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Atlantic 10 Roundup (2/20-2/26)
2/27/2013
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.
It was an up and down week for the Musketeers, who nearly pulled off a pair of top 25 upsets on their home court. Xavier was lack of depth and injured Dee Davis away from trumping VCU, which would have put them in great position to secure a potential bye in Brooklyn. As is, they are still battling, but were able to get a nice non-conference win over Memphis, who had won 18 in a row coming into Tuesday night.
The Musketeers essentially need to win out to get that first round bye (and to have any hopes at an at large bid, though the chances of that are slim and none). With the tiebreaker over La Salle and Temple, Xavier cannot afford another loss and needs the Explorers to drop a game. That could happen, considering their final game is at Saint Louis. It wouldn't hurt to have Temple drop one, too. They play VCU in Philadelphia for the season finale.
The scenarios for a Xavier run to the NCAA tournament appear unlikely. It would start with a win over UMass on Saturday. The Minutemen will want to get out and run. If Davis is unavailable, it could be a tough day for Xavier. Luckily, they are playing at Cintas and will try to slow the pace. Whoever dictates the tempo wins. If Davis is healthy, Xavier has more than a shot.
From there, it would be advisable to upset Saint Louis and steal the finale at Butler. Neither will be easy, but this team has fought and clawed all year.
Key Results from the Week that Was:
Temple 82, La Salle 74: The Owls opened up a 14 point halftime lead and held off the Explorers in the second half. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson put on a show, throwing down 23 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in the Temple victory. Should these two end up tied in the standings, the Owls now have the critical tiebreaker.
Saint Louis 65, #15 Bulter 61: The Billikens fell behind early, but rallied for a victory on the road and a sweep of the season series against the Bulldogs. Dwayne Evans, a frontrunner for conference player of the year, scored 17, while Mike McCall, Jr. added 18 of his own in the SLU victory.
#24 VCU 75, Xavier 71: An agonizing and terrible loss for the Musketeers, who blew a 17 point second half lead. The Rams unleashed their "HAVOC" defense in the second period, wearing out Semaj Christon, who turned the ball over 10 of the Musketeers' 22 times.
Temple 71, Charlotte 51: A dominating road win for the Owls, who continue to distance themselves from the middle of the pack in the A10. Were it not for their slow start, they would be in the thick of the conference race. Instead, they are neck and neck with Xavier and La Salle for the final bye in the league.
Xavier 64, #19 Memphis 62: Xavier upset Memphis with (essentially) six scholarship players. Heck of a game for coach Mack and the big men, who dominated the Tigers on the board. Overall, though, it mattered more to the Tigers, who will now have question marks hanging over their head going into March. For Xavier, it's a confidence builder as they close into the stretch run.
Atlantic 10 Standings:
- Saint Louis (21-5, 10-2)
- Virginia Commonwealth (22-6, 10-3)
- Butler (22-6, 9-4)
- La Salle (19-7, 9-4)
- Temple (19-8, 8-5)
- Xavier (16-11, 8-5)
- Massachusetts (17-9, 7-6)
- Charlotte (18-8, 6-6)
- Saint Joseph's (15-10, 6-6)
- Richmond (16-11, 6-6)
- George Washington (12-13, 6-6)
- St. Bonaventure (13-13, 6-7)
- Dayton (14-12, 4-8)
- Rhode Island (8-18, 3-10)
- Fordham (6-22, 2-11)
- Duquesne (8-19, 1-12)
NCAA Tournament Locks:
Saint Louis: How high can they climb? Can they get a three or four seed? If they run the table and play into the A10 finals or win it, it's not inconceivable. They're easily the best team in the conference and will give more athletic, yet undisciplined teams fits in March.
Butler: They're more flawed than people realize. But they will be a five or six seed, set up to do a ton of damage come tournament time. They have enough scorers to win a lot of games, but they don't look quite as dominant as people would have you believe. Of course the A10 is a different animal.
VCU: HAVOC will drive people crazy in the tournament. They aren't the best team in the conference. But they play out of their minds and never give up. And they're never out of games when their press is working. Imagine them as a seven, eight or nine seed. If you're a one or a two, do you want to see the Rams in your second game?
Probable NCAA Tournament Teams:
La Salle: I'm not sold on this team. Butler and VCU are their only good wins. I guess the Villanova win is alright. But they've lost to Temple, UMass, Xavier and Charlotte in the A10. Those are all middling teams, not the top of the conference. I think they're overrated, but they'll get in as an 11 or 12. Chances of Making the Field: 75%
Temple: Wins over Syracuse (on a neutral court), Saint Louis and La Salle. Close loss at Kansas and at Xavier. Losses to St. Bonaventure, St. Joe's and Duquesne stand out. But they might be coming on at the right time. Win their final three, including over VCU, and they are in. Chances of Making the Field: 70%
Bubble Teams:
Xavier: Really not even fair to say they're on the bubble. But a lot of making the field as an at large is the eye test. Say they beat UMass, SLU and Butler. Then beat Temple and SLU again in the A10 and lose a heartbreaker to Butler or VCU. That means wins over Memphis, Butler (x2), Temple (x2) and SLU (x2), plus a pair of closes losses to VCU, at least in my hypothetical scenario. That would put them really close, right, as like a 14? Regardless, it's a long shot. Basically have to win the tournament. Chances of Making the Field (as an at large): 2%
Winner of the Week:
VCU: Only because of their win over Xavier. I could go Temple here, because they took care of business. But VCU needed that win to (somewhat) validate themselves. A loss would have been brutal, and put them in position to lose a bye. As is, they secured a massive road victory in a place that's nearly impossible for conference foes to win. The only question is, if VCU is that good, why were they down 17 to a mediocre team?
Loser of the Week:
La Salle: Everyone is beating up on each other and splitting games every week, so it's tough to pick these categories. I'll take La Salle, because they could have buried Temple. Instead, Temple could still catch the Explorers. They can make up for it by sweeping the trio at the top with a win at VCU to end the regular season.
Games to Watch this Week:
Saint Joseph's at Saint Louis, 2/27, 8:00 on CBSS
Detroit at Temple, 2/28, 7:00 on ESPN3
#20 Butler at VCU, 3/2, 12:00 on ESPN2
Massachusetts at Xavier, 3/2, 2:00 on CBSS
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