[PREVIEW] George Mason vs. Dayton -- Men's Basketball

Mason men's basketball is on an eight-game losing streak heading into this matchup (photo by Maurice Jones).

Mason men’s basketball takes on Dayton at 7 p.m. tonight at the Patriot Center in the Game of the Week.

Dayton at a glance

This will be the first meeting between these two teams as members of the Atlantic 10 conference. Dayton leads the all-time series 3-1, with the Flyers having won the last three meetings.

The Patriots (7-14, 0-7 A-10) are on an eight-game losing streak heading into this matchup, after falling to nationally ranked Saint Louis on the road in overtime last Saturday, 87-81.

The Flyers (14-8, 2-5 A-10) snapped a four-game losing streak last Saturday, with a 75-65 victory over George Washington.

Dayton was nationally ranked in November, and finished non-conference play with an RPI rating of 30. The Flyers had two top 50 RPI victories at the EA Sports Maui Invitational against Gonzaga and the University of California.

Dayton was picked to finish seventh in the 2013 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll.

Projected starting lineup

2013-2014 Statistics

Khari Price – Guard – 5’11 – 7.7 PPG – 1.5 RPG – 1.7 APG

Jordan Sibert – Guard – 6’4” – 12.0 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 1.5 APG

Devin Oliver – Forward – 6’7” – 12.4 PPG – 7.0 RPG – 2.4 APG

Dyshawn Pierre – Forward – 6’6 – 11.8 PPG – 5.7 RPG – 1.6 APG

Matt Kavanaugh – Center – 6’10” – 4.7 PPG – 2.9 RPG – 0.7 APG

Sophomore guard Khari Price is among the Atlantic 10 leaders in three-point field goal percentage. The Flyers are 9-1 this season when Price scores in double figures. 

Redshirt junior Jordan Sibert ranks fourth in the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage (.430) and 27^th in scoring (12.0).

Senior forward Devin Oliver ranks 23^rd in the A-10 in scoring (12.4), tied for ninth in rebounding (7.0), tenth in free throw percentage (.763) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.429). Oliver is one of five players in Division I who leads his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Oliver has scored in double figures in four straight games and five of his last six. Over those last five games, Oliver is averaging 14.4 points on .510 shooting from the field and .500 from beyond the arc.

Dyshawn Pierre has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 13 games, and ranks 28^th in the A-10 in scoring (11.8), 19^th in rebounding (5.7), 11^th in field goal percentage (.549) and ninth in offensive rebounding (2.5).

Redshirt senior Matt Kavanaugh has 25 offensive rebounds and 27 defensive rebounds this year.

How Mason stacks up

Senior guard Bryon Allen leads the Patriots averaging 15.0 points and 3.1 assists per game, and recorded a career-high 30 points against Saint Louis. Allen ranks 10^th in the A-10 in scoring and second in the A-10 in free throw percentage (.847).

Sophomore guard Patrick Holloway added 15 points against Saint Louis, and is averaging 9.4 points per game. Holloway ranks sixth in the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage (.424).

Redshirt freshman Jalen Jenkins has three Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors on the season. Jenkins has tallied 22 blocks and ranks 14^th in the A-10 in blocked shots per game (1.0).