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Atlantic 10 Roundup (1/24-2/5)
2/6/2013
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 run every Wednesday, covering the previous week. This week is a double feature, covering the past two weeks since we missed last week's update.
Xavier's up and down season continues, with difficult road losses at Charlotte, Saint Joseph's and Richmond, and a win over rival Dayton sandwiched in between. As tough as it's been for the Musketeers, there should be comfort for fans knowing that this team has been competitive and in almost every game this year (other than the second half against the Bearcats).
Things aren't easy the rest of the way, either. Three of the next four are on the road, though those games (at Duquesne, Dayton and Rhode Island) all seem imminently winnable. A loss at Dayton is probably to be expected, but wins against Duquesne and Rhode Island are within reach. Then, the Muskies get the beef of their schedule, with four straight home games, including VCU, Memphis and SLU, followed by a trip to Butler. That last stretch will ultimately decide their season.
A trip to the NCAA's seems unlikely, unless Xavier is able to make a run in the Atlantic 10 tourney in Brooklyn. But those are quality opponents that make up the back end of the schedule. And with most of those opponents having to come to the Cintas Center, Xavier has a puncher's chance. SLU will be tough, but VCU and Memphis have never experienced Cintas, let alone for a big game with Xavier's season on the line.
We'll see how things play out. But it's difficult to criticize Mack for his team's play. It's much easier to praise him for getting this team to be competitive, especially under the given circumstances.
Key Results from the Week that Was:
La Salle 54, #9 Butler 53: The Explorers pulled the first of two major upsets, knocking off the Bulldogs in dramatic fashion. Ramon Galloway's late shot won it for La Salle, in their biggest win in years, out-Butlering Butler.
Charlotte 63, Xavier 57: Halton Arena has become a nightmare for Xavier lately, as the Musketeers were handed their first loss in A10 play. And the 49ers pulled off their biggest win to date, based on an efficient offense and their usual gutty defensive performance.
Richmond 86, #19 VCU 74 OT: On back to back nights, the three undefeateds in the A10 went down in dramatic fashion. The Spiders dominated overtime, after allowing VCU back into the game in the second half, outscoring the Rams 17-5.
#9 Butler 83, Temple 71: The stories of teams going in opposite directions, on the court and in the conference. Temple, picked as a conference favorite to begin the year, is on its way out of the A10 to the Big East, but has struggled to begin conference play. Butler, meanwhile, has thrived, even as rumors swirl of its potential exit to the eventual Catholic 7. Rotnei Clarke scored 24 in his return for the Bulldogs.
La Salle 69, #19 VCU 61: VCU suffered their second straight loss, this time on their home court, while La Salle pulled off another upset. In the long run, VCU is still a conference favorite. But the Explorers have launched themselves into the NCAA tournament conversation with huge wins over ranked teams.
Xavier 66, Dayton 61: The Jimmy Carter game. Nothing has changed in this rivalry, as UD continues to flounder in Cincinnati. This game (along with their follow up stinker against SLU) effectively ended the Flyers' season.
Massachusetts 61, La Salle 60: Tough loss for the Explorers, coming off back to back enormous wins. The Minutemen found a way to win, despite Chaz Williams struggling, keeping themselves in the thick of the A10 race.
Saint Louis 75, #9 Butler 58: The Billikens proved how mentally tough they are with a dismantling of one of the best teams in the conference. This game was never in doubt, as SLU shot a deadly 50% from the field in slowing the game down. They also had 14 steals in forcing Butler into 23 turnovers.
Charlotte 66, Massachusetts 65: Everyone would like to write the 49ers off, but they sit at 5-2 in the conference. A lack of signature wins, however, doesn't look good on their NCAA tournament resume.
Saint Joseph's 70, Temple 69: A classic Philadelphia Big Five basketball game, but played at Hagan Arena instead of the Palestra. Home court advantage was the difference for the Hawks, who rallied from a 12 point deficit to bury the Owls (now 3-4 in conference play).
Atlantic 10 Standings:
- Virginia Commonwealth (18-5, 6-2)
- Butler (18-4, 5-2)
- Charlotte (17-4, 5-2)
- Saint Louis (16-5, 5-2)
- La Salle (15-6, 5-3)
- Xavier (12-9, 5-3)
- Massachusetts (14-6, 4-3)
- Saint Joseph's (13-7, 4-3)
- George Washington (10-10, 4-3)
- Richmond (14-9, 4-4)
- Temple (14-7, 3-4)
- St. Bonaventure (10-10, 3-4)
- Dayton (12-9, 2-5)
- Fordham (6-16, 2-5)
- Rhode Island (6-14, 1-6)
- Duquesne (7-14, 0-7)
Winners of the Last Two Weeks:
La Salle: Wins over the top two teams in the conference, even if it was followed by a loss against UMass, is noteworthy. The Explorers are a tough team to figure out. They were manhandled by Xavier and don't have any signature wins outside of Butler and VCU, both of which were close games. Are they a real player in the conference? Or simply a team that got hot for a week? Right now it seems like anyone can beat anyone on any given night in the A10.
Saint Louis: After a couple of uncharacteristic Billiken losses, SLU snapped back to itself, launching back into the regular season crown picture. An impressive dismantling of Butler will do that. They have the look of a dangerous team for the rest of the season, especially playing with the emotion after the death of Coach Majerus. Their mentality (tough defense and a slow, methodical offense) plays well anywhere--even on the road, as they proved at Cintas last year.
Losers of the Last Two Weeks:
Dayton: In Archie Miller's second year, the Flyers were expected to progress to a conference contender. Though certainly not UD's best squad, and they are short-handed with the loss of Kavanaugh, it's disappointing for Flyer fans to watch their team sit in the lower tier of the conference. An emotionally draining loss to Xavier in Cincinnati, followed by a 29-point beat down in Saint Louis won't help anyone ease their worries. Dayton would have to run the table or win the A10 tournament to make it to the NCAA's. The bigger question might be this for Dayton fans: will they get an invite to the Catholic 7?
Xavier: Three winnable road games and three excruciating losses. Chris Mack's squad continues their road struggles, highlighted by a two point loss at Richmond and a six point loss at Charlotte. Even the 10 point deficit at Saint Joseph's is deceiving--they led with under four minutes to go. Xavier might have been an eligible Myles Davis and Jalen Reynolds away from being 6-1 or 7-0 in conference play.
Games to Watch this Week:
Charlotte at Temple, 2/6, 7:00
Saint Joseph's at Massachusetts, 2/9, 2:00 on ESPN2
Saint Louis at Richmond, 2/9, 6:00
VCU at Charlotte, 2/9, 7:00
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