Where: UD Arena
TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network; AM 1290, News 95.7 WHIO
Probable Dayton starters
Josh Cunningham, 6-8, R-Sr., 14.5
Jalen Crutcher, 6-1, So., G, 13.5
Trey Landers, 6-5, Jr., G, 11.3
Jordan Davis, 6-2, So., G, 9.3
Ryan Mikesell, 6-7, R-Jr., F, 8.8
Probable Mississippi State starters
Quinndary Weatherspoon, 6-4, Sr., G, 17.0
Aric Holman, 6-10, Sr., F, 11.5
Lamar Peters, 6-0, Jr., G, 11.3
Nick Weatherspoon, 6-2, Sr., G, 10.7
Reggie Perry, 6-10, Fr., F, 6.2
Series history: The Bulldogs lead 2-0. They beat the Flyers 56-54 in 1975 at UD Arena and 61-59 last season in Starkville, Miss .
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 18-19 in his second season at Dayton. Ben Howland is 60-46 in four seasons at Mississippi State.
Last game: Dayton lost 65-54 to Oklahoma on Nov. 23 in the third-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Mississippi State beat Alcorn State 88-65 on Monday in Starkville.
About Dayton: The Flyers rank 112th in the country in defensive efficiency through six games. Last season, they ranked 238th. Their offensive efficiency has improved from 109th to 84th. Teams have shot 32.6 percent from 3-point range against them. The national average is 33.8. Last season, opponents shot 38.3 against Dayton. … Dayton has lost two games in a row. It has not lost three games in a row since March of 2017. … Dayton is 2-6 against teams from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac 12 in the last three seasons (2016-19). It was 14-6 against those conferences in the three seasons prior to that (2013-16). … Dayton announced Thursday the game has been sold out. This will be the 122nd sellout in UD Arena's 49-year history and the first of the season.
About Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have a 62 percent chance of winning this game, according to KenPom.com. The predicted score is 69-65. … Perry was a McDonald's All-American, a five-star prospect and the No. 1 recruit in Georgia in 2018. He was the 31st-ranked player in the nation, according to 247Sports.com. … Mississippi State's only loss was to Arizona State (72-67), ranked 43rd in the Pomeroy rankings. Its best victory came against No. 65 Saint Mary's (61-57). Both games were played in Las Vegas, Nev.
Looking ahead: Dayton plays Detroit at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at UD Arena and travels to Auburn at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 8.
About the Author
