Saint Louis continued its surprising run in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season with a 102-71 win over Dayton Friday night at the Chaifetz Arena in Saint Louis, Missouri. The victory kept the Billikens unbeaten in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 9-0 record, stretching its lead to rival George Mason to 1 1/2 games, and 21-1 overall.
Analyst Praises Saint Louis’ Surprise Run in the 2025–26 Men’s College Basketball Season
Saint Louis’ surprising surge in the 2025-26 season has caught the eye of CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, who described the Billikens as a “special team” after another splendid performance against the Flyers.
“Another RIDICULOUS offensive performance by Saint Louis. 102 points scored tonight against Dayton in a 31-point win, 63% from the field, 61% from 3 including 17 made shots from deep. 21-1. Special Team,” Rothstein wrote on his X account moments after the game.
The Billikens rode on the hot hands of Trey Green and Ishan Sharma to stretch the Flyers’ defense, who had a long night figuring out who to guard on the perimeter. Green finished with a team-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 7-of-10 from the 3-point line, while Sharma scored all his 18 points from way downtown.
Big man Robbie Avila and Quentin Jones knocked down two 3-pointers apiece to complete the rout for the No. 21-ranked Billikens, who are set to remain in the AP Poll Top 25 for the third-straight week after entering the charts at No. 24 in Week 11. The 31-point rout of Dayton (14-8, 5-4 Atlantic 10) followed up on its 79-76 home win over George Washington on Tuesday.
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Saint Louis Coach Josh Schertz Plays Down ‘Feel Good’ Story
The win over the Flyers moved the Billikens to two wins above their 19-15 record last season, and barring any untoward incidents to their key players, they are in position for a possible NCAA Tournament berth in March.
With 10 new players (six transfers and four freshmen) in this season’s roster, the Billikens are expected to compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference but are not deemed as favorites in the regular season title or the conference crown.
But here they are. Saint Louis is off to its best start in program history despite ranking 179th in minutes continuity per KenPom, yet they’re 21-1 and No. 21 in the AP Poll. This run is a surefire top candidate for a “feel-good” moment in the 2025-26 season, with unbeaten and No. 25 Miami (Ohio) contending for the unofficial title.
However, Billikens coach Josh Schertz played down this description and insisted it’s the collective commitment within the team that keeps them rolling.
“We are not a feel good story. We have great players. There’s a collective commitment within them,” Schertz said. “Winning is above everything. They are all sacrificing on different levels to make this a team that competes for championships.”
True enough, the team has players willing to sacrifice their superb individual skills for the program’s quest to win its eighth conference-regular season championship and make the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time, the first since 2019.
“We have no egos on this team,” said center Avila, who leads the team’s offense, averaging 12.8 points per game. “We know that if we are going to be successful, it’s going to take everybody.”
Six of Avila’s teammates have provided balance to the team’s fluid offense, averaging at least 9.5 points per game, giving Schertz an embarrassment of scoring riches. The Billikens are eighth in the nation in offense, averaging 91.4 points per game. They also rank third in field goal percentage with a 52.1% clip, fifth in 3-point percentage (40.5%), and sixth in assists (19.5 assists per game).
The 6’10” center is doing a perfect impression of a playmaking center, as he leads the team in assists at 4.0 apg, 0.8 assists ahead of the Billikens’ second-best assist man, Quentin Jones.
Avila’s teammates are doing their share in other aspects, making it easy for him to find them squared for an open, spot-up jumper that connects most of the time. In its last game against Dayton, Avila took a backseat in favor of Green, Sharma, Jones, and Dion Brown, who combined for 72 of Saint Louis’ 102 points.
The Billikens’ hot shooting has been the talk of the nation, hitting 52.2% of their shots in the past three games. Saint Louis hopes to continue its winning run against Davidson (12-8, 4-4 Atlantic 10) on Feb. 3.
