Atlantic 10

Atlantic 10 Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:23:49 -0500

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.

Conference Rank: 7th

10 year average: 8th

Conference Page

All-Atlantic 10 Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Kevin Anderson	Richmond	Jr
G	Ricky Harris	UMASS	Sr
G	Rodney Green	La Salle	Sr
F	Andrew Nicholson	St. Bonaventure	So
F	Chris Wright	Dayton	Jr

Player of the Year - Chris Wright Freshman of the Year - Aaric Murray (La Salle)
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
All-Americans Chris Wright High-Major All-Americans Chris Wright (1st Team) Kevin Anderson (2nd) Ricky Harris (2nd) Andrew Nicholson (2nd) Lavoy Allen (3rd) Jordan Crawford Rodney Green All-Freshman Team Aaric Murray		Points: Ricky Harris 18.2 Rebounds: Lavoy Allen 9.0 Assists: DiJuan Harris 7.2 Team Points: Duquesne 78.9

A10 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

16	Dayton	A-10	1	NCAA
24	Xavier	A-10	2	NCAA
55	La Salle	A-10	3	NIT
61	Richmond	A-10	4	NIT
69	Duquesne	A-10	5	NIT
91	Saint Louis	A-10	6	CBI/CIT
95	St. Joe's	A-10	7	CBI/CIT
115	Temple	A-10	8	CBI/CIT
126	Charlotte	A-10	9
134	Rhode Island	A-10	10
168	Massachusetts	A-10	11
202	St. Bonaventure	A-10	12
245	George Wash	A-10	13
252	Fordham	A-10	14

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Atlantic 10?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Best Non-BCS Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:41 -0500

Dayton Basketball Preview: #16

Joel Welser — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:20:00 -0400

Overall Rank: #16

Conference Rank: #1 Atlantic 10 Conference

2008-09: 27-8, 11-5

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Brian Gregory (125-68 at Dayton, 125-68 overall)

In the 2009 NCAA Tournament Coach Brian Gregory and his Dayton squad knocked off West Virginia in the first round before running into a tough Kansas team. With just one impact player gone, the Flyers will look towards the Sweet Sixteen or even better this time around. And they certainly have the weapons to make such a deep run in March.

Key Losses: F Charles Little

Key Newcomers:

The now departed Charles Little averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds during his senior season. He is the only player that the Flyers need to replace. A few returning players will be in the mix, but so will a couple newcomers. Josh Benson was a very highly touted recruit coming out of high school, but missed all of last season with an injury. Benson is healthy now after a relatively long rehab process and should turn into the player everybody expected as long as he can stay healthy. The lone incoming freshman is another big man. Matt Kavanaugh is physically ready to play against anybody which is rare for a young player. If he can remain poised, he should be in regular rotation.

Backcourt:

This is a backcourt that has an amazing amount of weapons. Marcus Johnson is the most consistent scorer who can do damage inside and out. Chris Johnson lacked consistency during his freshman campaign, but the 6-6 wing is a great rebounder and should turn into a better scorer as his career progresses. Like Chris Johnson, Rob Lowery also spent much of the year coming in off the bench. Lowery was fourth on the team in scoring, but it is his ability to find his teammates that makes him so dangerous. Add the versatile Mickey Perry and Paul Williams, who struggled with injuries as a freshman, to the mix and Dayton will never be lacking in weapons on the perimeter.

Frontcourt:

But despite all those talented weapons on the perimeter, it is forward Chris Wright who makes this team so special. The 6-8 junior led the squad with 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Wright started at the small forward position last year, but he certainly has the size and skill to run the floor at the four spot if replacing Little becomes a problem. However, Dayton hopes the newcomers and promising sophomore Luke Fabrizius and the more experienced Devin Searcy can handle most of the minutes at the four spot. There are no questions about the center position. Kurt Huelsman rarely puts up big numbers, but the 6-10 senior has spent the last three years doing the dirty work under the basket for this team and his importance may go unappreciated, but he is the glue guy on this team.

