Atlantic 10 Weekend Preview

The Atlantic 10 postseason is less than two weeks away and with that, a chance to partake in the NCAA tournament. But before conference members make the trip down to Atlantic City there is still work that needs to be finished, and that work picks up this weekend with seven league battles Saturday. Here is a preview of the weekend's action:

Atlantic 10's Premiere Weekend Matchup: Xavier @ Dayton, 6:00 Saturday. It was a big week for the Xavier Muskateers, who moved into a first place tie with Massachusetts after knocking off first place Rhode Island. The Muskateers attempt to continue their torrid pace in Dayton which is never an easy task. Xavier features one of the most balanced squads in the country and are led by Senior Justin Doellman who dumped in 29 points Wednesday against the Rams. Dayton is led by guard Brian Roberts and is just one week removed from suffering its first home setback of the season, a 77-69 loss to UMass. Expect Xavier's size and athleticism to cancel out the Atlantic 10's top homecourt advantage in a 80-75 win against the Flyers.

George Washington @ LaSalle, 12:00 Saturday. On the heels of Saint Joseph's for a first round bye in Atlantic City, the Colonials look to extend their winning streak to three games as they make the trek to North Philadelphiaand take on the LaSalle Exploers, a team just trying to qualify for the conference tournamnet. Expect Philly high school legend Maureece Rice to pace the Colonials and run-away with a 81-70 victory in Olney.

Fordham @ Rhode Island, 2:00 Saturday. Rhode Island, who lost their spot atop the Atlantic 10 earlier this week in a loss to current leader Xavier, hosts a Fordham team that snapped a four game losing streak last weekend and is well rested after a 6 day layoff. Rams' guard Jimmy Baron has been on fire as of late and Fordham doesn't seem to be the team to slow him down, Rhode Isalnd gets back on the winning track with an 86-72 win.

Charlotte @ Temple, 2:00 Saturday. Temple is just a day removed from a loss to Big Five rival St. Joseph's in which they were not competitive and could use a win to ensure their participation in the conference tournament which leaves out the bottom two teams. The Owls host a hot 49ers team that has been climbing up the Atlantic 10 ladder over the past several weeks. The Owls will need leading scorer Dionte Christmas to right his game in a hurry if the Owls plan on contending in Atlantic City. Expect Coach Fran Dunphy, who is not accustomed to being in this position after many seasons of postseason play as the Penn coach, to right the ship and pull off a mild 81-79 upset and secure their spot in the Atlantic 10 tournamnet.

Saint Louis @ Massachusetts, 7:00 Saturday. The evening slate kicks off in Amherst with the first place UMass Minutemen playing host to Saint Louis. UMass possesses the conference's most potent inside game. St. Louis relies on sophomore guard Tommie Liddell and his 16 points per game to set a pace dictated by the backcourts, however, expect UMass pivotmen Stephane Lasme and Rashaun Freeman to control the paint just enough to hold on for a 73-68 win.

Saint Bonaventure @ Duquesne, 7:00 Saturday. Saint Bonaventure and Duquesne meet in a battle of two teams found in the bottom half of a the conference's standings. The Bonnies desperately need a win in fear of missing the Atalntic 10 tournament. While the Dukes are not in such a precarious situation, and could use a victory to end a four game skid, expect them to do so and turn back the Bonnies 99-86.

Saint Joseph's @ Richmond, 7:00 Saturday. As usual, Phil Martelli has his Hawks peaking at the right time. Saint Joe's has won four in a row and are easily playing their best ball of the season which bodes well considering the last place Richmond Spiders are next up. Richmond, losers in 17 of their past 19 games will have their hands full with Pat Calathes and Ahmad Nivens who combine to average over 30 point a contest. Expect the Hawks continue to roll into the Atantic 10 tournamnet with a 78-67 win.