Where: UD Arena
TV/Radio: Spectrum News 1, ESPN+; 1290 and 95.7 WHIO
» PHOTOS: Flyers vs. Buffaloes
Probable Dayton starters
Obi Toppin, 6-9, R-So., F, 19.8
Jalen Crutcher, 6-1, Jr., G, 13.1
Trey Landers, 6-5, Sr., G, 10.0
Ryan Mikesell, 6-7, R-Sr., F, 10.5
Rodney Chatman, 6-1, R-Jr., G, 8.8
Probable Grambling State starters
Ivy Smith Jr., 6-0, Sr., G, 12.4
Trevell Cunningham, 6-0, Jr., G
Devante Jackson, 6-9, Sr., F, 12.5
Travon Bunch, 7-1, Sr., C, 8.6
Anthony Gaston, 6-4, Sr., G, 9.7
» COLORADO GAME: Grant says it’s a tough loss to take
Last game: Dayton 78-76 in overtime to Colorado on Saturday in Chicago. Grambling State lost 93-72 at Marquette on Tuesday.
Series history: Dayton leads 2-0. The Flyers beat Grambling 59-55 on Dec. 3, 2005, and 58-49 on Dec. 9, 2006. Both games took place at UD Arena.
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 44-31 in his third season at Dayton. Donte Jackson is 40-37 in his third season at Grambling. Jackson is a 2003 Central State graduate who coached Central State for four seasons, beginning in 2010.
About Dayton: Dayton has a 99 percent chance of winning this game, according to KenPom.com , which predicts an 87-61 score. … Ibi Watson leads the reserves with 10.0 points per game. … Chase Johnson, who's averaging 5.1 points in 11.1 minutes per game, has missed three straight games. Grant did not have an update on him Saturday. He remained sidelined with an illness. … Dayton has five players averaging double-figure points. The last time that happened in a season was 1963-64. The players were: Henry Finkel (23.0); Henry Burlong (14.8); Chuck Izor (11.6); Gordy Hatton (11.3); and Bob Sullivan (10.1). Eleven teams since have had four players average in double figures. It happened most recently in 2015-16.
» RELATED: Young fan writes letter to Toppin
About Grambling State: The Tigers ranked 282nd in the NCAA Evaluation Tool through Friday. That makes it the third lowest-ranked non-conference opponent for Dayton. Houston Baptist is 343rd. Charleston Southern is 296th. Dayton was 10th prior to losing to Colorado. … Grambling won the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in 2017-18, Jackson's first season. It was its first conference title in 30 years. The title came five years after the program finished 0-28. … Prior to the 2018-19 season, Grambling was one of 44 programs in Division I, out of 353, that had never played in the NCAA tournament.
Looking ahead: Dayton plays North Florida (7-7) at 7 p.m. Dec. 30 in its final non-conference game.
About the Author