Who to Watch:

And it is London Warren who is the guy who makes this team go. Warren will not score very much, but he does not need to on this team. He needs to find his teammates and play great defense and that is exactly what he has done and will continue to do. Last year he dished out 4.4 assists per game and only turned the ball over 1.9 times. He was also named to the conferences All-Defensive Team.

Final Projection:

If there is a year that Dayton is going to beat out Xavier for the A-10 crown, this is it. The conference is good enough for both teams to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Flyers are the most experienced and deepest team in the conference and they want to show the nation that they are here to stay. A conference title and a run to the Sweet Sixteen should prove it.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

London Warren, Senior, Guard, 4.1 points per game

Marcus Johnson, Senior, Guard, 11.8 points per game

Chris Wright, Junior, Forward, 13.3 points per game

Josh Benson, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Kurt Huelsman, Senior, Center, 3.6 points per game

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Poll: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:36:40 -0400

Xavier Basketball Preview: #24

Joel Welser — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:15:28 -0400

Overall Rank: #24

Conference Rank: #2 Atlantic 10 Conference

2008-09: 27-8, 12-4

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Chris Mack (First year at Xavier, 0-0 overall)

Xavier lost their top three scorers and their coach. However, the Musketeers have proven that they are a quality team year in and year out. This will probably be the season they fail to win the Atlantic 10 conference, but that will not take them out of the NCAA Tournament picture. In fact, the A-10 is poised for a big year and Xavier should be dancing yet again.

Key Losses: G C.J. Anderson, F Derrick Brown, G B.J. Raymond

Key Newcomers:

The biggest problem for new head coach Chris Mack will be depth. Jordan Crawford, a transfer from Indiana, started eight games and averaged 9.7 points for the Hoosiers during the 2007-2008 campaign…and that was when IU was good. Crawford is a dynamic scorer who can hit the long ball consistently and use his 6-5 frame to attack the basket. Redshirt freshman point guard Mark Lyons missed last year as a partial qualifier and will compete for the starting point guard spot. The lone incoming freshman is power forward Jeff Robinson who will be given the opportunity to compete for minutes off the bench.

Backcourt:

Few teams in the nation had as talented and versatile wings as B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson. Those two are huge losses, but with Crawford eligible and Dante Jackson returning, the wings are in good shape. Jackson, who led the team last year with 2.7 assists per game, is a solid outside shooter. Now the 6-5 junior needs to get more aggressive around the basket and use his size much like Raymond and Anderson did last year to finish in the paint. Terrell Holloway split starts with Jackson last year and should be ready to battle it out with Lyons for the starting point guard spot, allowing Jackson to play on the wing. Holloway was inconsistent as a freshman last year and he has to cut down on the turnovers if he expects to be in the starting lineup.

Frontcourt:

Jason Love and Kenny Frease are the most experienced frontcourt players. Love started all 35 games last season and averaged 6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per contest. At 6-9 and 265 pounds, Love can handle either the power forward or center position. That would leave room for seven-footer Kenny Frease to start under the basket. Frease only averaged 14.6 minutes per game as a freshman, but he was very productive when he was on the floor. Most of his offense will come off of offensive rebounds, but his defensive presence alone is enough to consider him for a starting job as long as he can stay out of foul trouble.

Who to Watch:

Jamel McLean might want that starting spot though. The 6-8 power forward is very strong on the glass and always plays with a contagious intensity that is invaluable to the Musketeers. With Robinson, who was headed to Purdue at one point, heading into the program, the frontcourt depth should not be much of an issue. If Lyons or Holloway can manage the point guard duties, the backcourt should not lack in depth either. Brad Redford had a fine freshman campaign and knocked down 46.5 percent of his attempts from long range. If he can keep that up, Redford will provide a great spark off the bench.

