In the final game of the regular season, VCU still has hopes of earning a share of the Atlantic 10 title when the Rams visit Dayton on Friday.
VCU (23-7, 14-3) is one game behind St. Louis (27-3, 15-2). St. Louis would clinch the title outright with a win on Saturday at George Mason. A St. Louis loss and a VCU win could make them co-champions. That said, St. Louis has already clinched the top seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament by virtue of a 2-0 record against VCU this year.
VCU has already clinched the second seed. The Rams have won two in a row and 12 of 13 following Tuesday’s 70-65 home win over George Mason.
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Dayton (21-9, 12-5) is tied for third place with St. Joseph’s. The teams only played once, with St. Joseph’s winning, so the Hawks would earn the No. 3 seed by beating La Salle in their final regular-season game. A loss to La Salle and a Dayton win over VCU would give the Rams the No. 3 seed. Both Dayton and St. Joseph’s have already clinched the double bye into the tournament quarterfinals.
Dayton has won six in a row since a 99-73 loss at VCU on Feb. 6. Included in that streak was a 77-62 home win against St. Louis on Feb. 23. The Flyers are coming off Tuesday’s 65-60 win at Richmond. In the final minutes, Dayton held Richmond to 1-of-10 from the floor, including 0-for the final six.
VCU at Dayton Odds
As of this writing, Dayton is a 1.5-point college basketball betting favorite on BetMGM.
The Over/Under is at 148.5 points.
VCU at Dayton On TV
Tipoff is expected to start shortly after 7 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on ESPN2.
VCU at Dayton Prediction
Let’s face it, this one could go either way. But I like VCU getting the points.
Both teams are hot, and each has a lot to play for. In addition, both are attempting to improve their resumes for a potential NCAA at-large bid. VCU is in much better shape. The Rams entered Thursday ranked No. 46 by KenPom, and would likely have to move up to be in a better at-large position. Dayton is No. 76.
VCU is a respectable 6-3 on the road, while Dayton is 14-2 at home. The Flyers have won four in a row at home.
In their lone meeting this year, VCU earned a 99-73 home win over Dayton on Feb. 6. VCU’s 6-foot-6 redshirt senior Jadrian Tracey scored a career-high 26 points in the win. He shot 9-of-12 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range.
VCU averages 82.9 points, while Dayton averages 75.5. On the other end, Dayton allows 70.2 points per game, while VCU surrenders 72.5. Dayton leads the Atlantic 10 in free-throw shooting (.756), while VCU is fifth (.740).
VCU is shooting .363 from beyond the arc, while Dayton is shooting .344. In their earlier matchup, Dayton hit 7-of-19 threes (.368) while VCU was 8-of-24 (.333).
Dayton has the conference’s top turnover margin (2.93) compared to 1.13 for VCU.
Terrence Hill Jr., a 6-foot-3 sophomore who has started just two games, leads VCU with a 14.1 scoring average. This is a balanced scoring team with seven players averaging between 7.4 and 14.1 points.
Dayton’s leading scorer is 5-foot-10 senior Javon Bennett (15.9 PPG). Bennett, who also leads the team in assists (3.03 per game), is shooting .904 from the foul line. De’Shayne Montgomery, a 6-foot-4 junior, averages 14 points per game for the Flyers.
