Smith made 22 of 35 shots on Feb. 3, 1973, setting a record for attempted field goals that also still stands. The same can’t be said for the old home of the Chicago Bulls. Chicago Stadium, where Dayton had a record of 5-2, was torn down in 1995 and replaced at the same site by the United Center, where Dayton is 0-2.
Dayton (6-5) hopes the third time is the charm when it plays Wyoming (5-5) at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Legends of Basketball Showcase at the United Center.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said Thursday. “We have a great fan base in Chicago, and it’s always good when we can get to Chicago and play. I think our guys enjoy playing in the Bulls’ arena. It’s great opportunity against a great opponent. We’re looking forward to it.”
Here are six storylines to follow Saturday:
1. Disappointing season for Wyoming: Adapting to life without Graham Ike, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 19.5 points per game last season, has been tough for the Cowboys. They finished 25-9 last season and lost to Indiana in the First Four at UD Arena with Ike scoring 17 points in that game. He’s expected to return from a lower leg injury at some point in January.
The Cowboys opened the season with victories against Colorado Christian and Nicholls State but then lost 76-72 at home to Southeastern Louisiana.
“We’re not the team everyone thought we were going to be because we’re missing a guy that was preseason Mountain West player of the year,” coach Jeff Linder said then.
A victory against Howard got Wyoming to 2-2, but it then lost four straight games to Drake, Boston College, Santa Clara and Grand Canyon. It has since beaten Texas A&M Commerce and Louisiana Tech to get back to .500.
2. Similar situation for Dayton: Wyoming received 11 votes in the Associated Press preseason top-25 poll. Dayton started the season at No. 24 and climbed to No. 21 after a 2-0 start. Neither team is anywhere close to the poll now, and both have slim chances to even get back into the conversation for NCAA at-large tournament berths.
Injuries also have taken a poll on Dayton, which has played the last four games without starting guards Malachi Smith and Kobe Elvis.
3. Rested team: This game comes seven days after Dayton’s last game, a 79-56 victory against UNC Asheville at UD Arena.
“We gave the guys a couple of days off to prepare for finals,” Grant said. “So from a mental standpoint, it’s been a challenging week for the guys with papers and finals and projects that they have to do, but from a physical standpoint, hopefully, we’ve been able to kind of reset a little bit. We were on the practice court (Wednesday). We’ll get on the court again (Thursday). You worry about trying to keep a rhythm and make sure guys are fresh and ready to go.”
4. Another Chicago visit: This will be Dayton’s third non-conference game at the United Center in the last seven years.
• Dayton lost 67-64 to Northwestern on Dec. 17, 2016, in the Chicago Legends event.
• Dayton lost 78-76 to Colorado on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on Dec. 21, 2019, in the same event. That would turn out to be the last loss of the 2019-20 season for a team that finished 29-2.
5. Neutral court history: Dayton always plays three non-conference games on a neutral court in November tournaments. Other neutral court games have become common in recent years.
• Dayton lost 72-67 to Tulsa in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Dec. 16, 2018.
• Dayton beat Mississippi State 85-82 in double overtime Atlanta on Dec. 12, 2021.
• In addition to the game in Chicago in the 2019-20 season, Dayton played Saint Mary’s in Phoenix, Ariz., and won 78-68.
6. Seeking road success: Dayton has lost all five of the games it has played away from UD Arena this season. If it doesn’t win Saturday, it will be the first time since the 1998-99 season Dayton has not won a game away from home in non-conference play. Dayton was 5-2 at home, 0-2 on the road and lost its only neutral court game that season.
“The rest of the games we have lined up on the schedule are games where we have to take care of business,” Dayton forward Zimi Nwokeji said, “especially with how the season has been so far. We just need a strong step forward into conference play.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Dayton vs. Wyoming, 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network, 1290, 95.7
About the Author