Final Projection:

This is a pretty young team. A lot of the impact players were just freshmen last year and they need to grow with the team and adapt to Coach Mack, which should not be much of an issue since nobody knows Xavier basketball as well as Mack, who has served as an assistant under Coach Skip Prosser and Coach Sean Miller at Xavier. This will not be a dominating team, but they will be next year and for many years to come.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Terrell Holloway, Sophomore, Guard, 5.5 points per game

Dante Jackson, Junior, Guard, 6.6 points per game

Jordan Crawford, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Jason Love, Senior, Forward, 6.7 points per game

Kenny Frease, Sophomore, Center, 5.4 points per game

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College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

La Salle Basketball Preview: #55

Joel Welser — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:30:23 -0400

Overall Rank: #55

Conference Rank: #3 Atlantic 10

2008-09: 18-13, 9-7

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: John Giannini (71-79 at La Salle, 368-228 overall)

It is pretty fair to say that La Salle got snubbed out of a postseason berth last year. The team finished the season with 18 wins, but it was a first round loss to St. Louis in the Atlantic 10 tournament that seemed to keep the team out of the NIT. And then the CBI and the CIT just never called. The postseason drought should end this year with a wealth of experience returning.

Key Losses: F Vernon Goodridge, F Paul Johnson, G Darryl Partin

Key Newcomers:

The Explorers also have a great recruiting class, or at least one great recruit. Aaric Murray is one of the best center prospects in the nation according to most pundits and the 6-10, 250 pound Philadelphia, Pennsylvania product should make an immediate contribution. If he lives up to his potential, La Salle could forget about the NIT and shoot straight for the NCAA Tournament. Redshirt freshman Devon White will add more depth up front and guards Parrish Grant and T.T. Carey will give the team some much, much needed depth on the perimeter.

Backcourt:

The best two scorers on the team are Rodney Green and Kimmani Barrett. Green averaged an impressive 17.8 points, 3.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals last year. The 6-5 senior deserves to be mentioned among the best players in the conference and the best players in the city of Philadelphia. Green will not take that many three-pointers, but he can keep the opposition honest with his outside shot. Most of his scoring is done around the basket and usually the only way to stop the 6-5 point guard is to foul him. Barrett, a 6-6 wing, was second to Green in the scoring column last year averaging 11.8 points per game. Like Green, Barrett will use his size to hit the glass and get to the basket, but he can also hit the outside shot with relative consistency.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has to replace Vernon Goodridge, but picking up Murray should immediately help the frontcourt. While Murray adjusts to the collegiate life, Yves Mekongo Mbala will carry the load under the basket. The 6-7 senior turned into a consistent scorer last year and led the team with 6.0 rebounds per contest. And he can even step outside and hit the three-pointer every once in a while. With the opposition worrying about Murray under the basket, Mekongo Mbala should get plenty of open looks outside the paint and he can knock those shots down. Jerrell and Terrell Williams both started at least a few games last year and the 6-8 juniors are ready to take on a bigger role when necessary.

Who to Watch:

The biggest question on this team is who is going to run the point. Green is certainly capable of doing it and it is never a bad thing to have the ball in the hands of your best player, but he would be more effective off the ball. The other option is Ruben Guillandeaux. Guillandeaux is not a true point guard either, but he did average 3.1 assists and just 1.7 turnovers last year. The 6-5 senior is also the team’s best outside shooter and knocked down nearly 35 percent of his attempts.

Final Projection:

No matter who brings the ball up the floor, La Salle is a big team on the perimeter. Guillandeaux and Green are both 6-5 and Barrett is 6-6. Most A-10 teams had a tough time guarding those three guys. The biggest problem this team will run into is depth on the perimeter. Darryl Partin transferred leaving just about nobody left. That means the freshmen better be ready to contribute or Green, Guillandeaux and Barrett will be playing about 35 minutes per game.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Ruben Guillandeaux, Senior, Guard, 10.1 points per game

Rodney Green, Senior, Guard, 17.8 points per game

Kimmani Barrett, Senior, Guard, 11.8 points per game

Yves Mekongo Mbala, Senior, Forward, 10.4 points per game

Aaric Murray, Freshman, Center, DNP last season

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Richmond Basketball Preview: #61

Joel Welser — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:45:21 -0400

Overall Rank: #61

Conference Rank: #4 Atlantic 10

2008-09: 20-16, 9-7

2008-09 postseason: CBI

Coach: Chris Mooney (57-70 at Richmond, 75-82 overall)

Richmond had high expectations heading into the 2008-2009 campaign, but those expectations were knocked down a bit when center Dan Geriot went out for the year with an injury. Still Coach Mooney managed to make the postseason and win 20 games. The absence of Geriot forced some younger frontcourt players into action and that will pay off big time this year.

