Dayton vs. SMU: What you need to know about Saturday’s game

Dayton's Jalen Crutcher leads the team onto the court before a game against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at UD Arena. David Jablonski/Staff

Credit: David Jablonski

Credit: David Jablonski

Dayton's Jalen Crutcher leads the team onto the court before a game against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at UD Arena. David Jablonski/Staff

Who: Southern Methodist (3-0) at Dayton (1-0)

Where: UD Arena

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

TV/Radio: Spectrum News 1, ESPN+/1290 WHIO

Series: SMU leads 2-1. The programs last played on Nov. 24, 2007, at UD Arena with Dayton winning 82-57. Dayton lost the previous season at SMU, 53-48 on Nov. 18, 2006. The first meeting took place on Dec. 22, 1956, in the UK Invitational tournament in Lexington, Ky. SMU won 67-59.

Coaches: Anthony Grant is 65-31 in four seasons at Dayton. Tim Jankovich is 93-49 in six seasons at SMU.

Probable Dayton starters

Name Ht. Class Pos. Avg.

Jalen Crutcher, 6-1, Sr., G, 13.0

Rodney Chatman, 6-1, R-Sr., G, 9.0

Ibi Watson, 6-5, R-Sr., G, 16.0

Jordy Tshimanga, 6-11, R-Sr., C, 10.0

Chase Johnson, 6-9, R-Jr., F, 14.0

Probable SMU starters

Kendric Davis, 5-11, Jr., G, 21.3

Ethan Chargois, 6-9, Sr., F, 14.7

Feron Hunt, 6-8, Jr., F, 15.0

Emmanuel Bandoumel, 6-4, Jr., G, 12.7

Isiah Jasey, 6-10, Sr., F, 6.0

About Dayton: Dayton has won 21 straight games. That streak includes the last 20 games of the 2019-20 season. It’s the third longest winning streak in school history. The program won 36 straight games from 1910-13 and 23 straight from 1906-08. ... Dayton has not lost a game in 2020. It opened the 2020-21 season Tuesday with a 66-63 victory against Eastern Illinois. ... Grant was asked Thursday why freshman guard Luke Frazier did not play in the opener. He answered with: “Coach’s decision.” ... Redshirt freshman center Moulaye Sissoko and freshman guard R.J. Blakney each scored two points in the opener. Those were the only points scored by the reserves.

About SMU: The Mustangs have scored 90-plus points in each of the first three games of the season for the first time since the 1992-93 season. ... SMU, which plays in the American Athletic Conference, finished 19-11 last season and 9-9 in the AAC. It was picked to finish third in the AAC preseason poll. ... Dayton last played an AAC team on Dec. 16, 2018, losing 72-67 to Tulsa at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. ... While Dayton played in front of a crowd of fewer than 200 fans on Tuesday, SMU has averaged 1,513 fans in its first three games, all at home.

Next game: Dayton is looking for an opponent for Dec. 8 after Purdue Fort Wayne paused basketball activities because of COVID-19 issues. Its next scheduled game, as of Thursday afternoon, after the game against SMU is against Mississippi State at noon Dec. 12 in Atlanta.

About the Author