The Atlantic-10 Conference tournament kicks off Thursday at noon from its brand new location on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue. Normally home to the Brooklyn Nets, for four days, it will be the A-10 battlefield to determine which of the top 12 teams in the conference will take home the conference trophy and a guaranteed spot in the NCAA tournament field of 68. It was a clustered field this year with the top five teams in the conference slowly separating itself from the bottom seven as the season progressed. No team should be taken lightly as it happened all season that the top teams fell to some of the weakest opponents. The A-10 is one of the deepest conferences in college basketball, and that will be evident come Thursday at noon.
12: Dayton (17-13, 7-9)
The Flyers enter Thursday’s first round matchup with Butler as the No. 12 seed. Though Dayton was the last A-10 team to get a bid to play in Brooklyn, they do pose a legitimate threat to the formerly ninth ranked Bulldogs. In a very congested Atlantic 10, had the Flyers won their final game (an 81-80 overtime loss to George Washington), they would have been in position to merit an eight seed in the conference tournament. Though Dayton does not have the resume to get an NCAA tournament bid without an A-10 tournament win, a victory against Butler would do a lot for getting them in the CBI, CIT, or possibly NIT conversation. They do have wins over power conference teams in Auburn, Boston College, Alabama, and decent wins against Xavier and Murray St. Dayton relies heavily on the senior leadership of Kevin Dillard to help lead an offense that is one of the most efficient in the nation with a 47.4% field goal percentage (32nd in Offensive Efficiency according to KenPom). A win over Butler would be a huge resume builder for Dayton, and give them some momentum heading into a matchup against a La Salle squad that earned a first round bye.
11: George Washington (13-16, 7-9)
Though the Colonials started out the A-10 schedule with a surprising 4-2 mark, the early season high hopes have spun into a downhill spiral as GW lost four of its last five contests, and needed an overtime win over Dayton just to sneak out an 11 seed. Unlike Dayton, George Washington has no chance of any postseason tournament unless it finds a way to go on a miracle run in Brooklyn. That would seem unlikely, as GW has no quality wins to hang its hat on this season, as all but one of it’s A-10 victories came against teams with .500 records or lower. The only above .500 team that they did beat was UMass, the same team that they face in the first round. In that game, the Colonials scored 79 points, an anomaly for a team that averages 66.1 points per contest. GW has no dominant scorers, but do feature a lot of balance in scoring – with seven of its players averaging at least seven points per contest. Junior Isaiah Armwood is the team leader in both scoring (11.8) and boards (8.6).
10: St. Josephs (17-12, 8-8)
The Hawks have become an afterthought in a season where they were picked to finish at the top of the A-10 Conference. Inconsistency has been the Achilles heel for St. Joes, often following up impressive performances with head scratching losses. With the list of quality wins that St. Joes has, two wins in Brooklyn could translate into an NIT berth for an otherwise lost season. The Hawks have defeated at least three NCAA tournament teams in Iona, Harvard, and Notre Dame. Their first matchup is against a Xavier team that they beat by 10 points back in January. The Hawks have four upperclassmen that average in double figures in scoring, led by senior Carl Jones. The first round matchup features a team in Xavier that out-did expectations and a team in St. Joes that underperformed. While both find themselves in similar positions, the pressure lies squarely on the Hawks to do everything they can to salvage this season.
9: Charlotte (20-10, 8-8)
After starting out the season 9-0, Charlotte looked like they would become the surprise team of college basketball. The dream season continued for the early part of conference play as the 49ers jumped out to a 4-1 A-10 record. The losses slowly began to pile up, culminating in a disheartening four-game losing streak in which the 49ers couldn’t find a way to even stay close, losing every game by at least 17 points. The season is not a total wash for Charlotte. They are almost certainly guaranteed a spot in the NIT, and could meander their way into the NCAA tournament if they get at least three good wins in Brooklyn. One of the reasons that the 49ers have seen a drop has been the loss of DeMario Mayfield, who has been out since late January. Before being sidelined, he led the team in scoring at 11.7 points per contest. His loss is a big bruise, as the Niners average only 68 points per game.
8: Richmond (18-13, 8-8)
The Spiders will open against Charlotte, and although the 49ers have won two in a row, they are still a poor scoring team that has been hampered by injuries late in the season. It is a very fortunate matchup for Richmond. The Spiders come into this game needing to win four games to make the NCAA tournament, but likely just two wins to get into the NIT conversation. Darien Brothers has proven to be one of the best senior guards in the league, which is always a leg up in the month of March. The Spiders didn’t accumulate a truly impressive resume, but were able to get themselves on the map with a win at home over Virginia Commonwealth. They have fared well in close games as well, going 4-0 in overtime contests on the season.