Key Losses: F Jahron Giddings

Key Newcomers:

With only one departing player there was not much room for a recruiting class, but Coach Mooney picked up a couple decent backcourt players who fit well into his Princeton style offense. Darien Brothers is a quality combo guard who can score in bunches and Greg Robbins will add some more size to the group on the perimeter.

Backcourt:

Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez combined to averaged 32.6 points per game last year. Anderson, a 6-0 junior is turning into one of the best point guards in the conference. He certainly is not a pure point guard and his assist-to-turnover ratio could be better, and probably will be with a full year as a starter under his belt, but he does a superb job getting to the basket and finishing or finding his teammates. Gonzalvez is the shooter on the team and connected on an impressive 41.4 percent of his attempts from long range. With those two leading the way, the backcourt is in very good hands. However, there is more. Ryan Butler, a 6-7 wing, started 13 games last year and can give this team a spark off the bench or another scorer in the starting lineup.

Frontcourt:

It was Justin Harper who really stepped up with Geriot out for the year. As a sophomore, the 6-10 forward averaged 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and led the team in blocked shots. Harper should step into a full-time starting position this year and his ability to step outside and hit the three-pointer will open up plenty of space in the paint for Anderson to slash to the basket or for Geriot to back down a single defender. Small forward Kevin Smith started 35 games last year and should be a full-time starter yet again as a junior. Smith will not put up eye popping numbers, but he can do a little bit of everything and is the glue guy on this team. With Francis-Cedric Martel and Josh Duinker coming off of relatively successful freshmen campaigns, the frontcourt should have no problems with depth.

Who to Watch:

Even without Geriot this would be a good team. But with Geriot the Spiders can aim for an NCAA Tournament berth and an Atlantic 10 title. The 6-9 center led the team in scoring as a freshman and sophomore and is a solid rebounder. Geriot will compete for all-conference honors if he can stay healthy and that should not be a problem since Geriot has been practicing with the team since February.

Final Projection:

This should be a big year for Coach Mooney and his Richmond team, but the future looks just as bright. Even if the team cannot overcome teams like Dayton and Xavier, they could be on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament. But even a trip to the NIT is a step in the right direction and soon Richmond will be mentioned along with Xavier and Dayton as a perennial top team in the conference.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Kevin Anderson, Junior, Guard, 16.6 points per game

David Gonzalvez, Senior, Guard, 16.0 points per game

Kevin Smith, Junior, Forward, 4.7 points per game

Justin Harper, Junior, Forward, 9.2 points per game

Dan Geriot, Junior, Center, DNP last season

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A10 Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:59:30 -0400

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

Atlantic-10 Tournament

Held in Atlantic City, NJ, the A-10 tournament features 12 of the league’s 14 teams, with the top four earning a bye directly to the quarterfinals.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Xavier	100.00%	88.67%	60.89%	48.87%
2	Rhode Island	100.00%	67.75%	48.71%	16.23%
3	Dayton	100.00%	58.88%	21.08%	3.92%
4	Temple	100.00%	79.29%	32.52%	22.72%
5	Saint Joseph's	71.34%	17.42%	3.51%	1.55%
6	Richmond	68.91%	32.27%	10.66%	1.80%
7	Duquesne	59.98%	21.43%	12.61%	2.82%
8	La Salle	55.47%	6.82%	1.75%	0.67%
9	St. Louis	44.53%	4.51%	0.99%	0.33%
10	Massachusetts	40.02%	10.82%	5.30%	0.87%
11	St. Bonaventure	31.09%	8.84%	1.64%	0.14%
12	Charlotte	28.66%	3.29%	0.33%	0.08%

Xavier is the clear favorite, but Temple and Rhode Island have a decent shot of taking the title, and Dayton is probably somewhat better than its odds would suggest. The bottom eight teams are separated by a relatively small amount, with Duquesne and Richmond looking like the best bets for a surprise advancements.

