BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — The last installment of “FTS” was aptly entitled 2020 You Suck. Hoping for the best, 2021 got off on an equally bad foot when the Flyers dropped a difficult to imagine 55-54 decision to the Fordham Rams.

Previously, AG and company had learned that junior forward Chase Johnson was “stepping away from the program for health reasons”:

https://daytonflyers.com/news/2020/12/30/mens-basketball-chase-johnson-steps-away-from-flyer-basketball.aspx

A day after the FU loss it was announced that Rodney Chatman will be out 6-8 weeks after successful hand surgery:

https://daytonflyers.com/news/2021/1/6/mens-basketball-rodney-chatman-undergoes-successful-hand-surgery.aspx

All I can say is thank goodness Elijah Weaver’s transfer came through.

In spite of all this adversity, Jalen Crutcher has set new career highs in points twice within a week: 26 vs. GMU and 29 in the OT V against Davidson. ESPN2 showed a stat that Jalen and Ibi are #1 and #3 in the nation in minutes played per game and that surely didn’t change after an OT tilt with the Wildcats, where #10 logged 44 minutes and #2 played 43.

The Captain Obvious question of the day: Where would the Flyers be without Mustapha Amzil?

Despite all of the above, UD is currently tied with 3 other teams for 8th place in the A-10 at 2-2:

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2168/dayton-flyers

Yeah, those two Ls are to bottom-feeders LaSalle and Fordham, but I’m not ready to write this squad off just yet. Not after their gutsy performance vs. Davidson. 10 turnovers is still 10 too many, but it is a marked improvement over earlier efforts (17 vs. Fordham; 19 vs. SMU).

Every A-10 team has at least one loss, except SLU, who has yet to play a conference tilt…and Travis Ford has no idea when they will:

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/ford-unsure-when-slu-will-return-to-practice-games/article_a921f948-5106-5d5a-8d90-78e699cb7ba0.html#tracking-source=in-article

Update: SLU still not practicing:

https://twitter.com/studurando/status/1349088817639260162

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s contest, the Duquesne Dukes have been hit by three defections, as junior guard Lamar Norman Jr. and junior point guard Sincere Carry intend to transfer and Maceo Austin is “taking a break”:

https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2021/01/11/maceo-austin-no-intention-to-transfer-from-duquesne/

GW is back practicing for their game against VCU on Wednesday, which is good news as the Flyers face the Colonials in a back-to-back series next Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday’s tilt has been moved to 4:30 pm and will be played at George Mason in suburban Virginia, as opposed to Foggy Bottom.

Finally, rewatched the end of regulation in the Davidson game and it is still a puzzler. Why would AG choose not to foul the Sons of Bob McKillop up 3 with 12 seconds to go and with a foul to give? Coach Grant is nothing if not consistent, as he has never opted to employ this strategy.

Better get used to it I guess.

That’s it “From the Swamp”
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