A-10 tournament: Dayton fans confident in their team

This season, UD fans for the most part are picking with their hearts again as 30 of the 56 people (53.6 percent) who sent me brackets picked Dayton. They’re less confident than 2019 the last year the tournament was held. That year, 47 of 72 participants (65.3 percent) picked No. 3 seed Dayton.

No. 4 seed Saint Louis was the second most popular pick. Ten people picked the Billikens to win the championship. Eight people picked No. 2 Virginia Commonwealth. Three fans picked No. 1 St. Bonaventure. Two picked No. 8 Richmond. Two picked No. 3 Davidson. One picked No. 14 Fordham — likely as a joke not because the fan actually thought Fordham would win.

The No. 7 seed Flyers have a 3.2 percent chance of winning the championship, according to KenPom.com. They play No. 10 seed Rhode Island at 3:30 p.m. in the second round on Thursday at Virginia Commonwealth’s Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.

» CRUTCHER: ‘I feel we’re going to win the tournament’

Dayton has a 53.6 percent chance of beating Rhode Island, a 16.9 percent chance of beating VCU in the quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Siegel Center and an 8.9 percent chance of winning in the semifinals at 9 p.m. Saturday and advancing to the March 14 championship game at UD Arena.

The Dayton vs. Rhode Island game is the third of four second-round games on Thursday. No. 8 Richmond plays No. 9 Duquesne at 11 a.m. at the Siegel Center. No. 5 Massachusetts plays No. 13 Saint Joseph’s at 1 p.m. at the University of Richmond’s Robins Center. No. 6 George Mason plays No. 11 George Washington at 5 p.m. at the Robins Center.

In the first round Wednesday, Saint Joseph’s beat No. 12 La Salle 72-66, and George Washington beat No. 14 Fordham 53-49.