5 things to watch for this week

Win and in for WSU: Wanna bet the Raiders won't be picked to finish last in the Horizon League next season? After getting tagged with that spot in the preseason poll, Billy Donlon's bunch have rattled off a 20-win season and are one away from reaching the NCAA tournament. Wright State plays at Valparaiso 9 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN in the Horizon League championship game. Valpo won both meetings this season but they were close: 68-61 and 69-63. The Raiders have been to the NCAA tourney twice (1993 and 2007).

No sleep 'till Brooklyn: Yes, the Flyers were the last team to qualify for the Atlantic 10 men's basketball championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. But Dayton is in with the final spot and gets to play another day. And at this point of the season that's all that matters. No. 12 UD takes on No. 5 Butler 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Winning the A-10 tourney is their only shot at the NCAA tournament. The UD women, on the other hand, are a lock for the NCAA tourney despite falling in the A-10 semifinals on Sunday. They'll find out their place on the bracket March 18.

C-bus bound: The Miami Valley is well represented in Columbus this week for the girls basketball state championships. Fairmont (Division I), Chaminade Julienne (D-II), Anna (D-III) and Fort Loramie (D-IV) are all two wins away from state titles. The state bids for the boys, meanwhile, are up for grabs this week with the regional semifinals and finals. Springboro is the last area team standing in D-I. Alter and Dunbar (D-II), Versailles (D-III) and Troy Christian, Tri-Village and Jackson Center (D-IV) are also vying for trips to Columbus.

Demonz tearing up FHL: The Demonz are three wins away from giving Dayton its first minor league hockey championship since the Gems won the International League in 1975-76. Dayton hosts the first two games of the best-of-five Federal League finals Friday and Saturday at Hara Arena. Both games are 7:35 p.m. The Danbury Whalers out of Connecticut are the likely opponent. They took a 2-0 lead over 1000 Island, N.Y., into Sunday's game.

Shark attack is back: After three straight road games the Dayton Sharks of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) return to the Shark Tank, a.k.a Hara Arena. Dayton hosts the Kentucky Drillers at 4 p.m. Sunday. The Sharks, who took a 3-0 record into Sunday's game also with the Drillers, have the CIFL's top-ranked defense (19 points per game allowed) and the No. 2 offense (55 points per game).

— Greg Billing

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