Dayton Flyers climb one spot in Associated Press top-25 poll

This is the highest Dayton (20-2, 9-0) has climbed in the poll since the 1967-68 season when it started the season at No. 6 and stayed there until losing its second game of the season to Miami. That defeat dropped the Flyers out of the top 25, and they didn’t return until the following season.

This is the first Dayton team to climb to No. 6 on the strength of its accomplishments during the season since the 1955-56 team, which was ranked seventh in the first poll of the season and climbed as high as No. 2, which is the highest Dayton has ever been ranked.

The teams ahead of Dayton this week are No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 San Diego State and No. 5 Louisville. Dayton jumped Florida State, which fell from No. 5 to No. 8 after losing to Virginia.

Both teams that beat Dayton are ranked: Kansas and No. 24 Colorado. One other A-10 team is receiving votes for the top 25: Rhode Island.

» FORDHAM GAME: Flyers win 11th straight | Photos

Dayton is now the first A-10 team to stay in the top 10 in three straight weeks since Xavier was ranked for four straight weeks late in the 2007-08 season. It is the first A-10 team to rank in the top six since George Washington was No. 6 on March 6, 2006.

This is the first time since the 1955-56 season that Dayton has been ranked in 10 straight weeks. The 1955-56 team was ranked all season in 15 polls. That team finished 25-4.

» MARCH FORECAST: Where Dayton stands in NCAA tournament picture

Dayton entered the top 25 at No. 19 on Dec. 2, following its runner-up finish at the Maui Invitational, and then climbed to No. 14 on Dec. 9 and to No. 13 on Dec. 16.

The Flyers fell to No. 18 on Dec. 23 after a 78-76 overtime loss to Colorado at the United Center on Dec. 21. They dropped to No. 20 on Dec. 30 before climbing to No. 15 on Jan. 6 and to No. 13 and No. 7 in the last two polls.