Duquesne @ Dayton preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 29, 2020 ) Dayton 73, Duquesne 69

It is nearly impossible for fifth-ranked Dayton not to start thinking about March Madness, but there's still plenty of work to do starting with an Atlantic 10 game against visiting Duquesne on Saturday. The Flyers have won 15 consecutive contests after a 66-61 victory at VCU on Feb. 18 and are 24-2 for the first time in school history.

“We definitely think we can do it,” Dayton's Dwayne Cohill told reporters about succeeding in the NCAA Tournament, "but right now we’re just taking it one game at a time. We’ve got Duquesne on Saturday. We’re not really looking ahead of that.” The Flyers own a two-game lead over Rhode Island - a club it defeated 81-67 at home Feb. 11 - with five regular-season games remaining, and visit the Rams in the penultimate contest March 4. Dayton's losses - both in overtime - came against No. 3 Kansas in the Maui Invitational final and versus 17th-ranked Colorado in Chicago. The Dukes had won three of four games before losing to George Washington 70-67 on Wednesday despite 19 points from leading scorer Marcus Weathers and are fifth in the A-10 - the last spot that carries a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: FSN

ABOUT DUQUESNE (18-7, 8-5 Atlantic 10): Weathers averages team highs in points (14.7) and rebounds (eight), and his 17 three-point plays are the program's most since Aaron Jackson converted 20 in 2008-09. Sincere Carry (11.6 points) leads the club in assists at five per game with the Dukes 14-3 when he records five or more. Michael Hughes (9.8 points, 6.9 rebounds) is eighth nationally at 2.88 blocks per game.

ABOUT DAYTON (24-2, 13-0): The club has had six different leading scorers this season, but the unquestionable leader is Obi Toppin, a candidate to win national player of the year who averages 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and shoots 62.4 from the floor. Jalen Crutcher (15 points per game) has emerged as a strong No. 2 scoring option and has reached double figures in 21 of the 25 games he's played. Trey Landers (10.8 points, 57.8 percent from the field), Ibi Watson (10.5, 49.7) and Ryan Mikesell (9.2, 49.2) are also sharpshooters with Crutcher (42.4) and Watson (40.6) also filling it up from 3-point range.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Flyers lead the nation by shooting 52.1 percent from the field and are one of four teams making at least half their shots.

2. The Dukes are 18-7 after 25 games for the first time since 1971-72.

3. No one has gone 18-0 in the A-10 since the conference went to an 18-game regular season in 2014-15.

PREDICTION: Dayton 84, Duquesne 68