#1 – Xavier Musketeers (24-6, 12-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.174

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (Sweet Sixteen)

Xavier has put together an excellent season, but didn’t have a great finish, going 4-4 over the last month, and struggling to get wins on the road. Still, its been the best team in the conference by a mile, putting up the conference’s top offense and defense. The Musketeers are excellent three-point shooters and rebounders, but have committed a lot of turnovers, which has caused them of trouble at times. They also force few turnovers, and foul often on the defensive end, but spectacular interior defending, holding opponents to just 43% from two, makes up for it.

Player to watch:

6-8 JR Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG% - Brown is Xavier’s leading scorer, and its most efficient offensive option, a very good inside scorer who can complement his game with a strong showing from behind the arc, and the team’s best rebounder as well.

#2 – Rhode Island Rams (22-9, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.087

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1999 (1^st Round)

Rhode Island finished atop a three-way tie for second, but in EM, it sits 3^rd in the league, and isn’t particularly strong at either end of the floor. The Rams are excellent three-point shooters, but take most of their attempts inside the arc, where they’ve only been average. Their defensive game also depends on inside play, as they have typically struggled to hold opponents’ scoring down from two-point range. Rhode Island’s been a lot stronger defending the perimeter, forcing a lot of turnovers and shutting down the long-distance shot pretty well.

Player to watch:

6-3 SR Jimmy Baron, 16.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG,60.3 eFG% - Baron is one of the country’s premier shooters, at 45% from behind the arc and 89% at the free-throw line. He also turns the ball over very rarely, and the Rams do a good job by getting him the ball pretty often. There’s few players in the country who can rack up points behind the arc as quickly and effectively as Baron.

#3 – Dayton Flyers (25-6, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.013

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

Dayton is another team that had an excellent start, but fell off towards the end, finishing the season 4-4 after a 21-2 start. The Flyers have been very unimpressive by efficiency margin standards, just barely out-scoring its opponents, and not looking like a top-tier A-10 team. The problem has been their poor offense, struggling with shots from two-point range and from the free throw line, and committing a lot of turnovers. Their defense has been better, but has only been average in stopping shots, and they’ve fouled pretty often.

Player to watch:

6-8 SO Chris Wright, 13.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 49.7 eFG% - Wright leads the Flyers in scoring and rebounding, and while he’s an efficient player, his percentages have really fallen off from his spectacular, injury-interrupted first season. His 51% from two is solid, but he needs to cut out his three-point shots, and while his 67% free throw shooting is decent, but doesn’t allow him to take full advantage of his opportunities.

#4 – Temple Owls (19-11, 11-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.124

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Owls are the second favorite for the conference title, and will likely face a difficult challenge against Xavier in the semifinals. Their strength is defense, especially inside the arc; they dominate the defensive glass and hold opponents to just 43% from two. They are somewhat vulnerable on the outside, as they don’t get opponents to cough the ball up much, and allow a fairly high percentage of threes. On the offensive end, Temple’s three-point shooting has fallen off a little in conference play, but it’s still been pretty solid overall because it rarely turns the ball over.

Player to watch:

6-5 SR Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG% - The conference’s joint leading scorer, Christmas is a dangerous player who puts up a lot of shots, and makes percentages that are just good enough to keep him efficient.

#5 – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (16-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.026

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

St. Joe’s started the conference season 7-1, but hit a five-game losing streak in mid-February that dropped it to 5^th in the standings. It’s been above average defensively, holding opponents to fairly low percentages from both two and three, and succeeding despite forcing few turnovers. The Hawks haven’t been as good on the offensive end, as they shoot mostly twos, and not particularly well. They are the conference’s best free throw shooters at 74%, and get a good number of points from the line.

