St Joseph's

Poll: How Many Atlantic 10 Teams Will Make NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:38:00 -0500

College Basketball: Top 10 Players of the Decade

Matthew Ryter — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:39:29 -0500

Top 10 Players of the Decade

It was a decade of change in college basketball, as the one-and-done stud became the norm and the four-year player became increasingly rare. Both categories though, the vets & the one-and-dones, made a large impact on the game, as players like Hansbrough & Williams piled up awards at the same clip as Anthony & Durant. Here's my take on the Top 10, post your list in the comments section.

1. Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina 06-09): What didn’t this guy do? Four time unanimous ACC All-Conference team, 2008 AP player of the year, 2006 ACC freshman of the year, UNC’s all time leading scorer..etc, etc. The list goes on and on. He will not turn out (most likely) to be the best pro on this list, but he’s the decade’s best collegiate player. He’s one of the toughest players of all time and I think his defining moment came during his sophomore season when he got off the floor bloodied after a Gerald Henderson elbow.

2. Jason Williams (Duke 99-02): Two-time first team AP All-American, 2001-02 AP Player of the Year, 01-02 Wooden Award. He led Duke to the 2001 National Championship while averaging 25.7 points per game in the tournament. Yes, 25.7 points per game. He dropped 17 straight points for the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 of the 2001 tournament. Unfortunately Jay will most likely be remembered by his motorcycle accident that cut his career short, however he should be remembered as the best point guard of the decade.

3. Kevin Durant (Texas 06-07): If he wasn’t “one and done” at Texas, he could have possibly set every record ever in college basketball. First freshman to win the AP Player of the Year, NABC Division I Player of the Year, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, and the Adolph Rupp Trophy. He averaged 28.9 ppg in Big 12 play. He was the most entertaining player of the decade to watch. Although he made the right decision in leaving for the NBA after one year, I think all college hoops fans, especially Longhorns fans, wished he stuck around for a bit longer. If this video doesn’t make you love him, you’re not a human.

4. JJ Redick (Duke 02-06): Second all-time in ACC career points (Hansbrough surpassed him). In 2005-06, he won the AP Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, and the Naismith Award. He set the most consecutive free throws made in the ACC with 54. I’d also pin him as the most hated player of the decade. He got the most abuse when he walked onto opposing courts, but was loved at Cameron Indoor. I think he changed the game of heckling for fans. Regardless, he has one of the smoothest jumpers ever. Here’s proof. He beat out Halo 2 buddy Adam Morrison to make the list.

5. Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse 02-03): Like Kevin Durant, Melo only stuck around for one year; however it was a memorable one. He was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in leading Syracuse to their first ever title. He scored 33 points against Texas in the Final Four to set an NCAA Tournament for most points scored in a single game by a freshman. He averaged 22.1 points and 10.0 rebounds for the year. Here are some highlights from his only year with the Orange. What was Joe Dumars thinking? Darko? Really?

6. Shane Battier (Duke 97-01): Led Duke, along with Jay Williams, to the National title in 2001. He was the 00-01 AP Player of the Year, 00-01 Wooden Award, 00-01 Naismith Player of the Year, and 00-01 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. His #31 is retired at Duke. He is known most notably for his play on the defensive end of the floor and made taking a charge popular (or as popular as it can be). Here’s a clip of his time at Duke. It’s the exact opposite of Durant’s highlight mix

7. Juan Dixon (Maryland 98-02): The only player in NCAA history to accumulate 2,000 points, 300 steals, and 200 three-point field goals. He is Maryland’s all-time leading scorer and led the Terrapins to their first NCAA title in 2002. He also earned Most Outstanding Player honors of the Final Four in 2002. He seemed to hit every big shot for Maryland

8. Jameer Nelson (Saint Joseph’s 00-04): Unanimous National Freshman of the Year. In 2004 he won the AP Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Rupp Trophy, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. In 2003-04 he led the Hawks to a 27-1 record, earning them a #1 seed in the Tournament. He is the school’s all time leader in scoring, assists, and steals.