7: Xavier (17-13, 9-7)
The Musketeers have certainly outdone the expectations of a team that lost a slew of its most talented players coming into this season When it is all said and done, what has already been accomplished may not be enough to get the team to send Xavier dancing. They do have wins over Butler (a non-conference win), Purdue, Memphis, and St. Louis, all of which are enough to probably ensure an NIT berth. However, it’s the glaring losses to teams like Wofford, Pacific, and Charlotte that leave people unsure of whether or not Xavier is a legitimate contender in this conference. They rely heavily on the freshman Semaj Christon, which is a dicey proposition for a team trying to make noise in a month that is dominated by experienced guard play. The key for Xavier will come down to gaining momentum starting this week, first and foremost against one of the most dangerous No. 10 seeds imaginable in St. Joe’s
6: Massachusetts (19-10, 9-7)
UMass is an interesting team. They haven’t had any jaw dropping losses that will leave a gash in their tournament resume. The problem for the Minutemen is that they don’t have any big wins, a fact that will almost certainly keep them well outside of the NCAA tournament conversation unless they have a special weekend in Brooklyn. The Minutemen have a potent offense that has kept them and will likely continue to keep them in all of their games, but they have struggled with allowing points this season, giving up 71.7 per game (291 in Division I). They have also been bad at winning close games in conference play, with four of its seven losses coming by a combined 10 points. UMass has three players averaging at least 12.6 points, led by Hofstra transfer Chaz Williams who is coming off of a 20 point performance against Rhode Island.
5. Butler (24-7, 11-5)
Butler is the first team in this conversation that will be dancing regardless of how they fare in the tournament. The questions for the Bulldogs are momentum and seeding. Things have changed for the worst considering that just weeks ago Butler was competing for a number one seed. They have been unable to beat the top teams in the A-10 in conference play, and have paid the price by dropping out of the Top 25 and looking like they may be a six seed when the brackets are revealed on Sunday. Wins over Marquette, UNC, Indiana, and Gonzaga will almost certainly be enough to keep people confident in the Bulldogs chances. This A-10 tournament will only serve as a way to further confirm those chances and raise their stock. Butler is led by Rotnei Clarke, who was out a little bit this season with an injury, but has played like his old self since coming back. Along with Clarke, Butler has three other players averaging in double figures.
4. La Salle (21-8, 11-5)
Despite getting a bye in this tournament, when Butler did not, the Explorers sit squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble, while the Bulldogs do not. Wins over Villanova, Iona, Butler, and VCU will be enough to keep La Salle afloat until Selection Sunday, but a win in Brooklyn (likely against Butler) would be the icing on the cake. La Salle arguably has the most to play for at the Barclays Center, and you better believe they are well aware of that. Not too many people had the Explorers on their radar (picked seventh in preseason poll) coming into this season. Senior Ramon Galloway has seen his numbers increase every season in college basketball, and this year is no different as the South Carolina transfer is averaging a scorching 17.4 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
3. Temple (23-8, 11-5)
Two weeks ago Temple was on the bubble. After seven wins to close out the regular season, that bubble talk is getting fainter and fainter. And while the Owls have yet to guarantee their spot in the final 68, the season closing win against No. 21 VCU basically sealed the deal. Temple has wins over Syracuse, St. Louis, and La Salle this season to go along with the VCU victory. Temple is led by Khalif Wyatt who is averaging 20 points per contest to make himself one of the elite A-10 scorers after playing in the shadows of some of his teammates in years past. The A-10 tournament will not only be about solidifying their spot in the tournament, but also getting them off of the 12-line that would mean playing an extra game in Dayton. Three wins in Brooklyn could put Temple on the nine or ten line which would make them contenders to even get a postseason win.
2. Virginia Commonwealth (24-7, 12-4)
In their first year in the A-10, the Rams have seen a lot of success, finishing off a 12-4 conference record. Even though VCU missed out on opportunities early in the year against Wichita State, Missouri, and Duke, they do still have wins against Memphis, Alabama, Belmont, and Butler. They will easily be included in the NCAA tournament even if they lose by 40 on Friday. An A-10 tournament win could get them as high as a three seed, while a first round loss would likely make them a five or a six. The Rams have two potent scorers in Treveon Graham and Juvonte Reddic, who also leads the team in boards at 8.2 per game. Led by coach Shaka Smart, VCU is as dangerous as they were in 2011. They have faced stiff competition, and are more of a proven commodity than they ever were before. VCU has a chance to solidify itself among the mid-major elites.
1. Saint Louis (24-6, 13-3)
Saint Louis has the makings of a Final Four contender. Their upperclassmen experience, stingy defense, strong guard play are the perfect recepie for a very successful March. Last year, under the late coach Rick Majeurus, the Billikens lost in the round of 32 to No. 1 seed Michigan State in a close affair. This year, St. Louis has been playing in his memory, going 21-3 since learning of his passing on December 1. The Billikens play deliberately and have few weaknesses besides the offensive glass. They don’t make many mistakes, and they win close games in the rare event that they get to play them. They have the keys to keep them consistent, resulting in a season where. Saint Louis suffered very few casualties while many of the best teams across the country hit cold spells. They have five players averaging at least one steal a game, and are led in scoring by senior Dwayne Evans, who averages 12.9 points per game.
Sam Blum covers A-10 Basketball. You can follow him for A-10 tournament updates @DaBlumsta
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