1. Ready for takeoff: The University of Dayton men’s basketball team could use a lift after a 29-point loss to St. Louis and a demoralizing one-point setback to Temple, giving the Flyers losses in two of its last three games and six of its last nine. A win against Xavier would do the trick. UD (13-10, 3-6 Atlantic 10) hosts Xavier (13-9, 6-3 A-10) at noon Saturday on ESPN2. Xavier won the first meeting 66-61 on Jan. 30. The Flyers have won just seven of their last 30 meetings against the Musketeers, but six of those wins came at UD Arena including an 87-72 win in front of 13,435 fans on Jan. 21, 2012.

2. Shark week: The Dayton Sharks — members of the Continental Indoor Football League — unleashes its bite on Friday. Dayton hosts the Port Huron Patriots in its season opener at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hara Arena, dubbed the Shark Tank. Coach Chris Taylor leads his team that includes local talent into a 10-game season that features five homes games. For more information on the Sharks, visit their website at www.daytonsharks.com or visit their Facebook page.

3. Play ball: Goodyear? The Reds hope so. Pitchers and catchers report Tuesday to the Cincinnati Reds spring training site in Arizona. The full squad reports Friday, including new lead-off hitter and center fielder Shin-Soo Choo. Other storylines to watch include fireballer Aroldis Chapman’s move to the starting rotation, Joey Votto’s attempt to regain his MVP form after an injury-plagued season and speedster Billy Hamilton’s first invitation to the big league camp. While Cincinnati is mostly injury and controversy free, St. Louis and Milwaukee — two of the Reds biggest threats in the National League Central — open camp with a few more questions. The Cardinals are concerned about shortstop Rafael Furcal’s elbow and announced pitcher Chris Carpernter is out for the season. As for the Brewers, Ryan Braun’s link to performance enhancing drugs is certainly going to be a distraction.

4. From Windy City to Hockey City: Miami University takes part in history on Sunday at the Hockey City Classic, the first outdoor hockey game at Soldier Field in Chicago. Miami (18-7-5) plays Notre Dame (18-11-1) at noon. Minnesota and Wisconsin follow at 3:30 p.m. Prior to that game, the RedHawks and Irish — ranked No. 3 and No. 11 in the nation, respectively — give a preview of sorts as they clash at Miami University at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

5. Tournament trail: The march toward postseason glory starts for some sports and continues for others. Swimming and diving, gymnastics and ice hockey compete at the district level this week. Girls basketball, bowling and wrestling start their sectional tournaments. For tournament schedules, site locations, times and additional information, visit www. swdab.org or www.ohsaa.org.

— Compiled by Greg Billing