9. Blake Griffin (Oklahoma 07-09): Griffin’s sophomore season got him on the list. In 2008-09 he broke a Big 12 record with 30 double-doubles. He was one shy of the NCAA mark of 31, held by David Robinson. He won the Naismith Player of the Year in 2009. Let’s take a look at this stat line he had against Texas Tech in ’09: 40 points (8-10 FT’s, 16-22 from the field) and 23 rebounds (7 offensive, 16 defensive). He dunks hard, really hard

10. Emeka Okafor (Connecticut 01-04): His numbers and accolades may not be as impressive as the rest of the guys on the list, but to steal a line from Jay Bilas, he was a “game changer” on the defensive end of the floor. He patrolled the paint better then anyone this past decade. He is Connecticut’s all time leader in blocks with 441. He was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in leading the Huskies to a National title in 2004. He was also named the Academic All-American of the Year and graduated with a 3.8 GPA.

Honorable Mention: TJ Ford, Adam Morrison, Troy Bell, Michael Beasley

What do you think? Post your tops of the decades list below:

Poll: Who is the Decades's Best?

Poll: Player of the Decade?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:48:15 -0500

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: Who Will Win the Atlantic 10?

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

St. Joseph's Basketball Preview: #95

Joel Welser — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:33:08 -0400

Overall Rank: #95

Conference Rank: #7 Atlantic 10

2008-09: 17-15, 9-7

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: Phil Martelli (278-167 at Saint Joseph’s, 278-167 overall)

Saint Joseph’s was looking like a possible Atlantic 10 contender heading into mid-February, but then Coach Phil Martelli’s team lost seven of their last ten games, including a conference tournament loss to Temple. The Hawks, who had four players who averaged over 34 minutes per game, simply ran out of gas at the end of the year. Without their two best players returning, this is a team that needs to find some depth and fast.

Key Losses: G Tasheed Carr, F Ahmad Nivins

Key Newcomers:

This is a pretty good recruiting class, led by point guards Justin Crosgile and Carl Jones. Those two will be good players at some point, but how much they can contribute as freshmen remains to be seen. Jones is the more likely option to see major minutes as a freshman, but one of the two needs to turn into at least a serviceable backup point guard. The lone incoming freshman in the frontcourt is Carl Baptiste. He is a solid player, but will likely need some time to adjust to the level of play. The addition of 6-11 sophomore Todd O’Brien, a transfer from Bucknell, could be the best replacement for the departed Ahmad Nivins.

Backcourt:

Tasheed Carr was the team’s most consistent outside shooter and the leader on the floor, but his departure may not be as bad as it sounds. Garrett Williamson is a capable ball handler who actually led the team with 4.5 assists per game last year. At 6-5, Williamson is not your typical point guard, but he played there a lot last year and will do so again this season. More known for his defense, Williamson is emerging as an offensive threat and he might have to score even more this year. In the meantime, Darrin Govens will carry the load. Govens was inconsistent last season, but he still averaged 12.5 points per game. If his shot falls a little more consistently this year, he will be the team’s go-to-scorer.

Frontcourt:

Just like how Govens and Williamson need to step up to replace Carr on the perimeter, Idris Hilliard needs to try and replace Ahmad Nivins in the paint. Hilliard may not average 19.2 points and 11.8 rebounds like Nivins did during his senior campaign, but Hilliard is a very capable scorer and rebounder. He has sat back as an underclassman and complimented Nivins quite nicely, but now it is his time to shine. As a sophomore last year he averaged 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. Now that he will be the main focus under the basket, those numbers should improve dramatically.

Who to Watch:

However, part of the reason Hilliard was able to put up decent numbers is due to the fact that the opposition had to focus on Nivins. If Hilliard wants to turn into the next Nivins, somebody like Bryant Irwin needs to develop into a player who can compliment Hilliard just as well as he complimented Nivins. Irwin is just one of two players who had promising freshmen campaigns that need to step up as sophomores. Guard Chris Prescott only averaged 12.6 minute per game last year, but he might step into a starting role now.

