Flyers to play in Chicago in December
Dayton to meet Wyoming for first time since 2004.
The complete DAYTON — non-conference schedule for the Dayton Flyers usually comes out in late July or early August, but bits and pieces of the 13-game slate are revealed along the way.
That happened Monday night when Jon Rothstein, of CBS Sports and CollegeHoopsToday.com, reported Dayton will play Wyoming on Dec. 17 at the United Center in Chicago. The event will also include a game between N.C. State and Vanderbilt and could include one or two more games, Rothstein reported.
A Dayton Daily News source also confirmed the Dayton-Wyoming game. Times have not been announced for either of the games on Dec. 17, and the games have not been officially announced by the schools.
Dayton has played two non-conference games on the neutral court of the United Center in recent years. The Flyers lost 67-64 to Northwestern on Dec. 17, 2016, in what was known as the Chicago Legends event. They lost 78-76 to Colorado on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on Dec. 21, 2019, in the same event. That would turn out to be the last loss of the 201920 season for a team that finished 29-2.
The neutral court games have become common in recent years. Dayton beat Mississippi State 85-82 in double overtime in Atlanta on Dec. 12, 2022. In addition to the game in Chicago in the 2019-20 season, Dayton played Saint Mary’s in Phoenix, and won 78-68.
Wyoming finished 25-9 last season and placed fourth in the Mountain West Conference with a 13-5 record. It lost 66-58 to Indiana in the First Four at UD Arena in its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015.’
Wyoming ranked 58th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool, while Dayton ranked 52nd. Wyoming ranked 65th in the Ken Pomeroy ratings. That was its highest finish since KenPom.com’s first ratings in 1997 and its first top-100 finish since it was 90th since 2012.
Wyoming returns its top two scorers: 6-foot-8 forward Graham Ike (19.5 points per game) and 6-7 guard Hunter Maldonado (18.5). Its third-leading scorer, 6-5 senior guard Drake Jeffries (10.3), elected not to return for his extra season of eligibility. Three other starters return: Jeremiah Oden (7.8), a 6-8 forward; 6-4 guard Xavier DuSell (7.5); and 6-7 guard Brendan Wenzel (5.2).
Wyoming is the second known opponent on Dayton’s 2022-23 non-conference schedule. The Flyers play Virginia Tech at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on a date to be announced. Virginia Tech visited UD Arena last season and lost 62-57.
Dayton and Wyoming have played twice. Both games took place in 2004 but in different seasons. Dayton lost 61-59 in Laramie on Jan. 3, 2004. David Adams hit a 16-foot, last-second jump shot to beat the Flyers. Wyoming lost 62-57 at UD Arena the next season on Dec. 7, 2004.
Dayton’s schedule also includes a trip to the Battle 4 Atlantis on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas. Possible opponents there during Thanksgiving week are Kansas, Tennessee, Southern California, N.C. State, Wisconsin, Butler and BYU.