Player to watch:

6-9 SR Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG% - Leading the conference in both scoring and rebounding, Nivins is the main player in the A-10 who has a real chance of being in the NBA draft, which isn’t surprising when you see just how dominant he is inside, shooting a great percentage and getting to the free throw line seemingly at will, where he converts 79% of chances.

#6 – Richmond Spiders (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.002

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (1^st Round)

The Spiders had an excellent final game, beating Xavier to left themselves into the four-way tie at 9-7. They have been the weakest of the top eight teams, though not by much, mostly due to struggles on the defensive end. They are the conference’s worst rebounders, and commit far too many fouls, which wastes their ability to force turnovers and their decent inside defending. Richmond is a solid offensive team that leads the A-10 in holding onto the ball, and shoots well from two-point range, but takes most of its shots from outside, where it hits under a third of attempts.

Player to watch:

6-4 JR David Gonzalvez, 15.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 55.4 eFG% - Gonzalvez has slowed down in the final month of the season, but is the team’s best three point shooter, and is the most efficient in a group of solid scoring options.

#7 – Duquesne Dukes (17-14, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.036

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1977 (1^st Round)

Duquesne has been one of the conference’s better teams overall, and looks like it has the potential to cause some trouble for the higher seeds, though a potential game with Rhode Island would be a tough hurdle to face. The Dukes are have been excellent offensively, using a fast paced style with a lot of three attempts to open up the inside, where they shoot 53%. They make a decent number of those three attempts, but the inside play is the most important part of their offensive game. Of course, the reason that they are 9-7 with this offense is that their defense hasn’t been very good; they have led the A-10 in forcing turnovers, but are the worst team outside of Fordham at defending shots, allowing well over 50% from two and 38% from three.

Player to watch:

6-4 SR Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG% - Jackson was one of the players involved in the unfortunate shooting incident in 2006, and is the only one of the injured players still on the team. He’s notable for much more than that though, as he’s become the conference’s best guard. He’s an excellent shooter, especially from two, where he’s hit 60% of attempts, and has put up a very good assist rate. Jackson has been especially strong over the last month, averaging more than 20 points over his last nine games.

#8 – La Salle Explorers (18-12, 9-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.004

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1992 (1^st Round)

La Salle enters tournament play on a four-game winning streak, and is the last team in the tournament to finish with an efficiency margin above zero. The Explorers have been good at maintaining a possession advantage on the defensive end, solid rebounders who have forced a lot of turnovers in A-10 play, which has compensated enough for their poor defense on threes to give them one of the league’s better defenses. La Salle is also strong on the offensive glass, but they’ve needed to be, as their shooting percentages have been weak, and they have had trouble holding onto the ball.

Player to watch:

6-6 JR Kimmani Barrett, 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 51.9 eFG% - Barrett is second on the team in scoring, and while he doesn’t always end up with a lot of shots, he’s effective when he does shoot, an excellent inside and outside scorer who get to the line well.

#9 – St. Louis Billikens (17-13, 8-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.015

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

The Billikens had a strong season going until the final three games, when an ill-timed losing streak dropped them all the way to 9^th. They play the slowest system in the league, but it hasn’t really worked offensively, as just average shooting percentages are dragged down by turnovers and poor rebounding. They have been stronger defensively, but are still only average, despite some of the conference’s best defending on the perimeter. Opponents take few outside shots against St. Louis, and it just hasn’t been able to consistently defend the inside well enough to hold opponents’ scores down. As you might expect from a slow paced team, they are good on the defensive glass, but force few turnovers.

Player to watch:

6-2 SR Kevin Lisch, 14.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 46.4 eFG% - Lisch leads the team in scoring, and is the Billikens’ best three-point shooter, but his appalling two-point shooting, just 32%, undoes a lot of his good work.

#10 – Massachusetts Minutemen (12-17, 7-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.001

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (1^st Round)

UMass is the last of the A-10 teams to sit in this logjam right around the .500 mark, and picked up arguably the conference’s best win when they shocked Kansas in Kansas City. The Minutemen are above average scorers, taking and making a lot of threes, but aren’t great on the offensive glass and rarely get to the free-throw line. Their serious problems, though, have been at the defensive end, where they have the worst record of any team in the tournament. There’s not much Massachusetts does well when defending, it allows opponents to make a lot of shots and struggles to prevent them from having a big possession advantage, with a poor turnover rate and weak rebounding.

