The Atlantic 10 Tournament begins Wednesday at PPG Arena in Pittsburgh as the University of Rhode Island enters, looking to build momentum and potentially make a run in a conference that has been closely contested throughout its regular season.
The Rams enter the tournament needing a strong defensive performance to develop a potential run in the postseason. Rhode Island has been one of the most effective teams on the defensive end, leading the A-10 in steals with 8.68 steals per game.
A team that most people forget about is Saint Joseph’s University. The Hawks come into tournament play averaging more than 15 assists per game while maintaining a positive assist-to-turnover differential. Saint Joseph’s is coming to Pittsburgh on a six-game win streak and a third-place seeding in the A-10, but will it be enough to take on the beast that lurks?.
Saint Louis University comes in ranked No. 25 in the nation. Despite having an upset loss to Rhode Island down the homestretch, the Billikens have managed to lead the A-10 in three-point shooting at an impressive 40.5%. Not only are they a threat offensively, but they are also leading the A-10 in rebounding, contributing to their highest-ranked defense in the conference.
Virginia Commonwealth University poses as a solid potential candidate to take down the Billikens. VCU ended its season with a record tied with SLU to split the regular-season conference championship.
The Rams rank third in offensive efficiency and blocked shots. VCU won the conference and went to the March Madness Tournament just a year prior. This team knows what it takes to win and to go dancing, but will they be able to take down the Billikens?
George Mason University has high potential in the postseason. Despite allowing the most rebounds, they tend to hang in with the big dogs in terms of other general statistics. What speaks louder than statistics? The wins.
The Patriots recently took down ranked SLU in their last regular-season matchup of the year. In earlier pre-conference matchups, Mason also took down Ohio University, Florida Atlantic University and James Madison University, who recently went to the NCAA March Madness Tournament just two seasons ago.
SLU has three losses this season. George Mason, Rhode Island and the University of Dayton. Dayton, in years past, has been a competitive team not just in the A-10 but also in March Madness. The past few years have been on the more difficult side, coming in third last year and the year prior.
Taking down the Billikens is an impressive feat, but will they be able to back it up with stats? The Flyers have an impressive 33.9% three-point conversion rate, placing them in the middle of the pack in the A-10.
They come in dead last in overall rebounding. However, in the Flyers’ game against Saint Louis, they outrebounded the Billikens on the defensive boards and were able to win that game. If they can push on the boards, there is no reason this team can’t go for a run and potentially go dancing.
Many people underestimate the Atlantic 10 as a lesser conference. This year, this conference has proved why it can be one of the most competitive conferences in the country. I have significant doubts that this is only a one-bid league, even if SLU wins, VCU could easily be an at-large selection.
