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Sandwiched in between an instant classic of a league opener at Seton Hall and a showdown on New Year's Day at Purdue maybe a letdown of sorts was expected from West Virginia. Not to mention the presence of an underdog in Marquette looking to serve notice that they'll be better than the 12th-place spot predicted by the Big East's coaches and it wouldn't have been a huge shock if the Mountaineers fell.

Saturday was definitely a day full of action, but little did much of the nation know that the most-discussed event would be the end of the Xavier/Butler game at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Down one to the visiting Musketeers Butler scuffled through their final possession, even having the ball deflected into the backcourt as the clock ticked under fifteen seconds. But a peculiar thing happened as the ball rolled away from the Butler basket: the clock stopped.

Sunday turned out to be a very good day for the Atlantic 10 and that all began with a Big 5 showdown at the Liacouras Center between third-ranked Villanova and Temple. It's always been said that you never know what to expect from a Big 5 meeting and the Owls showed just that in their 75-65 win over the Wildcats in front of a frenzied crowd. Juan Fernandez put on a show for Fran Dunphy's club, scoring a game-high 33 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field (7-of-9 from three).

Dayton and Xavier have legitimate Top 25 hopes, while usual standard-bearers like St. Joseph's and Temple may have to make way for up-and-coming programs like Duquesne, La Salle, and Richmond.

 

CollegeHoops.net's Preseason High-Major All-America Team is led by Tulsa big man Jerome Jordan, a potential First Round NBA pick. Jordan, along with the likes of Luke Babbitt and Chris Wright, is part of an impressive forward crop in this year's High-Majors. BYU, Illinois State, Memphis, Nevada, and Tulsa are the only schools with multiple players on the list.

 

Dayton

Duquesne

La Salle

Richmond

Temple

Xavier

Other (Charlotte, St Joe's, UMASS, URI, etc)

Overall Rank: #24

Conference Rank: #2 Atlantic 10 Conference

So many games, so little time. CollegeHoops.net helps you out by cutting to the core of each Tournament game. Click on team names for stats, results, and more. "Matchup" links include helpful injury news, betting tips and information.