What better way to find out how good George Mason and Old Dominion are than to have them play a common opponent this week. Enter the Dayton Flyers who made the second round of the NCAA tournament last season and entered this season nationally ranked. The Flyers only two losses were at the Puerto Rico Tipoff to #3 Villanova and Kansas State (whose only loss on the season was to #25 Mississippi in the semifinal game in that tournament).
The Flyers play on the road to the Patriots tonight. This is the third year in a row that the two teams have played each other. Dayton won at home last season 66-62. Prior to that in 2007, Mason won at home 67-56. Each team that has won in the prior two years has made the NCAA tournament that season. Hmmm.
Then Dayton goes home on Friday to host Old Dominion. The Monarchs have a home game vs. Mount St. Mary's tonight before the contest on Friday.
Tonight at the Garden in the Jimmy V Classic, you have one very good game between ranked teams and one game with a struggling team facing a rebuilding team. In the first game #20 Butler takes on #13 Georgetown. The Hoyas are undefeated while Butler suffered two losses to Minnesota and Clemson in the 76 Classic.
In the second game 3-4 Indiana takes on 7-1 Pittsburgh. The Hoosiers have struggled to a 3-4 record including losing three games at the Puerto Rico Tipoff while Pittsburgh's only loss was to the only ranked team they have faced so far this season, 78-62 to #2 Texas. Pittsburgh did manage to set a Division I NCAA record in their last game as they combined with New Hampshire for 22 first half points, the lowest number of points in a half since the shot clock was introduced in 1985 (score was Pitt 15-7 at the half). Hopefully some team breaks 50 tonight.
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