When: Noon, Saturday.
TV/Radio: USA Network/95.7 and 1290 WHIO.
Fan info: The game will be played without ticketed fans in the stands. GW has closed athletic events to fans through Jan. 17 because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases on campus.
Series: Dayton leads 20-17. Dayton beat George Washington 67-54 last season. The game was played at George Mason’s EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va., instead of the Smith Center. Road closures around Washington and the threat of violent protests three days before Inauguration Day prompted the switch, which was announced five days before the game. The Flyers ended a four-game losing streak in their last appearance at the Smith Center in 2019, rallying from a 22-point deficit to 72-66.
Last game: Dayton lost 53-52 to Virginia Commonwealth on Wednesday at UD Arena. GW lost 67-58 to Radford on Dec. 13 at the Smith Center.
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 86-47 in five season at Dayton. Jamion Christian is 21-40 in three seasons at George Washington.
Probable Dayton starters
Name, Ht., Class, Pos., Points per game
Toumani Camara, 6-8, So., F, 10.8
DaRon Holmes II, 6-10, Fr., F, 10.5
Malachi Smith, 6-0, Fr., G, 10.1
R.J. Blakney, 6-6, R-Fr., G, 6.7
Kobe Elvis, 6-2, Fr., G, 6.1
Probable GW starters
James Bishop, 6-2, Jr., G, 15.8
Joe Bamisile, 6-4, So., G, 13.1
Brendan Adams, 6-4, Sr., G, 11.1
Ricky Lindo, 6-8, Sr., F, 9.5
Hunter Dean, 6-10, Jr., F, 2.3
About Dayton: KenPom.com gives Dayton a 71 percent chance of winning this game and predicts a 68-62 score. ... Dayton ranks 113th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool. GW is 278th. ... After scoring in double figures six times in the first 10 games, Elijah Weaver has a total of 14 points in the last two games and was held scoreless for the first in 22 minutes against VCU. ... Dayton will try to avoid its first 0-2 start in A-10 play since the 2012-13 season when it lost its first three games to VCU, Butler and La Salle in coach Archie Miller’s first season.
About GW: Nine players on the roster started their careers at other Division I programs, including all five starters: Bishop (LSU); Bamisile (Virginia Tech); Adams (Connecticut); Lindo Jr. (Maryland); and Dean (Southern Mississippi). ... GW was picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the A-10 preseason poll. It finished 5-12 last season and played the fewest A-10 games, finishing 3-5. It has suffered four straight losing seasons. ... GW and UD had one common non-conference opponent. UMass Lowell won 59-58 at Dayton on Nov. 13 and won 67-56 on Nov. 19 at GW. ... GW’s best victory came against Wright State. It beat the Raiders 74-63 on Nov. 22.
Looking ahead: Dayton plays Saint Louis (9-4, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at UD Arena.
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