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Atlantic 10 Roundup (2/27-3/5)
3/6/2013
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.
The Musketeers came off a strange week where they blew a game against VCU, and then nearly did the same to Memphis. They recovered to beat the Tigers, giving the slightest chances of an at large bid for Coach Mack's squad.
That all fell apart with Xavier's second consecutive home loss to a conference foe. The UMass Minutemen hung with Xavier, despite Chaz Williams picking up four fouls and spending almost half the game sitting on the bench. They used a 13-25 three point shooting line to pull a 77-72 upset, leaving Xavier with the only option of having to win the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Key Results from the Week that Was:
#18 Saint Louis 70, Saint Joseph's 53: Dwayne Evans finished with 21 on 6-14 from the field and 9-11 from the free throw line to lead SLU to their tenth consecutive victory. The Hawks hung around for a half, trailing by two at the break. But they shot just 32.6% for the game, leaving little chance to break the Billikens' tough defense.
Temple 83, Detroit 78: Detroit, a contender in the Horizon League, led the Owls by eight at halftime, only to watch their lead slip away in the second half. Jake O'Brien came off the bench for the Owls, finishing with 18 points and a perfect 6-6 from the field in 21 minutes.
VCU 84, #20 Butler 52: The HAVOC defense that rendered Xavier completely inept in the second half struck against the Bulldogs. Shaka Smart's defense had 17 steals, forcing Butler into 20 turnovers for the game. The result was a discombobulated Butler offense that saw Rotnei Clarke benched late in the game, for fear of injury, as he scored just five points in 22 minutes.
Atlantic 10 Standings:
- Saint Louis (23-5, 12-2)
- Virginia Commonwealth (23-6, 11-3)
- La Salle (20-7, 10-4)
- Butler (22-7, 9-5)
- Temple (21-8, 9-5)
- Massachusetts (18-9, 8-6)
- Xavier (16-12, 8-6)
- Saint Joseph's (16-11, 7-7)
- Richmond (17-12, 7-7)
- St. Bonaventure (14-13, 7-7)
- Charlotte (18-10, 6-8)
- Dayton (16-12, 6-8)
- George Washington (12-15, 6-8)
- Rhode Island (8-19, 3-11)
- Fordham (6-23, 2-12)
- Duquesne (8-20, 1-13)
NCAA Tournament Locks:
Saint Louis: The Billikens continue to steamroll through the conference, with a date at Cintas on Wednesday night. Right now they have the look of a dangerous five or six seed in the tournament. If they run the table and roll through the A-10 tournament, they could climb higher.
VCU: After the throttling of Butler, VCU is back on track. They will be a seed or two down from the Billikens. If you are a number two seed, do you want to potentially run into HAVOC on the opening weekend of the tournament? Shaka Smart and Co. are probably gearing up for another deep tournament run.
Butler: This team is, probably, not as good as everyone thinks. They'll be a seven or eight seed, especially after a poor performance against VCU and two losses to Saint Louis. There's redemption for them in Brooklyn, but this weekend against Xavier at Hinkle Fieldhouse just became huge. Are they living off that win against Indiana earlier in the season?
Probable NCAA Teams:
La Salle: They keep doing what they have to do, and you can't knock them for that. A win at Saint Louis to close conference play would look really nice on their resume. I think they are in, but a pair of losses to end the season and a quick exit in the A-10s could do them in. That won't happen. They'll be tourney bound. Chances of Making the Field: 90%
Temple: Like La Salle, they just keep winning. Particularly after having righted the ship from earlier in the season. Also like the Explorers, they could use a big conference win in their finale. A win over VCU at home would cement their bid. They pass the eye test, though, with seven wins in their last eight. They're playing their best ball at the right time. Chances of Making the Field: 85%
Bubble Teams:
UMass: Before any Xavier fan throws a fit, they are probably just as good as the Musketeers -- actually better. A win at home over Butler (which could be a decent chance) would put them in a good position. And they could win a couple in Brooklyn. Would you want to face those three point shooters? With a weak field for the at large teams, they will be in the conversation. They still need a signature win, however. Chances of Making the Field (as an at large): 5%
Winner of the Week:
VCU: They needed to right the ship after the shellacking at Saint Louis, and they did just that. A comeback win at Cintas. Then the domination over Butler on ESPN. That will look really nice come tournament time, even though they were going to be in anyway. Saint Louis is the best team in the conference, but VCU is the scariest.
Loser of the Week:
Butler: A chance to prove themselves, and they flopped. Don't look know, but their impressive wins came early in the season. They are riding off of wins over Gonzaga, Indiana and Marquette, two of which happened before the new year. Tough to talk about Gonzaga, since it happened at home and on a buzzer beater. Since, they've lost to La Salle, Saint Louis twice and VCU (plus Charlotte). I count that as 0-4 against the best competition in the conference.
Games to Watch this Week:
Richmond at #21 VCU, 3/6, 8:00 on CBSS
#16 Saint Louis at Xavier, 3/6, 9:00
Butler at Massachusetts, 3/7, 7:00 on NBCS
La Salle at #16 Saint Louis, 3/9, 1:30 on NBCS
Xavier at Butler, 3/9, 6:30 on CBSS
#21 VCU at Temple, 3/10, 12:00 on CBS
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