Atlantic 10

Atlantic 10 Notebook

ljk2171 — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:02:12 -0500

If the final week of the Atlantic 10's regular season is as unpredictable as the one that has just passed, the conference will be giving fans an early treat heading into championship week. Over the past five days there was a change atop the standings, leaving a tie between Xavier and Massachusetts as well as the two last place teams in the conference, Saint Bonaventure and Richmond both pulling off upsets and shaking up the A-10 tournament picture. Saint Joseph's which previously had sole possession of fourth place and control of the final first round bye for the upcoming A-10 tournament in Atlantic City, lost in Richmond on Saturday as the Spider claimed only their seventh win of the season. Now the Hawks find themselves tied with a hot George Washington team that has won three in a row with games versus Charlotte and Duquesne remaining whereas St. Joe's faces the two conference leaders, Xavier and Massachusetts.
The Musketeers and Minutemen confiscated first place earlier in the week thanks to Xavier knocking off then conference leader Rhode Island. Both teams face St. Joe's and LaSalle this upcoming week, where the Hawks will try to play themselves out of a first round game as opposed to the Explorers hoping to somehow slide into Atlantic City and extend their season at least one more game.

Atlantic 10 Player of the Week: Justin Doellman, Xavier. The senior has helped Xavier win six straight games and two this past week while capturing first place with their win over then first-place Rhode Island. Doellman averaged 20 points per contest this past week including thrashing the Rams for 29 in this past week's marquee Atlantic 10 showdown. Doellman has helped the Musketeers all season with his ability to play both inside and out, using his 6'9, 210 pound frame and showing the ability to shoot the three has created match up problems for Atlantic 10 rivals.

Atlantic 10 Game of the Week: Saint Joseph's @ Xavier, 7:00 Wednesday. The conference leading Musketeers take on Saint Joseph's at the Cintas Center in a key late season battle. The Hawks stars will need help if they want to rebound from a horrible loss to Richmond in which four players combined for all 68 of the Hawk's points. While the Hawks rely heavily on Pat Calathes, Ahmad Nivens, and Rob Ferguson for their scoring, the Musketeers use the most balanced scoring attack in the conference. Expect Xavier to extend their winning streak in a 77-72 victory and enhance their chances at an at-large bid should they stumble in Atlantic City.

Bubble Busters: With Selection Sunday rapidly approaching, Xavier now welcomes one more team to the bubble as Massachusetts has won four straight and hopes to give the Atlantic 10 multiple NCAA tournament bids. Should they both reach the tournament finals, the conference which had appeared to be a surefire one bid league for most of the season would have a very good shot at sending both, especially if the Minutemen can attain the automatic berth. While the two keep winning, many bubble teams throughout the power conferences and Mountain West have suffered what seems to be setback after setback.

Be sure to check back later in the week for a preview of the final weekend of action in the Atlantic 10 and a special Atlantic 10 Notebook next week featuring a conference tournament preview, as well as a preview of championship week to see how Xavier and Massachusetts compare with the remainder of the NCAA hopefuls.

Atlantic 10 Weekend Preview

ljk2171 — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:53:33 -0500

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.

