The No.6-seeded Providence Friars (22-10) and No.11-seeded Dayton Flyers (23-8) meet in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Nationwide Arena. Action begins at 9:57 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on truTV.
The Friars are expecting a better outcome after their 63-61 loss to Villanova in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. LaDontae Henton played a pivotal role, recording his sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and nine assists. The Flyers, meanwhile, are coming off a 56-55 win against Boise State in the first round. Jordan Sibert was the team’s top scorer, registering 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
Sibert has upped his play for the Flyers, averaging 18.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers over the past five games.
The odds for Providence and Dayton are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Friars come into this game 21-11-1 Straight Up (SU) and 16-10-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Friars, ranking 44th in the country in blocks per game with 4.7.
In the other locker room, the Flyers have a record of 16-16 ATS and 26-8 SU. The Flyers get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking 32nd in the nation with 510 made (16.4 per game). The Flyers are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only .306 shooting from three-point range to their opponents.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these two. Their previous game was a Flyers victory, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 0-0 SU.
Predictions: SU Winner – PC, ATS Winner – PC
Notes
The Providence Friars have a defensive rating of 163.2 (ranked 58th), while the Dayton Flyers have an offensive rating of 105.6 (ranked 108th).
The Providence Friars average a field goal percentage of 44.5% this season. The Dayton Flyers are 8-6 when opponents have a FG% of 44.5% or greater.
The Providence Friars rank higher based on their field goal percentage (107th) than their effective field goal percentage (201st). The Dayton Flyers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (49th) than their field goal percentage (59th).
Providence ranks 71st in assists, recording 14.2 per game. Dayton ranks 91st with 13.8 assists per game.
Providence, the 44th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.7 per game. Dayton does worse, ranked 269th with 2.6.
Providence and Dayton are well matched when it comes to rebounding. Providence ranks 93rd in offensive rebounds, while Dayton ranks 93rd in defensive rebounds.
