Dayton vs. VCU: What to know about today’s game

Flyers seek first A-10 championship game appearance since 2015

Credit: David Jablonski

Who: No. 2 seed Dayton (22-11) vs. No. 1 seed Virginia Commonwealth (26-7).

What: Atlantic 10 Conference championship game.

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

When: 1 p.m. Sunday.

TV/Radio: CBS/ESPN+/95.7 and 1290 WHIO.

Series: VCU leads 16-9 and has won nine of the last 13 games in the series. VCU beat Dayton 53-52 at UD Arena on Jan. 5 last season, and Dayton then routed VCU 82-52 in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 5. This season on Jan. 13, VCU beat Dayton 63-62 at UD Arena, and Dayton won 62-58 at at the Siegel Center on Feb. 7. In the A-10 tournament, VCU is 3-0 against Dayton with a 71-65 victory in the championship game in 2015 at the Barclays Center, a 77-72 victory in the second round in 2018 in Washington, D.C., and a 73-68 quarterfinal victory in 2021 in Richmond.

Coaches: Anthony Grant is 124-63 in his sixth season at Dayton. Mike Rhoades is 128-60 in six seasons at VCU.

Last game: Dayton beat No. 3 seed Fordham 78-68 in the semifinals on Saturday, and VCU beat Saint Louis 90-78.

KenPom.com odds: Dayton has a 49 percent chance of winning. The website predicts a 65-64 score. Dayton is No. 73. VCU is No. 67.

NET rankings: Dayton is No. 74. VCU is No. 58.

Credit: David Jablonski

Probable Dayton starters

Name, Ht., Class, Pos., Points per game

DaRon Holmes II, 6-10, So., F, 18.1

Toumani Camara, 6-8, Jr., G, 14.2

Mustapha Amzil, 6-9, R-So., F, 9.1

Malachi Smith, 6-0, So., G, 7.9

Koby Brea, 6-6, R-So., G, 7.0

Probable VCU starters

Adrian Baldwin, 6-1, Jr., G, 12.6

Brandon Johns, 6-8, Sr., F, 11.9

Jalen DeLoach, 6-9, So., F, 9.9

Jayden Nunn, 6-4, So., G, 9.4

Nick Kern Jr., 6-6, So., G, 5.2

About Dayton: Dayton made 22 of 28 2-point field goals (82.1%) against Fordham. That’s its best percentage since it made 27 of 28 (96.4) 2-point shots against Davidson on Feb. 28, 2020. ... Amzil made 3 of 4 3-pointers in the semifinals after making 1 of 6 in the quarterfinals. Brea has made 1 of 13 3-pointers in the tournament after a four-game stretch in which he made 11 of 21.

About VCU: VCU has won eight straight games and 10 straight games on the road or on a neutral court. ... VCU has the most victories in Rhoades’ six seasons. It was 25-8 in his second season (2018-19). ... VCU has made 18 of 40 3-pointers (45%) in the tournament. David Shriver, who made 6 of 8 3-pointers in the first game against Dayton, made 6 of 10 in the first two A-10 tournament games. Watkins has made 5 of 11.

Looking ahead: The winner receives a NCAA tournament berth and will hear its name called on the selection show, which starts at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Credit: David Jablonski

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