For most of you who have followed the Flyers this year, it’s not unreasonable to think that Dayton can play with anyone in the A-10 conference. After a sluggish start to the season, UD’s last six games have been a textbook example of why great defense wins basketball games. Dayton was just seconds away from victory against Toledo, Louisville, and Cincinnati, and finally got over the hump against DePaul. Since that time Oliver Purnell’s club took apart Fordham and St. Joseph’s. Things are on the up and up. Or are they?

With the first extended road trip of the year about to get started Sunday against Rhode Island, the Flyers are at a crossroads. Will Dayton fall prey to their historical woes away from the UD Arena and come up short or will the Flyers finally prove to the conference that they are no longer just home court wonders? Dayton’s inability to earn an NCAA bid a year ago was largely because UD failed to chalk up a quality road win. Close simply doesn’t count.

Dayton needs a big road victory early in the season or they will be playing catch-up against the rest of the A-10’s elite teams. Jim Harrick’s Rhode Island Rams will be a tough test but a Flyer win is not an impossibility.

Dayton’s biggest challenge will be stopping 6-10 freshman Lamar Odom, the former National HS Player of the Year. Odom is without question the league’s best newcomer and might be the league’s best ever recruit. Odom can play all five positions despite his size but actually flourishes on the perimeter. At 6-10, he is a matchup problem against every opponent and draws so much attention that it frees up teammates to make significant contributions of their own. Odom is a quick player who handles the ball like a point guard but has the body of a young center. One look at his stats and it’s no secret why he might be the best frosh in the nation. He leads the Rams in points, assists, rebounds, blocks, and minutes played. Look for Odom to start the game at shooting guard.

At the other guard spot is Preston Murphy, a capable ball-handler who finally has his chance to run the team after backing up All-League players Tyson Wheeler and Cuttino Mobley a year ago. Murphy is not a replacement for Tyson Wheeler, but he is a player who can run an offense and lead his teammates to victory. Murphy doesn’t do anything extraordinary, rather, he is a well-balanced player whose gamesmanship is dependent on limiting mistakes rather than making big plays.

In the Ram backcourt, 6-6 Tavorris Bell supplies firepower from the wing position. A freshman from heralded Winchendon Prep in Massachusetts, Bell is a skywalker who has a deadly shooting touch but has trouble handling the basketball. Bell is shooting a team-high 50-77 (.649%) from the field but has only attempted two treys in 13 games. Bell likes to slash to the basket for mid-range shots and collect points off of loose balls. A former Top-50 recruit out of HS, Bell is raw but possesses a load of talent and an incredible upside.

At the power forward position is a familiar name to A-10 followers. Antonio Reynolds-Dean is back for his senior campaign and is the most-experienced player on the Rhode Island roster. Reynolds-Dean, a former A-10 Freshman of the Year, is a solid frontcourt player with quickness and size to score points, grab rebounds, and block shots. In many respects he is a Ryan Perryman-type player. A bit less effective on the boards but a greater ability to alter shots. In either case, Reynolds-Dean is one of the more-underrated players in the league and probably deserves more credit than he gets. At the same time, it’s hard to grab attention when most of your teammates carry a book of HS press clippings six inches thick.

In the middle of Jim Harrick’s lineup is 6-9 Luther Clay, a 225lb junior who probably gets more praise than he deserves. Clay, a former HS All-American and Purdue transfer, has superb athletic ability and can dominate when properly motivated, but underachieves for his talents and can be beaten against harder-working opponents. Mark Ashman will use his excellent post moves to compensate for a mismatch in athletic ability and could score a lot of points if he stays out of foul trouble.

Off the bench, Harrick’s first subs are Tory Jefferson and Caleb “Tip” Vinson. Jefferson is a 6-6 forward who can shoot the trey and snag a few boards but must fill large shoes when the starters head to the pine for a breather. Vinson is a 6-4 shooting guard who gets most of his points inside the three-point line. Yet another Top-100 recruit out of HS, Vinson would likely start were he at any other program.

Rhode Island’s strength is shooting the basketball, but their .460% clip is a bit deceiving because the Rams do not shoot a lot of three-pointers. Only one of every six shots in Jim Harrick’s offense produces an attempt from behind the arc.

While URI is 7-7 on the year, their non-conference schedule included losses to nationally-ranked Cincinnati (70-53), Wisconsin (65-59), and highly-talented Cal (71-64). On the other side, the Rams earned quality wins over TCU, Utah, and Vandy. Clearly, URI is a ballclub that can play with anyone in the country on some nights, but can lose to mid-majors on other nights. Losses to Cleveland State and Pepperdine were not anticipated.

Dayton’s chance at a breakthrough road win lie in the hands of Mark Ashman, Edwin Young, and Tony Stanley. Ashman must score 16-20 points and grab a handful of rebounds while avoiding foul trouble. Stanley needs to nail a couple of baskets early in the game to get Dayton cooking from the perimeter. Young needs to take care of the basketball and penetrate the lane for free throws or other scoring opportunities. Most importantly however, Dayton must continue to play passionate defense. If the Flyers can keep the score under 70 points, Purnell’s team has a fighting chance. If the game turns into a track meet, Dayton will force bad shots and fall apart at the expense of tempo. If anyone in the country expects to take the Flyers seriously, this game is a must-win. Close losses can no longer be acceptable in the program and quality road wins must be expected. Sooner or later UD must persevere and win a game like the one on Sunday. Now is a good time.