The No. 10 seed in the West Region the Nevada Wolf Pack (26-7) take on the No. 7 seed Dayton Flyers (24-7) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Nevada had a great regular but stumbled to end the season as they lost in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Dayton also fell in the quarterfinals of their conference tournament to the eventual conference champion Duquesne Dukes.
Nevada-Dayton Season Analysis
Nevada is a top-heavy offense with three players averaging over 12 points per game with little scoring from their second unit. The Wolfpack are near the bottom of the nation in bench scoring with fewer than 17 points per game. Guard Jarod Lucas leads the Wolfpack in scoring with 17.8 points per game. Nevada won seven straight before their semifinal loss. If they can regain their momentum, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the tournament.
Dayton is led by standout Forward DaRon Holmes II. He is 30th in the nation with 20.4 points per game. He also averages over eight rebounds per contest. The Flyers are reeling a bit after losing three of their last five games heading into Thursday’s matchup. Dayton was ranked No. 24 in the nation before their conference tournament loss.
How Will Nevada-Dayton Unfold
Both of these teams utilize the three-point shot as a large part of their offense. Dayton is third in the nation in three-point percentage (40.2 percent) while the Wolfpack are top 50 in the nation at 36.5 percent.
The team that can shoot closer to their season averages from deep will have the upper hand in this first round matchup. To keep up a torrid pace from three-point range may be easier said than done.
Nevada and Dayton have two of the best defenses in the nation but have both seen their defense slip in recent weeks. Both defenses allow their opponents to shoot just above 40 percent from the field.
The winner of this game plays the winner of Long Beach State (15) vs. Arizona (2) in the second round.
About The Author
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