Player to watch:

6-8 SR Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG% - Gaffney isn’t the primary offensive focus for UMass, but he’s a good shooter who excels in the other aspects of the game, one of only two A-10 players to average a double-double and an strong defender who has great steal and block totals.

#11 – St. Bonaventure Bonnies (15-14, 6-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.066

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

There doesn’t look to be much too notable in the season for the Bonnies, but after failing to break the four-win barrier for four seasons, this is a nice improvement and a positive sign for the future. They run the conference’s fastest pace, but are the worst offensive team at the tournament, as they do get a good number of high-percentage chances in transition, but are the conference’s worst at turning the ball over, giving it up once of every four times down the floor. Their inability to hit long-range shots further hampers their chances of putting up points. Unlike a lot of fast-paced teams, they force very few turnovers, but are decent defenders because of good rebounding and an ability to lock down the outside.

Player to watch:

6-9 FR Andrew Nicholson, 12.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 60.7 eFG% - The Canadian freshman started his college career with a big season, shooting more than 60% from the field and putting up one of the best block rates in the country. He’s also a good rebounder, but his free throw shooting could use some work.

#12 – Charlotte 49ers (11-19, 5-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.053

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2005 (1^st Round)

Charlotte managed to get the last spot in the tournament, despite a 1-4 finish that saw its only win come against Fordham. This is a team that beat Xavier last month, played a close early season game with Clemson, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The 49ers have put up a lot of threes, but when you make only 28% of attempts, that’s not a very good thing. They’ve been OK in the other offensive categories, but with that many wasted shots, they’ve had one of the conference’s worst offenses. It’s a shame for them that opponents don’t have the same problem from long-distance, as they allow 36% on opposition three-pointers. Charlotte does defend well inside, and forces a good number of turnovers, but it hasn’t been enough to keep them out of the bottom part of the conference.

Player to watch:

6-7 SR Lamont Mack, 15.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 45.1 eFG% - Mack puts up a lot of shots when he’s on the floor, a nearly Stephen Curry level of importance to the 49ers. However, despite his high point totals, he’s actually a significant detriment to his team, as his poor shooting, especially 43% from inside the arc, means a lot of those shots are wasted.

My statistical all-Atlantic-10 team:

Duquesne SR G Aaron Jackson, 18.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 58.4 eFG%

Temple SR G Dionte Christmas, 19.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 51.5 eFG%

Saint Joseph’s SR F Ahmad Nivins, 19.2 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 62.5 eFG%

Massachusetts SR F Tony Gaffney, 11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 3.9 BPG, 51.4 eFG%

Xavier JR F Derrick Brown, 13.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 57.8 eFG%

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Atlantic 10 Championship: Schedule/Matchups

Press Release — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:27:50 -0500

2009 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship
Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.

Wednesday, March 11
Game 1 - #8 La Salle vs. #9 Saint Louis - 12:00
Game 2 - #5 Saint Joseph's vs. #12 Charlotte - 2:30
Game 3 - #7 Duquesne vs. #10 Massachusetts - 6:30
Game 4 - #6 Richmond vs. #11 St. Bonaventure - 9:00

Thursday, March 12
Game 5 - #1 Xavier vs. #8/#9 winner - 12:00 (CBS C)
Game 6 - #4 Temple vs. #5/#12 winner - 2:30 (CBS C)
Game 7 - #2 Rhode Island vs. #7/#10 winner - 6:30 (CBS C)
Game 8 - #3 Dayton vs. #6/#11 winner - 9:00 (CBS C)

Friday, March 13
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 6:30 (CBS C)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner - 9:00 (CBS C)

Saturday, March 14
Finals - 6:00 (ESPN2)

*CBS C - regionalized coverage by CBS College Sports Network. Check local listings.