When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
TV/Radio: SEC Network/95.7 and 1290 WHIO.
Series: Dayton leads 7-0 and won the last meeting 65-62 on Dec. 30, 2020, at UD Arena. The last time Dayton played at Ole Miss, it won 83-80 on a last-second 3-pointer by Devin Oliver in overtime on Jan. 4, 2014. This is the first game Dayton will play at The Pavilion, which opened in 2016. When it played at Ole Miss in 2014, the Rebels plays at Tad Smith Coliseum.
Last game: On Sunday, Dayton beat Virginia Tech 62-57 at UD Arena. On Wednesday, Ole Miss beat Middle Tennessee 62-52.
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 85-45 in five season at Dayton. Kermit Davis is 57-45 in four seasons at Ole Miss.
Probable Dayton starters
Name, Ht., Class, Pos., Points per game
DaRon Holmes II, 6-10, Fr., F, 10.1
Toumani Camara, 6-8, So., F, 9.7
Malachi Smith, 6-0, Fr., G, 9.5
Kobe Elvis, 6-2, Fr., G, 6.9
R.J. Blakney, 6-6, R-Fr., G, 6.3
Probable Ole Miss starters
Jarkel Joiner, 6-1, Sr., G 15.0
Jaemyn Brakefield, 6-8, So., F, 8.6
Nysier Brooks, 7-0, Sr., C, 8.3
Luis Rodriguez, 6-6, Jr., F/G, 7.0
Austin Crowley, 6-5, Jr., G, 5.8
About Dayton: KenPom.com gives Dayton a 38 percent chance of winning this game and predicts a 63-60 score. … Elijah Weaver (11.0 points per game) leads Dayton in scoring. The last Dayton team to have a leading scorer averaging fewer than 12 points per game, it was Monty Scott, who averaged 11.1 points in the 2004-05 season. ... Smith ranks 49th in the country in steal percentage (4.1) and 69th in assist rate (31.3). Steal percentage tracks the “possessions that a player records a steal while he is on the court,” according to KenPom.com. Assist rate is calculated by dividing “the field goals made by the player’s teammates while he is on the court.” ... Blakney led Dayton with a career-high 19 points against Virginia Tech. He’s the fourth different player in a row to lead the team in points, following Camara, Holmes II and Weaver.
About Ole Miss: Ole Miss was picked to finish ninth out of 14 teams in the Southeastern Conference preseason poll. ... Ole miss ranks 137th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool. Dayton ranks 95th. Ole Miss is 93rd in the Pomeroy ratings. Dayton is 92nd. ... Ole Miss beat Memphis 67-63 for its best victory on Dec. 4. Memphis ranks 57th in the NET, Its worst loss came against No. 108 Western Kentucky, 71-48 on Dec. 11. ... The Ole Miss defense ranks 34th in the nation in efficiency and 33rd in 3-point shooting percentage defense (27.9).
Looking ahead: Dayton plays Southern (5-6) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at UD Arena in its final non-conference game.
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