When: 7 p.m. Friday.
TV/Radio: ESPN2/95.7 and 1290 WHIO.
Series: Dayton leads 40-29 and won the first matchup this season 70-56 on Feb. 10 at UD Arena. The Flyers had won five straight games against the Billikens before losing 72-62 at Saint Louis on Feb. 5 last season. Dayton won 68-63 on Jan. 11 at UD Arena in the first matchup last season. Since losing seven times in a nine-game stretch starting in 2009, Dayton has 15 victories in 19 games against the Billikens.
Coaches: Anthony Grant is 122-62 in his sixth season at Dayton. Travis Ford is 131-88 in seven seasons at Saint Louis.
Last game: On Tuesday, Dayton beat La Salle 77-53 at UD Arena, and Saint Louis lost 79-67 at Virginia Commonwealth.
KenPom.com odds: Dayton has a 52% percent chance of winning. The website predicts a 72-70 score. Dayton climbed from No. 72 to No. 67 after beating La Salle. Saint Louis is No. 104.
NET rankings: Dayton climbed from No. 76 to No. 73. Saint Louis is No. 101.
Probable Dayton starters
Name, Ht., Class, Pos., Points per game
DaRon Holmes II, 6-10, So., F, 18.2
Toumani Camara, 6-8, Jr., G, 13.9
Kobe Elvis, 6-2, R-So., G, 8.4
Malachi Smith, 6-0, So., G, 7.7
Koby Brea, 6-6, R-So., G, 7.3
Probable La Salle starters
Gibson Jimerson, 6-5, R-So., G, 14.2
Yuri Collins, 6-0, Jr., G, 11.3
Javonte Perkins, 6-6, Gr., G, 10.9
Francis Okoro, 6-9, Sr., F, 6.9
Terrence Hargrove, 6-4, Jr., G, 6.1
About Dayton: Holmes had a career-high five assists against La Salle. ... Dayton has committed fewer than 10 turnovers six times in the last 11 games after turning the ball over 10 times or more 17 times in the first 19 games. ... Brea has made three 3-pointers in three straight games for the first time in his career. He’s 9-of-14 in this stretch. He ranks third in the A-10 in 3-point accuracy (42.3%, 47 of 111).
About Saint Louis: Okoro missed the VCU game with an illness. Jake Forrester, a 6-9 senior who played the last three seasons at Temple, started in his place. He recorded a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. ... Hargrove scored a season-high 15 points against VCU. ... Friday is Senior Day, and Saint Louis will honor seven players who will graduate this spring or have graduated on Friday after the game: Jimerson; Collins; Perkins; Okoro; Forrester; Javon Pickett; and Fred Thatch Jr. As in the case of Dayton’s Camara, some have the option of returning to play again next season. The first 5,000 fans at the game will receive a rally towell, and the first 750 students receive blue T-shirts.
Looking ahead: The A-10 tournament starts Tuesday with three games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Dayton will be the No. 2 seed no matter what happens in its game Friday, and it will play in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Thursday. The quarterfinal winners get Friday off and don’t play semifinals until Saturday. The championship game takes place at 1 p.m. on March 12, which is Selection Sunday.
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