been out rebounded opponents by 2.6 boards per game and average 12.1 turnovers per contest.

Stats: https://daytonflyers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats

Thoughts: It’s “Beach Black Out” night at EBA. Fans are being asked to wear black and a black bucket hat is the giveaway. Assuming that means we’ll be wearing our black uniforms……………

Some might say that Dayton has underachieved so far this season. They were picked to finish in 3rd place and received 3 first place votes in preseason polls. They enter this game tied for 5th place.

They started A10 play by winning their first five games but then proceeded to lose 5 of the next 6 including 2 blowout losses at St. Louis and vcu by 31 and 26 respectively.

It’s hard to get a read on where they stand. Rumors about Anthony Grant have surfaced with some predicting he will retire at the end of the season while others say he will be fired. How does this type of speculation affect a team?

Given our inconsistent play over the past 7 games (3-4) I’d say a healthy dose of respect is called for at this juncture. For the first time this year I'll predict a loss. Sigh

Discuss.

 

[DRK331]

This is what happened the last time #16 ranked Dayton came into EBA in Tony's first year! The first big win of Tony's coaching career!

 

[Jack Strop]

Need to win at least two of the next three to remain in contention for top-4 finish. It can be done starting with a W vs. the Flyers. I'll be there. I have never quit on ANY Mason team since my first game in 1987 and I'm not about to start now.

 

[TweederGMU]

We've all seen this movie again and again - the upcoming 4th installment choke job coming from Director Tony Skinn.... featuring the previous classic choke job hits Duquesne, UofR, and most recent 3rd installment of GW.

Mason's leading man AKA Mr. No Defense/Mr. Stone Hands - Riley Allenspach returns with his main supporting actor, Kory Mincy, trying to put his team on his back again and again and will his team to victory. Will they receive any support from supporting cast members... "Mr. Inconsistent" himself Jehari Long... along with "Have You Seen My Offense" Masai Troutman and "Easy Missed Lay-up King" Fatt Hill.

Get ready for more of the classic same choke job features you love coming back at you with this latest 4th installment!

 

[jessej]

still in good shape

 

[psyclone]

We've all seen this movie again and again - the upcoming 4th installment choke job coming from Director Tony Skinn.... featuring the previous classic choke job hits Duquesne, UofR, and most recent 3rd installment of GW.

Mason's leading man AKA Mr. No Defense/Mr. Stone Hands - Riley Allenspach returns with his main supporting actor, Kory Mincy, trying to put his team on his back again and again and will his team to victory. Will they receive any support from supporting cast members... "Mr. Inconsistent" himself Jehari Long... along with "Have You Seen My Offense" Masai Troutman and "Easy Missed Lay-up King" Fatt Hill.

Get ready for more of the classic same choke job features you love coming back at you with this latest 4th installment!

Way to abandon ship. Just what we need...another fair-weather fan.

I'm sure your "what have you done for us lately" insults will have a desirable outcome.

 

[Jack Strop]

I think it's time for a players-only meeting. When Dayton comes in, I wanna see chest-bumping and body-slamming fellow teammates when they make a strong effort to put in a basket (slam-dunk, reverse layup, any shot accompanied by "And-1", etc.). I want to see passion and fire in Mason players' eyes. Get this team pumped. I'm tired of the deliberate approach—I want Mason to play in-your-face toughness. Jahari said that toughness, or lack thereof, was the main problem @GW. I say, "Well yeah???... FIX IT!"

 

[jruby]

Anthony Grant has entirely checked out as a coach and Dayton is beatable. I think Tony can out coach him if he shakes out of whatever this is.....

The biggest question though is can they win without Riley and Mincy? I don't know but as it is right now they both need to be on the bench. Tony needs to be the coach in the room and sit them down. Mincy is clearly hurt, Riley? I don't know i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say yes he is hurt. However some troubling things are starting to show from him. It's hard to ignore that he wasn't a starter at Samford now and it could it have been his entire lack of defense?

Time for a serious Gut Check from Long and the rest of the guys if they want to finish in the top 4.

 

[GMU79]

Anthony Grant has entirely checked out as a coach and Dayton is beatable. I think Tony can out coach him if he shakes out of whatever this is.....

The biggest question though is can they win without Riley and Mincy? I don't know but as it is right now they both need to be on the bench. Tony needs to be the coach in the room and sit them down. Mincy is clearly hurt, Riley? I don't know i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say yes he is hurt. However some troubling things are starting to show from him. It's hard to ignore that he wasn't a starter at Samford now and it could it have been his entire lack of defense?

Time for a serious Gut Check from Long and the rest of the guys if they want to finish in the top 4.

The coach in the room. Exactly. Tony's comment a few games ago about not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings (close paraphrase) bothered me then and it really bothers me now. Tony needs to kick some butt, hard. Riley and Mincy being hurt is bad for the team as a whole, but it is no excuse for the rest of the team playing ole defense and not hustling on every. single. play.
We may not win, but at least the guys can play like they want to win.

 

[TweederGMU]

Way to abandon ship. Just what we need...another fair-weather fan.

I'm sure your "what have you done for us lately" insults will have a desirable outcome.

Nope, just being a realist. Happens every year.

Haven't made the NCAA tourney in 15 years, our best shot this year and we collapse.

 

[DRK331]

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Wear Black on Wednesday!

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

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Wear Black on Wednesday!

I will but I hope it’s not because it’s a funeral to our season.

I just want to see some toughness and any signs that this team cares about defense besides our super stud Mincy.

If this was the olds days, Mincy would stay, develop the culture of hustle and in his junior or senior year have a at large type of season.

Those days are gone. Have to win now.

Only hope we have now is Mincy’s numbers go down and we get him back next year. But coaches aren’t stupid, they know a diamond when they see one.

 

[Jack Strop]

Anthony Grant has entirely checked out as a coach and Dayton is beatable. I think Tony can out coach him if he shakes out of whatever this is.....

The biggest question though is can they win without Riley and Mincy? I don't know but as it is right now they both need to be on the bench. Tony needs to be the coach in the room and sit them down. Mincy is clearly hurt, Riley? I don't know i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say yes he is hurt. However some troubling things are starting to show from him. It's hard to ignore that he wasn't a starter at Samford now and it could it have been his entire lack of defense?

Time for a serious Gut Check from Long and the rest of the guys if they want to finish in the top 4.

MIncy is clearly hurt... see the bandage??? Yes, I see it.

Allenspach is not playing hurt, noooo...

"Then where are his bandages?"

"...bandages? He ain't got no bandages. He don't need no bandages! I don't have to show you any stinkin' bandages!!!"

View: https://youtu.be/8vkNZulAr8g?si=6bcemlRQbnM8XELK

 

[Stoolguy]

Let’s hope what’s happened in the past fuels what’s to come. As everyone is saying we need to come out aggressive and tough.

Even heard the commenter (blanking on his name) last night saying that when LeBron would have a free lane to the rim he wouldn’t just foul, he would give them NO chance for an and 1. We need that fire. Can only remember the one Kanga block as real fire on a foul.

Patriot pressure needs to wake up!