Dayton Flyers: Ranking quality of annual exempt tournaments (through 2023)

The debate continues every year. When the Dayton Flyers learn their possible opponents in the November tournamen t — be it the Maui Invitational, ESPN Events Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, etc. — fans start comparing the quality of the field to past tournaments.

Dayton, ranked 68th in the Ken Pomeroy ratings, returns to the ESPN Events Invitational this week, playing No. 77 Georgetown at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the State Farm Field House at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex in Kissimmee, Fla. The field also includes No. 8 Brigham Young and No. 46 Miami.

The average Ken Pomeroy rating of the four teams is 49.9.

Here’s how the fields of Dayton’s past tournaments rank. This list includes all the events Dayton has played in since 2002 — when the Ken Pomeroy rankings began — that feature three games at one site in an eight-team tournament. All rankings listed are from KenPom.com.

Credit: David Jablonski

1. 2024 Maui Invitational

Average Pomeroy ranking: 37.9.

Highest-ranked team: No.4 Auburn.

Champion: Auburn.

Dayton’s results: The Flyers lost 92-90 to No. 1 North Carolina and 89-84 to No. 11 Iowa State before beating No. 32 Connecticut.

2. 2013 Maui Invitational

Average Pomeroy ranking: 38.

Highest-ranked team: No. 18 Syracuse.

Champion: Syracuse.

Dayton’s results: The No. 42 Flyers finished third. They beat No. 24 Gonzaga 84-79, lost 67-66 to No. 29 Baylor and beat No. 60 California 82-64.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

3. 2019 Maui Invitational

Average Pomeroy ranking: 40.9

Highest-ranked team: No. 1 Kansas.

Champion: Kansas.

Dayton’s results: The No. 4 Flyers finished second. They beat No. 94 Georgia 80-61 and No. 104 Virginia Tech 89-62 and lost 90-84 to Kansas in overtime.

4. 2015 Advocare Invitational

Average Pomeroy ranking: 48.

Highest-ranked team: No. 13 Wichita State.

Champion: No. 14 Xavier.

Dayton’s results: The No. 59 Flyers finished second in Orlando, Fla. It beat No. 23 Iowa 82-77 and No. 95 Monmouth 73-70 and lost 90-61 to Xavier.

5. 2021 ESPN Events Invitational

Average Pomeroy rating: 54.1

Champion: No. 45 Dayton

Dayton’s results: The Flyers beat No. 41 Miami, No. 3 Kansas and No. 86 Belmont.

Credit: David Jablonski

6. 2023 Charleston Classic

Average Pomeroy rating: 55.9

Champion: No. 2 Houston.

Dayton’s results: The Flyers beat No. 95 LSU 70-67 and No. 21 St. John’s 88-81 before losing 69-55 to Houston.

7. 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis

Average Pomeroy ranking: 56.

Highest-ranked team: No. 6 Tennessee.

Champion: Tennessee.

Dayton’s results: No. 79 Dayton finished last in the eight-team tournament, losing 43-42 to No. 61 Wisconsin, 76-64 to No. 52 N.C. State and 79-75 in overtime to No. 77 BYU.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

8. 2018 Battle 4 Atlantis

Average Pomeroy ranking: 71.

Highest-ranked team: No. 1 Virginia.

Champion: Virginia.

Dayton’s results: The No. 62 Flyers finished fourth in the Bahamas. They beat No. 72 Butler 69-64, lost 66-59 to Virginia and lost 65-54 to No. 32 Oklahoma.

6. 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Average Pomeroy ranking: 77.

Highest-ranked team: No. 6 Kansas State.

Champion: No. 17 Villanova.

Dayton’s results: The No. 26 Flyers finished fourth in San Juan. They beat No. 31 Georgia Tech 63-59 and lost 71-65 to Villanova and 83-75 to Kansas State.

9. 2003 Maui Invitational

Average Pomeroy ranking: 103.

Highest-ranked team: No. 53 Villanova.

Champion: No. 74 Dayton.

Dayton’s results: The Flyers won the championship, beating No. 273 Central Michigan 82-63, No. 111 San Diego State 76-71 and No. 78 Hawaii 82-72.

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Dayton has just taken the court for final game of Charleston Classic v Auburn. 226 start time.

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10. 2012 Charleston Classic

Average Pomeroy ranking: 104.

Highest-ranked team: No. 28 Baylor.

Champion: No. 45 Colorado.

Dayton’s results: The No. 67 Flyers finished fifth in South Carolina. They lost 67-57 to Colorado and then beat No. 107 Boston College 87-71 and No. 197 Auburn 73-63.

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

11. 2017 Charleston Classic

Average Pomeroy ranking: 106.

Highest-ranked team: No. 14 Clemson.

Champion: No. 86 Temple.

Dayton’s results: The No. 172 Flyers finished sixth. They lost 72-69 to No. 157 Hofstra, beat No. 193 Ohio 79-65 and lost 75-67 to No. 64 Old Dominion.

12. 2014 Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Average Pomeroy ranking: 116.

Highest-ranked team: No. 25 West Virginia.

Champion: West Virginia.

Dayton’s results: The No. 42 Flyers finished third. They beat No. 54 Texas A&M 55-53, lost 75-64 to No. 73 Connecticut and beat No. 110 Boston College 65-53.

13. 2016 Wooden Legacy

Average Pomeroy ranking: 120.

Highest-ranked team: No. 16 UCLA.

Champion: UCLA.

Dayton’s results: The No. 39 Flyers finished fifth in Anaheim, Calif. They lost 80-78 to No. 107 Nebraska, beat No. 280 Portland 84-74 and beat No. 119 New Mexico 64-57.

14. 2011 Old Spice Classic

Average Pomeroy ranking: 131.

Highest-ranked team: No. 52 Minnesota.

Champion: No. 69 Dayton.

Dayton’s results: The Flyers beat No. 211 Wake Forest 80-76, No. 113 Fairfield 56-59 and Minnesota 86-70 to win the championship in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

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