ATLANTIC 10
CONFERENCE
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
March 6-10
RHODE ISLAND
Record: 23-6, 15-3
The Rams were playing for a nice seed come Tournament time, but that’s no longer the case after losing three of their last five with one of those wins being in overtime against LA Salle. Once thought to be a no brainer as the best team in the A10, things don’t look so easy in this Tournament. The talent and experience is there with guys like EC Matthews and Stanford Robinson, but something has been missing from this team. The Schedule is favorable, but it was only a week ago they lost at home on senior night to St. Joe’s by 30 points. That could be a rematch in the semifinals. Rhode Island probably has the best overall team in the conference, but it hasn’t played well as of late.
ST. BONAVENTURE
Record: 24-6, 14-4
The Bonnies are an intriguing team to back here as they probably still need at least one win to feel comfortable on Selection Sunday. They split with Rhode Island and come into this Tournament having won their last 12 Games. The problem is that a rubber match with Davidson could wait for them in the semifinals. Those teams went to three overtimes a week ago with the Bonnies escaping 117-113. If those teams meet again, there’s a decent chance that Game could be a pick ‘em, which makes betting on the Bonnies to win the entire Tournament difficult.
DAVIDSON
Record: 18-11, 13-5
The Wildcats are probably one of the more underrated teams in the country and actually have a better KenPom ranking than St. Bonaventure. They have won eight of their last 10 with the two losses being that three overtime Game and then at Rhode Island. If it weren’t for some bad non-Conference losses, this team would also be looking at a bid for the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they’ll need to fight in the A10 Tournament and considering how recent Games have played out, that’ll be more than possible. Freshman Kellan Grady is a future stud, while big man Peyton Aldridge is one of the better players in the conference. Davidson maybe didn’t have a good start to the season, but is a great underdog bet to steal this Tournament from under the noses of Rhode Island and St Bonaventure.
OUtside of those three teams, the only other with a small chance would be St. Joseph’s. The Hawks have that nice RIU win and already beat the Bonnies, but they also lost at home to George Mason and Saint Louis. There’s little reason to trust them to win the Tournament, especially with another matchup against George Mason looming in the quarterfinals.
Most people will be on Rhode Island because it’s been in the AP Top 25 for most of the season. But with how the Rams are playing, it may be better to look elsewhere. Davidson should be a trendy pick and has already shown it can beat the top two teams. It’s whether you believe the Wildcats can do that or not and steal a bid for March Madness.