Final Projection:

This group may lack a superstar, but Williamson, Govens and Hilliard are not a bad trio to build around. The bigger question is how well can the inexperienced underclassmen play this year? As was shown last year, the Hawks need more than five players if they want to be fresh in February and March and that means the newcomers need to contribute and Prescott and Irwin need to be ready to play major minutes.

Projected Post-season Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

Garrett Williamson, Senior, Guard, 6.1 points per game

Chris Prescott, Sophomore, Guard, 2.8 points per game

Darrin Govens, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game

Idris Hilliard, Junior, Forward, 9.2 points per game

Bryant Irwin, Sophomore, Forward, 3.1 points per game

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

2009 CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-Americans

CHN — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:36:37 -0400

The CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-America teams were voted on by staff members: Jason Brubaker, Dan Daitchman, Evan Dorey, Jeff Fox, Raphielle Johnson, Blake Hofstad, Kevin McNeill, Matthew Ryter, Shawn Siegel, Jon Teitel, and Joey Whelan.

High-Major is comprised of the A-10, CUSA, MVC, MWC, WAC, and WCC. The six leagues historically the best after the BCS leagues.

CollegeHoops.net High-Major Player of the Year:

Tyreke Evans - Fr, G, Memphis

CollegeHoops.net High-Major All-American
G - Patrick Mills (So, St. Mary's)
G - Tyreke Evans (Fr, Memphis)
G - Dionte Christmas (Sr, Temple)
F - Ahmad Nivins (Sr ,St. Joseph's)
C - Luke Nevill (Sr, Utah

CollegeHoops.net Second Team High-Major All-American
G - Stefon Jackson (Sr, UTEP)
G - Lee Cummard (Sr, BYU)
F - Jermaine Taylor (Sr, UCF)
F - Gary Wilkinson (Sr, Utah St)
C - John Bryant (Sr, Santa Clara)

CollegeHoops.net Third Team High-Major All-American
G - Matt Bouldin (Jr, Gonzaga)
G - Robert Vaden (Sr, UAB)
F - Derrick Brown (Jr, Xavier)
F - Chris Wright (Jr, Dayton)
F - Josh Heytvelt (Sr, Gonzaga)

CollegeHoops.net Fourth Team High-Major All-American
G - Jeremy Pargo (Sr, Gonzaga)
G - Booker Woodfox (Sr, Creighton)
F - Robert Dozier (Sr, Memphis)
F - Diamon Simpson (Sr, St. Mary's)
F - Kyle Spain (Sr, San Diego St)

Honorable Mention
Luke Babbitt - Nevada
Jimmy Baron - Rhode Island
Aubrey Coleman - Houston
Austin Daye - Gonzaga
Osiris Eldridge - Illinois St
Shy Ely - Evansville
Brandon Ewing - Wyoming
Jimmer Fredette - BYU
Aaron Jackson - Duquesne
Charles Jenkins - Hofstra
Jerome Jordan - Tulsa
Dior Lowhorn - San Francisco
Jared Quayle - Utah St
BJ Raymond - Xavier
Rene Rougeau - UNLV

Check back tomorrow for CollegeHoops.net's All Mid-Major Team.

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%

+ NCAA Tournament

• All Tournament Coverage

• NCAA Tournament Capsules

• NIT Capsules

• NCAA Tournament Schedule

• Venue Info & Tickets

• Bracketology

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.

St. Joseph's vs Xavier: GameNight

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:50:09 -0500

Start: Feb 26 2009 - 7:00pm

Editor's Early Preview

*Made on 02/06. Full preview by the GameNight staff coming soon!

St. Joe's has looked solid at times this year, and weak at others. A win over Xavier would be huge, and at the very least help them earn a trip to the NIT. The Hawks have a legitimate chance of pulling off the upset in Philly.

Early Prediction: Xavier