Dayton men’s basketball 2014-15 schedule
Date, Opponent, Time, TV
Nov. 14, vs. Alabama A&M, TBA
Nov. 20-23 Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Nov. 20 Texas A&M, 10:30 a.m., ESPNU
Nov. 21 UConn/Charleston, TBA, ESPN networks
Nov. 23 Boston College, George Mason, New Mexico or West Virginia, TBA, ESPN networks
Nov. 29, vs. Illinois Chicago, TBA
Dec. 3, at Miami, TBA
Dec. 6, vs. Eastern Michigan, TBA
Dec. 9, vs. Bowling Green, TBA
Dec. 13, at Arkansas, 2 p.m., ESPN2
Dec. 20 vs. Boston University, TBA
Dec. 23 vs. Georgia Tech, CBS Sports Network
Dec. 30, vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Jan. 3, vs. Duquesne, 1 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Jan. 8, at St. Bonaventure, TBA, CBS Sports Network
Jan. 10 at Fordham, 7 p.m., Atlantic 10 Network
Jan. 14, vs. La Salle, TBA
Jan. 17, vs. Saint Louis, 12:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Jan. 20, at Davidson, TBA, CBS Sports Network
Jan. 24, vs. Richmond, 7 p.m., Atlantic 10 Network
Jan. 29, at UMass, TBA, ESPNU
Feb. 1, vs. Fordham, TBA
Feb. 6, at George Washington, TBA, ESPN2
Feb. 10 at Saint Louis, TBA, CBS Sports Network
Feb. 14 vs. St. Bonaventure, 12:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Feb. 19 vs. Saint Joseph’s, TBA, ESPNU
Feb. 21 at Duquesne*, 2 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Feb. 25 vs. George Mason, TBA
Feb. 28, at VCU, TBA, ESPN2
Mar. 3, vs. Rhode Island, TBA, CBS Sports Network
Mar. 7 at La Salle, TBA, CBS Sports Network
Mar. 11-15, Atlantic 10 Championship, Brooklyn, N.Y.
* at CONSOL Energy Center
Note: Complete television schedule with all game times will be available at a later date.
The Dayton men’s basketball team played one Atlantic 10 regular-season game on a day other than Wednesday and Saturday last season. Next season, the Flyers will play eight games on other days of the week and will play on every day but Monday.
That’s one of the biggest changes for UD and the rest of the A-10. The conference released its schedule Wednesday, so UD’s full schedule is known for the first time. The 18-game conference schedule will challenge players and coaches used to playing on Wednesdays and Saturdays from January to March.
Dayton now has more games on Tuesdays and Thursdays (three each) than Wednesdays (two). The majority of its A-10 games are still on Saturdays (eight).
“We have some really unique combinations of weeks where the rhythm of a week for a player is really out of whack,” Dayton coach Archie Miller said. “There’s going to be some real changes in terms of playing, which we haven’t had in the past.”
There’s a simple explanation for the change. To get more national TV games, the A-10 had to be willing to play on different nights.
UD will play a record 21 regular-season games on various national television networks. The Flyers played 17 last season. That record will stand until this coming season.
The Flyers will play eight games on ESPN networks, seven on the CBS Sports Network, four on the NBC Sports Network and two on Sports Net New York.
“A national television Friday night ESPN game, well, there isn’t a coach in our league who wouldn’t want that,” Miller said. “Sometimes it’s just going to put you in odd spots and times. For the marketing of the league, the brand of our league, the exposure of our program in general, it’s a positive step.”
Dayton opens the A-10 schedule Jan. 3 at home against Duquesne on the NBC Sports Network. The following week, it plays two games in three days on the road at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 8 and at Fordham on Jan. 10. The spring semester doesn’t begin until Jan. 12, so the team will be able to travel from St. Bonaventure to Fordham without returning home.
There’s another short turnaround in February with a home game against St. Joseph’s on Feb. 19 and a road game at Duquesne on Feb. 21.
As for the most important games on the A-10 schedule, if the Flyers had to circle one, it might be the Feb. 28 game at Virginia Commonwealth. It’s their only matchup with the Rams, and Miller said they will be the preseason pick to win the conference.
“You won’t get a whole lot of kickback on that,” Miller said. “Who two through five will be, I think you’ll have a laundry list of different types of teams there. I think George Washington should be really excited about what they return. I think Richmond is going to be very, very good.
“I think Rhode Island is going to be much, much improved. I also believe ourselves and the La Salles of the world have enough to compete and finish anywhere from 10 to 12 wins. I don’t know what it’s going to be. I know it’s going to be very difficult to play 18 conference games. There’s a grind we haven’t had in the past.”
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