Atlantic 10 Notebook

ljk2171 — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:44:50 -0500

The top of the Atlantic 10 proved their merit this past weekend in conference matchups with Rhode Island, Xavier, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph's, and George Washington all turning in victories. Jim Baron's Rhode Island squad continues to hold onto sole possession of first place due to the sharp shooting of the coach's son, Jimmy Baron, the 6'2 sophomore was 11 for 14 from the field including 9 three pointers on the way to beating former Conference USA members Saint Louis and Charlotte. Hanging onto first place looks to be a challenging task as the Rams face Xavier in Cincinnati then head back home to face a formidable Fordham squad. Baron wasn't the only Ram to turn in a solid performance this week as the Rhode Island frontcourt outplayed E.J. Drayton of Charlotte in an 85-69 defeat of the 49ers. In the win, forwards Will Daniels and Joe Mbang combined for 31 points and 15 rebounds to help Rhode Island surprise Charlotte on the boards by a 12 rebound margain.
On the topic of good shooting and rebounding, George Washington used both combined with a night to forget for the A-10's top scorer, Temple guard Dionte Christmas in a win over the Owls Saturday. Christmas was a woeful 2 for 14 from the field for 5 points and just as many turnovers. A bright spot for Temple was the 33 points from Mark Tyndale who has played very well over the last month creating matchup problems for rest of the conference with his versatile play needed for the Owl's four guard lineup to be successful, the Owls were 5-3 since mid-January before dropping 2 straight on the road.
With the Atlantic 10 tournament rapidly approaching, the battle for the top four seeds is still up for grabs amongst nine teams, however time is running out as only two weeks remain. Currently St. Joe's is hanging onto a one-game lead over George Washington for the fourth spot. It still appears that only one team from the conference will be dancing come Selection Sunday. Despite it's less than desirable chances for an at-large berth, Xavier still remains the sexiest team for the selection committee. Although they did not participate in the Bracket Buster this weekend, Xavier was actually helped by the abysmal performance of the Missouri Valley Conference, as well as teams like Oklahoma, Gonzaga, Mississippi, and San Diego State all suffering key defeats. If the Muskateers are victorious the remainder of the regular season, they will finish 23-7, while going 13-3 in the conference. With the impressive regular season record and noticable wins over tournamnet hopefuls Villanova, Virginia Commonwealth, Illinois, and Kansas State, an at-large bid still remains a possibility for Xavier.

Atlantic 10 Player of the Week: In two road victories this week, UMass forward Stephane Lasme was a force on both ends of the court averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds, while swatting away 5 shots versus Dayton and 7 against Fordham. If the Minutemen look to finish the season strong and make a run in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, Travis Ford will need Lasme and center Rashaun Freeman to continue their dominance as the premiere post players in the Atlantic 10.

Atlantic 10 Game of the Week: Rhode Island @ Xavier, Wednesday 7:00. Rhode Island brings the conference's top three point shooting team to this week's feature matchup against Xavier, the team with the stingiest perimeter defense in the A-10. Trailing Rhode Island by a game in the win column, Xavier faces an important matchup with the Rams this week in Cincinnati. The Muskateers could use as many quality wins as possible to bolster their at-large hopes and conference leading Rhode Island provides that opportunity. Jimmy Baron, the Rams' top shooter is coming off of a stellar week and will have to dish out more of the same for the Rams to head back to Kingston holding onto first place. Look for the Muskateers to use their balanced scoring attack to take over first place with a 80-70 home win.

Bubble Busters: As Xavier's quest for the aforementioned at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament will be determined over the next few weeks, some teams suffered some major hits to their NCAA resumes this week. Missouri Valley teams Missouri State and Creighton hopped back on the bubble with their Bracket Buster losses to Winthrop and Drexel respectively. Creighton still looks to be in decent shape, but is no longer the "lock" some had previously thought just a week ago. Andy Kennedy's surprising Mississippi squad had their four game winning streak snapped at Arkansas Saturday damaging their at-large hopes despite finding themselves tied atop the SEC West with fellow bubble team Alabama and Mississippi State, a probable NIT invite. Lastly, the Muskateers received good news upon hearing of defeats from Iowa and San Diego State, two teams that now appear to be in need of automatic berths via victories in their conference tournaments.

