The Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament is upon us, and will tip off Wednesday, March 9 at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
This tournament features the 14 teams in the A-10, with the top 6 seeds getting a bye and the top 4 seeds getting a double-bye. This is always one of the most entertaining mid-major conferences come March, and this year shouldn’t be any different!
Conference History
This isn’t a conference full of blue bloods, but it is full of teams ready to play spoiler in March. Several of the historic upset runs in NCAA Tournament history have come out of the A-10; higher seeds beware! VCU went all the way to the Final Four from an 11 seed in 2011, and stayed extremely relevant throughout the Shaka Smart head coaching era. Back in 2006, George Mason went on a Final Four run that is widely regarded as one of the best Cinderella stories in March Madness history. Who can forget Steph Curry leading 10th-seeded Davidson on a miracle run back in 2008? This conference knows how to produce a fierce underdog, and they are ready to prove it again this year.
Team to Beat
The Davidson Wildcats wrapped up the regular season A-10 title with a conference record of 15-3. They had a brief stint in the AP Top 25 rankings back in late January, the only team this year from the A-10 to do so. Led by two junior guards Foster Loyer and Hyunjung Lee, this team could make a big splash in the Big Dance. CBS Sports currently predicts Davidson to be an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but watch out for them! Back in December, the Wildcats went into Tuscaloosa and beat the then 10th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. A road win like that shows me that this team is up to the task of highly rated, Power 5 teams. According to Kenpom, they have the 10th-most efficient offense in the country. I’m not worried about them being able to put up points, and I would not be surprised to see this team making a push toward the Sweet 16.
Sleeper Squad
Mizzou fans should be very familiar with this one: watch out for the George Mason Patriots in this tournament. They are led by former Tiger guard Kim English, who has made a big impression in his first season as head coach. The Patriots have been in something of a rough stretch as of late, but have shown the potential to compete with high level opponents this year. They won on the road in November against 20th-ranked Maryland, won on the road against Georgia, and played a 9-point game on the road against current No. 6 ranked Kansas (reminder, Mizzou lost by 37 and gave up 102 points against Kansas). The Patriots could make a splash this postseason, which would make Kim English one of the hottest commodities in college basketball.
Key Players
Chuba Ohams (Fordham) – The Fordham Rams will be the 8-seed in this week’s tournament, and much of their success is thanks to this big man. The only player in the conference to average a double-double, Ohams brings down 11.5 boards a game. Combine that with his over 14 points per game that he scores, and you’ve got a must-see player in this tournament. He shoots over 50% from the field and is a matchup problem at both ends of the floor.
Davidson Guards – Much of the success of top seeded Davidson is thanks to their two floor generals, Foster Loyer and Hyunjung Lee. They both average more than 16 points per game, they both play over 30 minutes per game, and they both are a huge reason this team is winning at the rate that they are. They play very different styles. Loyer is 6-foot and dishes out more assists, while Lee is 6-foot-7 and is more of a 3-point shooter. Regardless of what role they’re filling, these two have been dynamic all season long.
Tyler Burton (Richmond) – The best player on an average team, Burton paces the Spiders in scoring and rebounding. The 6-foot-7 junior has big game potential, and has the ability to change a game in favor of Richmond. The Spiders will have a tough road to the title, but if they are going to make it Burton will have to come up huge. He already has scored 30 points on three separate occasions this season, so watch out for a big game from him when it counts.
Predictions
I think this conference is very talented, but the top half is just much stronger than the bottom. I think the best chance for an upset will be 5th-seeded Saint Louis in the second round against St. Bonaventure. I like George Mason, I think they can keep it close against Davidson, but I don’t see them being able to pull off the miracle. I think Saint Louis, Davidson, Dayton, and VCU make the semifinals. The Dayton-VCU matchup could be one of the best in the tournament. Ultimately, I think top-seeded Davidson wins this tournament over VCU and heads to the NCAA Tournament to represent this conference. I think they have what it takes to win multiple games in the Big Dance, and the momentum from winning this tournament would set them well on their way.
The Pick: Davidson