Saint Louis @ Dayton preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 17, 2020 ) Dayton 78, Saint Louis 76

Sixth-ranked Dayton tries for its 12th straight victory when it hosts Saint Louis on Saturday in an Atlantic 10 Conference game as Obi Toppin continues to prove he is one of the best players in the country. The sophomore forward, who turns 22 on March 4, is averaging 19.7 points and eight rebounds in what will likely be his final collegiate season.

"He’s playing at a mid-major (college) and he’s kicking top players in the behind,” an Eastern Conference NBA scout, who requested anonymity until after the draft, told Cleveland.com about the Brooklyn native. “Obi’s a lottery pick. He’s going either first, second or third in the (NBA) draft. You can’t name five players better than him.” Dayton leads the A-10 by one-half game over Rhode Island with a showdown looming against the Rams on Tuesday but cannot overlook the Billikens, who had their three-game losing streak snapped with an 82-68 loss to Duquesne on Wednesday. The Flyers prevailed in the season's first meeting 78-76 on Jan. 17 as Jalen Crutcher hit a 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer. “We told the guys what we have to do the next couple of games,” Saint Louis' Hasahn French told the media. “The next game is against the sixth-ranked team, and we have to prove ourselves. You can’t just show up in this league."

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: CBS Sports Network

ABOUT SAINT LOUIS (17-6, 6-4 Atlantic 10): Jordan Goodwin averages a team-high 15 points and 10.5 rebounds while French produces 12.2 points and a club-most 11 rebounds per game - the only teammates in Division I averaging a double-double. Javonte Perkins, the reigning A-10 player of the week, averages 13.5 points - 17.2 in conference games - and is 20-for-40 from the field in his last three contests. Yuri Collins, who has already established a school record for assists by a freshman, averages 5.4 assists, and his 125 helpers are tied for second in the A-10.

ABOUT DAYTON (20-2, 9-0): Toppin has a big supporting cast beginning with Crutcher, who averages 14.3 points despite scoring only three in the last game - a 70-56 victory over Fordham on Feb. 1 - and a team-high 5.3 assists. Ibi Watson (11.5 points) is tied for the A-10 lead in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.1 and makes 84.3 percent of his free throws. Trey Landers recorded 18 points and eight rebounds against Fordham - raising his season averages to 11.3 points and 5.9 boards.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Flyers' losses were to No. 3 Kansas and to No. 24 Colorado - both in overtime on neutral courts.

2. The Billikens have lost 13 straight to ranked teams and have never defeated a top 10 team on the road.

3. Dayton leads the nation in field goal percentage at 52.5 percent and is fifth in scoring at 82.1 points per game.

PREDICTION: Dayton 82, Saint Louis 68