Atlantic 10 Weekend Preview

ljk2171 — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:44:59 -0500

In the past decade and a half, the Atlantic 10 has gone from clear mid-major to the brink of being competitive with many of the power conferences and now back to clear mid-major, and that may even be a stretch. For some reason it seems like they just couldn't get over the hump and just rolled right back down the hill and even surpassing where they were before. Barring some kind of miracle and everything breaking just right, the conference will only be sending one team to the big dance, with Xavier being the team with the best chance of receiving an at large bid.
There is without a doubt parity within the conference, it would not be a stretch to think at least 8 teams can leave Atlantic City with an automatic bid and date with a Duke or Texas. The front-runners for this, shall we call it honor will be Xavier, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, St. Joe's, and George Washington. But there are no teams such as the Jameer Nelson led St. Joe's and Marcus Camby, Final 4 bound UMass clubs of past seasons challenging for a seed on the top line, once again leaving it open for anyone willing to show.
Currently three games distance first and eighth place with the first place Rams of Rhode Island not exactly striking fear into anyone's heart. Afterall, their best win away from the A-10 is at home versus Utah, while their best road win comes in Philly versus St. Joe's, who up until this past week had not won back to back A-10 games since the turn of the new year. Needless to say the final two weeks of the regular season will be important for more than half of the conference as they jockey for positioning and a first round bye.
The hectic final two weeks kick off at 2:00 today with Temple visiting George Washington and the first place Rams entertaining Charlotte. Other games on the slate feature St. Joe's traveling north to visit St. Bonaventure, Richmond at Xavier and LaSalle at St. Louis all on Saturday. Sunday will send Duquesne to Fordham and UMass to the UD Arena to face the Flyers of Dayton in this weekend's game of the week. Here is a preview of the Saturday and Sunday games:

Game of the Week: Massacusetts @ Dayton. Sunday, 2:00.
In a battle of two teams still holding out hope for a first round bye in Atlantic City, UMass and its stellar frontline visit the always raucous UD Arena in a key Atlantic 10 showdown. UMass' Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme compose the A-10's top front court combining for almost 30 points and 18 rebounds per game. Dayton will counter with counter with Brian Roberts, possibly the A-10's most dangerous guard. In this conflict of styles, look for Dayton to exploit UMass' weak perimeter defense and take a big step towards closing in on the conference leaders in a 68-65 victory.

In other games:
Temple @ George Washington, Saturday 2:00: The struggling Colonials look to snap a four game losing streak against a Temple team trying to rebound from a loss against city rival LaSalle. The Owls, who previously were riding a season high four game winning streak will look to the A-10's top scorer Dionte Christmas for both scoring and sound play as the Colonials force over 17 turnovers per game, a conference best. GWU's top scorer Maureece Rice will get his points, but look for Temple to walk away with a 77-74 win.

Charlotte @ Rhode Island, Saturday 2:00: Can the first place Rams stay atop the A-10 all alone through the weekend? If they do, they'll need help from Dayton. Look for the 49ers to shock the Rams with a big performance from E.J Drayton and his teammates upfront in a 75-70 upset.

St. Joseph's @ St. Bonaventure, Saturday 4:00: The Hawks are simply too talented for a woeful Bonnies team in this A-10 clash. St. Joe's combination of Ahmad Nivans, Pat Calathes, and Rob Ferguson will be simply too much in a lopsided 79-65 win up in New York.

Richmond @ Xavier, Saturday 6:00: In what looks to be the second lopsided affair of the weekend, the well balanced Muskateers of Xavier play host to Richmond. Don't expect too much hospitality though as the Muskateers have 4 players who score in double digits and one just below that compared to Dan Geirot, Richmond's lone double digit scorer at just under 11 per game. When it's all said and done, Xavier should walk out with a potentially sizable victory in the neighborhood of 82-66.

LaSalle @ St. Louis, Saturday 8:00: For a team with wins over Mississippi and Missouri State, St. Louis has struggled mightily in A-10 play, however the same could be said for LaSalle all season, the Explorers are coming off their biggest win of the season over Big 5 rival Temple. After coming up small in two big road games at Xavier and Rhode Island, the Billikens return home in what should be a victory, St. Louis takes this one 76-64.

Duquesne @ Fordham, Sunday 12:00: The high scoring Dukes have endured more than any team over the past year including a 2-7 start. However, over the last month, Duquesne has looked like a different team winning five straight before hitting a snag and dropping back to back games this past week. The slide isn't quite the four game streak currently held by Fordham though. The 5-3 record the Dukes own since shifting to a more high tempo game is largely impart due to its lack of size and could could pose problems for a Fordham team that relies heavily on 6'8 forward Bryant Dunston combined with the perimeter game of Marcus Stout. The Duke's makeup for a lack of size and dictate the tempo in this 91-83 road win.