Coming up on the final week of regular-season action in Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball, every game matters to decide postseason positioning.
Each week, The Good Five Cent Cigar Sports Staff votes on the rankings of every team in the A-10.
Here’s how the rankings turned out as of March 2:
14th Place: La Salle University Explorers (8-21, 4-12) (-2)
After snapping their six-game losing streak with a win over the University of Rhode Island last week, the Explorers gave up a combined 175 points against their two opponents this week.
Not ideal so close to the postseason, but the Explorers still have an opportunity to return to the win column before then with contests against Fordham University and Saint Joseph’s University. These are rematches from games back in January, and the good thing is that both losses were only by single digits.
13th Place: Loyola University Chicago Ramblers (7-22, 3-13) (+1)
The Ramblers gave their home crowd something to cheer about for the second time in conference play with a 69-66 win over the University of Richmond. Maintaining a steady lead in the second half, the Ramblers were able to fend off a late comeback attempt by the Spiders.
With limited scoring on the offensive end, it’ll take more defensive games like this to stay competitive. But, by letting up a conference-worst 76.8 points per game, it’s unrealistic to think this style of play can stay consistent.
12th Place: University of Rhode Island Rams (15-14, 6-10) (-3)
It’s only been two weeks since the Rams took down then No. 18 Saint Louis University, but it feels like forever ago, as Rhody has now lost three straight.
URI’s road matchup with St. Bonaventure University had a season-worst defensive performance, allowing 94 points. Following that, the Rams posted only 55 points against SJU. Seventh-year guard Tyler Cochran can’t score 20 points every game, and this team lacks the serious depth necessary to carry a postseason run.
11th Place: University of Richmond Spiders (15-14, 5-11) (-)
First-round bye hopes have nearly withered away for the Spiders, who lost another tight-knit game on the road.
Despite a 23-point performance by fourth-year guard AJ Lopez, it was not enough to climb out of the deficit they faced. Two games are remaining, but they are both against teams higher than them in the standings. It’ll take an upset like what they did with George Mason University on Feb. 10 to pull wins out.
10th Place: St. Bonaventure University Bonnies (15-14, 4-12) (+2)
After putting up 94 points against Richmond and not getting the win, the Bonnies were out for blood against URI, putting up another 94 points in a win against URI.
While the Bonnies took a road loss to George Mason three days later, snapping a three-game losing streak is an accomplishment in itself. The Bonnies will take the little wins in their final two games before the postseason begins.
9th Place: George Washington University Revolutionaries (16-13, 7-9) (+1)
Picking up their third triple-digit performance of the season over La Salle, the Revolutionaries returned home and dropped a 68-66 game against the University of Dayton, proving the inconsistency that has been present all season.
Giving credit where credit is due, the Flyers are hot right now on a five-game winning streak.
With the opportunity to finish .500 in conference play, the Revolutionaries, who have traded wins and losses for the past four games, will need to dig deep to finish strong.
8th Place: Duquesne University Dukes (16-13, 8-8) (-4)
Going on their second three-game losing streak of the season, the Dukes have hit a slump at a very inopportune time.
It’s worth mentioning that the Dukes lost to three teams above them in the standings, but there’s more to it. Every game except one in the Dukes’ mid-season five-game winning streak was separated by six points or under, leaving us to wonder just how good this team is.
7th Place: George Mason University Patriots (22-7, 10-6) (+1)
After losing five of their previous six games, the Patriots got back in the win column with a 71-58 win over the Bonnies. This was the Patriots’ most convincing win since their 99-81 win over Cornell University on Dec. 2, 2025.
However, that may be a bad sign, as it’ll take a massive effort to pull out wins against either Virginia Commonwealth University or Saint Louis this week.
6th Place: Fordham University Rams (16-13, 7-9) (-1)
Similar to the Patriots, the Rams’ recent four-game losing streak featured tight wins, and it came to an end with an 82-63 loss against VCU.
A 37-22 deficit at halftime put the Rams in a hole they could not climb out of. The bright spot? The Rams take on URI and La Salle in their final two regular-season games, which are winnable if they can score more than 70 points.
5th Place: Davidson College Wildcats (18-11, 9-7) (+2)
The Wildcats have the second-best defense in the conference, allowing an average of 67.7 points per game, and it’s been used to their advantage. With two wins over Duquesne and La Salle this week, the Wildcats have jumped two games above .500 in conference play.
With the double-bye out of the picture, the Wildcats are playing for postseason momentum in their final two regular-season games.
4th Place: Saint Joseph’s University Hawks (19-10, 11-5) (+2)
It’s the perfect time for the Hawks to get hot, and they’ve extended their winning streak to four with wins over George Mason and URI.
Wednesday’s win over the Patriots was a revenge game, as the Hawks fell to the Patriots 60-52 on Feb. 7. Fourth-year guard Derek Simpson and second-year guard Jaiden Glover-Toscano combined for 44 points as the Hawks established a 44-25 lead going into the second half.
3rd Place: Virginia Commonwealth University Rams (22-7, 13-3) (-1)
VCU’s reign at the second spot in our rankings is over, as the team above them proved themselves enough to swap places. VCU played one of its better defensive games in its win over Fordham, but it was needed after the loss to Saint Louis in the previous week.
The Rams will need to use their second-best offense, which averages 83.3 points per game, in the conference in order to get past Dayton this week.
2nd Place: University of Dayton Flyers (20-9, 11-5) (+1)
It’s been a steady rise to the top, but the Flyers deserved to be moved up this week after handing Saint Louis their second loss in conference play.
Saint Louis outscoring the Flyers in the second half didn’t make up for the 44-28 lead the Flyers built on them in the first half. This was the first time the Billikens scored under 70 points all season.
1st Place: No. 25 Saint Louis University Billikens (26-3, 14-2) (-)
Despite taking their second road loss in as many games, the Billikens reminded the conference why they sit at the top in both the standings and offense, scoring 91 in a win over Duquesne.
Is two losses in four games this late in the regular season concerning? If it were any other team, yes. But, this Billikens team stays in the top 25 of the Associated Press rankings and will be looking to stomp over their remaining opponents before the postseason. Anyone in the Billikens’ way should watch out.
