There are only a couple of weeks left before March Madness begins. But for some teams, it’s been over before it even starts.
Each week, the Cigar Sports Staff votes on the rankings of teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Here’s how the rankings turned out as of Feb. 16:
14th Place: La Salle University Explorers (7-18, 3-9) (-)
Jan. 21 was the last time the Explorers won a game, and it’s starting to weigh on the injury-filled team. Wednesday’s 77-68 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University saw the Explorers put out their 18th different starting lineup of the season.
At least a nine-point loss to the number two team in the conference is a step up from the 24-point loss to the number one team in the conference last week. Now that the worst of their schedule is over, it will be interesting to see how the Explorers finish the season.
13th Place: Loyola University Chicago Ramblers (6-20, 2-11) (-)
No surprise here; No. 18 Saint Louis University visited Chicago and delivered an 86-59 defeat to the Ramblers.
This contest marked the seventh time in conference play that the Ramblers have allowed at least 80 points to an opponent. With that, it’s not shocking that they hold the worst margin in the conference, being outscored by an average of 10.7 points.
T-11th Place: University of Richmond Spiders (14-12, 4-9) (+1)
Never has a team come away with a .500 week and been ecstatic, but you can assume the Spiders had to be after taking down what was once a top-three team in the conference.
Richmond’s 58% first half shooting gave the team a convincing 49-29 lead over George Mason University at halftime. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Spiders fell into a 47-27 hole at halftime against VCU. But losing in a more respectable 78-67 fashion to the Rams is enough of a win to call this week a success.
T-11th Place: St. Bonaventure University Bonnies (14-11, 3-9) (-2)
The Bonnies only played in one game this week, but there continues to be the telling story of single-digit conference losses. The host Bonnies fell 78-73 to the hot Duquesne University on Saturday, dropping to a bottom-three spot in the A-10 standings.
It’s almost admirable how many times the Bonnies have come close to victory this season, as they started conference play with an 89-82 loss to VCU, but it’s too late in the season to consistently drop the ball in tight contests.
10th Place: University of Rhode Island Rams (14-11, 5-7) (-2)
Back-to-back losses to teams ranked lower than them last week more than justifies Rhody’s fall from grace this week. Despite highlights from seventh-year guard Tyler Cochran, who had a combined 49 points in both contests, the Rams’ depth is at risk as they will be without third-year guard Jahmere Tripp long-term.
URI’s 70-66 overtime loss to Fordham University marked another low point of the season, as the Rams failed to score a field goal in the final five minutes of the second half through overtime.
9th Place: George Washington University Revolutionaries (15-11, 6-7) (+2)
Was Friday night’s 72-53 win over George Mason University the sign of a turning point in the season? Well, it’ll be hard to get past VCU this week, but the Revolutionaries will ride the momentum of fifth-year center Luke Hunger’s 31-point game.
Within reach of .500 in conference play, it’ll be a race to the finish as the Revolutionaries will fight to establish themselves as a solid middle-of-the-pack team that can make some noise in the second round of the conference tournament.
8th Place: Fordham University Rams (14-12, 5-8) (+2)
Finally, the Rams have made two statement wins this week to move up our rankings, taking down URI and Saint Joseph’s University on a two-game road trip.
Yes, the lack of offense continues to be glaring on the scoreboard, but as they say, defense wins games. Stunning both URI and SJU with comeback victories, there’s no denying this Fordham team won’t go down without a fight.
7th Place: Saint Joseph’s University Hawks (15-10, 7-5) (-3)
Following their season-low 52-point performance in their loss to George Mason, the Hawks followed it up with their most disappointing loss of the season.
Only 2.8 points separate the average number of points SJU and Fordham have scored per game this season, and that should scare this Hawks team. This week has been a major reality check for the Hawks, and they’ll need to prove themselves in their final six games if they want a real shot at a double-bye.
6th Place: Davidson College Wildcats (15-10, 6-6) (-)
One of only five teams to remain stagnant in this week’s rankings, the Wildcats are also the only team that currently sits at .500 in conference play. Yet, only one of the games the Wildcats played this week was with an NCAA opponent.
Davidson’s 114-53 win over United States Collegiate Athletic Association team Mid-Atlantic Christian University proved not to boost its momentum enough, as the Wildcats fell 70-59 to the University of Dayton six days later.
5th Place: George Mason University Patriots (21-5, 9-4) (-2)
It feels like forever since the Patriots had their nine-game win streak snapped, and since then they’ve gone 3-4. The Patriots still have two more wins than the teams under them in the standings, but these two recent losses to Richmond and George Washington prove their reign in the top four is unstable.
Before Friday’s 72-53 loss to the Revolutionaries, the Patriots had scored at least 60 points in every game so far this season. Who would’ve thought that their next contest against the Flyers would be one of their biggest tests of the season?
4th Place: University of Dayton Flyers (16-9, 7-5) (+2)
With four players in double figures, the Flyers were able to secure what might be their biggest win of the season so far against Davidson, and just their second win in seven games.
After going on a five-game winning streak followed by a four-game losing streak, the Flyers have now traded wins and losses in their last four games. Dayton sits right in the middle of both offensive and defensive conference averages, but the Flyers now have the opportunity to bid for a double-bye, and that’s not something to take for granted.
3rd Place: Duquesne University Dukes (15-10, 7-5) (+2)
While Saturday’s 78-73 win over the Bonnies might not be the most impressive on paper, the Dukes’ four-game winning streak is the culmination of success that has been shown in spurts all season long.
The only time the Dukes dipped under 70 points in conference play was with their 71-65 loss to Dayton on Jan. 13. With a top-four offense in the conference, this team should not be underestimated as they head into their final six games in the regular season.
2nd Place: Virginia Commonwealth University Rams (20-6, 11-2) (-)
Rivaling only the team above them in the standings, this Rams team continues to win handily, extending their winning streak to nine games.
This week’s duo of wins was also an improvement defensively for the Rams, who sit eighth in the conference’s defense, allowing an average of 72.5 points per game. Holding La Salle and Richmond to 68 and 67 points, respectively, this VCU team continues to threaten every team it faces.
1st Place: No. 18 Saint Louis University Billikens (24-1, 12-0) (-)
As we continue to look ahead to the coveted matchup against VCU this week, there’s not much that hasn’t already been said about this monster of a team.
There shouldn’t be much of a contest against URI before taking on the number two team. If they do get the win on Tuesday, it’ll tie their program record 19-game winning streak. This team continues to put games out of reach early on, so it’ll be very exciting to see the top two offenses in the conference face off on Friday night.
