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Atlantic 10 Roundup (1/2-1/10)
1/10/2013
The Atlantic 10 weekly roundup covers updates on all of the happenings within the conference, including big game results, updated standings, and more. It will usually run every Wednesday, covering the previous week.
The Musketeers, riding a four game game losing streak, head into tonight's game against Temple in an unfamiliar position. They will be decided underdogs at the Cintas Center, playing in a game they probably have no business winning.
Now, the question becomes, can they break out of this funk and play solid basketball for more than just a half? If the Muskies want any shot tonight, they'll have to rely on turning Temple into a poor shooting team by playing rugged defense. The odds of that happening for more than 20 minutes seems unlikely.
Key Results from the Week that Was:
Richmond 91, Air Force 68: The Spiders improved to 8-1 at home after an impressive win over a Falcons team that has gotten off to a reasonably fast start. Kendall Anthony (31 points) and Darien Brothers (25 points) led the way for Richmond, who shot 54.7% from the field and 61.5% from three.
Miami 76, La Salle 59: In a game that La Salle needed to win to validate itself as a key player in the A10 this year, the Explorers missed an opportunity to beat a quality out of conference opponent. Instead, La Salle blew a six point halftime lead and were run out of the gym in the second half. Not a good loss for a team that needs a signature win.
VCU 59, Lehigh 55: A nice win for the Rams, and a pair of tough losses for the darlings from last year's NCAA tournament. CJ McCollum, the current leading scorer in college basketball, broke his foot in the game. VCU used its typical pressure defense to smother Lehigh to just 18-47 from the field en route to a very solid non-conference win.
#6 Kansas 69, Temple 62: Temple, who has become a regular in playing big out of conference games, narrowly missed on what would have been another huge win. After a stinging loss to Duke and a great win over Syracuse, taking two out of three from elite schools in the top ten would have been huge for the Owls. Instead, they left Phog Allen Fieldhouse with a sour taste in their mouth, in a game where they shot just 30.2% and 4-17 from three.
#14 Butler 72, Saint Joseph's 66: The Hawks, who road through a bumpy non-conference slate, missed a big opportunity against the Bulldogs, who have long since put their loss to Xavier behind them. Saint Joseph's blew a five point halftime lead, and Andrew Smith (24 points and 10 rebounds) and Rotnei Clarke (28, 6 and 4 assists) led the way to a huge road win for Butler. It appears the Bulldogs, after a down year, are poised for another deep tournament run and even more national exposure.
VCU 74, Dayton 62: Kevin Dillard was the only Flyer to score in double digits, as Dayton turned the ball over 26 times. VCU's defense also had 15 steals, riding their defense to a solid showing in their A10 opener. For the Flyers, they now face an uphill battle with Butler up next on their schedule. They could be facing an 0-2 hole in the conference early going.
Charlotte 74, La Salle 65: The Explorers' chance to get a signature win passed again, losing to the surprising 49ers, who continue their hot start in their final A10 season. The Niners got 35 points off their bench, surviving 21 turnovers for a solid conference opening win.
Atlantic 10 Standings:
- Butler (13-2, 1-0)
- Charlotte (13-2, 1-0)
- Virginia Commonwealth (13-3, 1-0)
- Richmond (11-5, 1-0)
- George Washington (7-7, 1-0)
- Fordham (5-11, 1-0)
- Saint Louis (11-3, 0-0)
- Massachusetts (10-3, 0-0)
- Temple (10-3, 0-0)
- Xavier (7-6, 0-0)
- La Salle (10-4, 0-1)
- Dayton (10-5, 0-1)
- Saint Joseph's (8-5, 0-1)
- St. Bonaventure (7-7, 0-1)
- Duquesne (7-8, 0-1)
- Rhode Island (5-9, 0-1)
Winner of the Week:
Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams, one of the favorites to take the conference by storm in their first year, have gotten off to a fast start this season thanks to their explosive, pressure defense. An easy win over Dayton on Wednesday has set the Rams up for a nice start to begin the conference schedule. They don't face an overly tough game until their final five, with matches at SLU, at Xavier, against Butler, Richmond, and at Temple. That's a murderous schedule, but Shaka Smart's team could be 11-0 in the conference heading into that stretch. They are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with this year.
Loser of the Week:
La Salle: The Explorers have missed a pair of opportunities to establish themselves as a contender in the A10. Losses to Miami and Charlotte, both solid, but beatable teams, only bring more skepticism to their early season resume. La Salle had a chance last year to prove itself, but missed on several opportunities, failing to build on a fast start. Now this year, despite a weak early schedule, the Explorers look like another middling team in the A10, not someone who can contend for a top spot.
Games to Watch this Week:
Temple at Xavier, 1/10, 7:00 on CBS SNR
Massachusetts at Saint Louis, 1/10, 9:00 on CCS
Butler at Dayton, 1/12, 2:00 on NBCS
Richmond at La Salle, 1/12, 2:00
Saint Louis at Temple, 1/12, 6:00 on ESPNU
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