“I’m happy for the program and for the University,” said UD Head Coach Jim Jabir. “Our kids have worked very hard. I told them it’s pretty special when you can bring people together from all across the country and have them all focus on one goal. To be considered one of the Top 25 teams out of 360 is pretty gratifying. I hope we’re just getting started.”

Last week UD moved to within three spots of cracking the Top 25, coming in at No. 28 on both polls; with 39 votes in the AP Top 25 and 37 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll.

The Flyers (5-1) received more than double the votes this week, capturing 80 from the national media panel, and were just one vote shy of Kansas, which had 81 in the No. 24 spot.

Already this season, the Flyers have knocked off a Top-10 team for the first time in program history, shocking then-ranked No. 10 Michigan State 77-74 in their season opener Nov. 13. The Spartans are currently ranked No. 22.

UD then went on to capture the Purdue University BTI Classic, winning three games in three days against the likes of then-ranked No. 23 Purdue (56-53) and Georgetown (62-59), who was also receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Poll. The Flyers secured the championship with a resounding 75-37 win over Seattle on the final day of the tournament. UD then flew to an 82-51 win at Chicago State, outscoring its opponent by more than 30 points for the second consecutive game.

In his first season as head coach, Jabir’s squad went 3-25 during the 2003-04 season. Prior to this season, the last time the Flyers were in the polls, they were on a 16-game winning streak - tying the longest streak in the nation - and picked up three votes in the AP Top 25 Poll on Jan. 14, 2008.

“To come from winning just three games in my first season, to being selected as a Top 25 team just seven years later, is a great honor,” said Jabir.

Dayton plays its first game as a ranked team Monday night against Illinois-Chicago at 8 p.m. ET at the Pavilion.