Dayton has been tabbed as the favorite to win the Atlantic 10.

However, the Flyers may have to begin the season without guard Rob Lowery, who torn his patella tendon on Feb. 11 against Xavier and still hasn't been cleared for contact drills.

"He's out there – all non-contact drills," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said.

Lowery averaged 7.5 points and 3.4 assists per game last season in 18.2 minutes per game.

XAVIER LANDS 2011 WING

Lost in all the hoopla surrounding Kyrie Irving's commitment to Duke and Kentucky freshman John Wall's eligibility issues was the fact that Xavier coach Chris Mack landed another quality player.

Mack and Memphis coach Josh Pastner, before ever coaching a college game, have loaded up this summer.

The latest for Mack was top 75 junior Dezmine Wells, a power guard who played with Wall at Word of God.

It's the best fit for me," Wells told FOXSports.com on Thursday afternoon. "Academically and athletically, I feel they provide everything I need to succeed."

Mack, who added Wake Forest assistant Pat Kelsey as his associate head coach, now has four commitments in the Class of 2010 (led by top 100 player Jordan Latham) and a pair in the junior class with Wells and Indiana point guard Dee Davis.

ISIAH'S SIX-MAN CLASS

Quietly, Isiah Thomas has assembled a pretty good six-man group in the Class of 2010 at Florida International.

The latest addition, according to sources, is Highland Community College 6-foot-7 forward Eric Frederick, a 6-foot-7 Oklahoma native who averaged 19.5 points and 7.6 rebounds last season as a junior college All-American.

Frederick, who one NBA source said is a "future pro," is the No. 2 guy in the class behind talented forward Dominique Ferguson, who checks in at No. 36 overall in Scout.com's post-summer rankings.

The others in the recruiting class:

- Phil Taylor, a legitimate high-major point guard from Wheeler High in Georgia.

- Matt Milk, a 6-foot-8 forward from Long Island who is teammates with Brandon Knight at Pine Crest (Fla.).

- Richaud Pack, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Seaholm High in Michigan.

- DeJuan Wright, a wing from Detroit who is at Gillette College in Wyoming.

Thomas and his staff also have Yvan Ngiraeakunzi, a 6-foot-8 small forward in the Class of 2011 who is Mississippi and de-committed from Miami. Chris Coleman, a big man from Buffalo, has de-committed, but sources indicate he is still considering FIU.

RANDOM NOTES: Achraf Yacoubou, a 6-foot-4 junior wing from Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.), committed to Villanova, according to various media outlets.

To check out Jeff Goodman's Twitter, click here.