Conference Table

The Atlantic 10 has turned into a powerhouse, seemingly overnight. After receiving three tournament invites last season, the unheralded conference has a realistic chance to get six bids to the big dance in 09-10. No, that is not a typo. Let’s take a deeper look at each of the candidates:

Charlotte 49ers- 18-5, 8-1 A10 (RPI 45, SOS 121) The 49ers were plagued by inconsistency early on, but their talent was never in question. Loaded with great length and quickness, Charlotte gets inside scoring punch from Boston College transfer Shamari Spears, and prolific outside shooting from Derrio Green. They are an extremely dangerous team when hitting on all cylinders. Key non-conference victory at Louisville by a 22 point margin. Critical game this week at Dayton on the 10th and a revenge spot versus Xavier on the 20th.

Xavier Musketeers- 16-7, 8-2 A10 (RPI 27, SOS 15) Under the leadership of 1st year Head Coach Chris Mack, not much has changed for Xavier. They play in your face man-to-man defense and own the boards with their size. The Musketeers have gotten stellar inside play from center Jason Love. What their roster lacks is a guy to break down defenders off the dribble. Lone key out of conference win at home versus Cincinnati. After an embarrassing 25 point loss at Dayton, the Muskies will get one final opportunity for a standout out of conference win at Florida on Saturday.

Rhode Island Rams- 19-3, 7-2 A10 (RPI 13, SOS 65) An exciting team to watch with their fast paced, aggressive style. They regularly go 10 men deep, and press to utilize their athleticism. While they force a myriad of turnovers, they will give up easy buckets on occasion. The Rams get great scoring balance led by a trio of senior wings in Keith Cothran, Delroy James and Lamonte Ulmer. RI has key non-conference wins at Boston College, and Oklahoma State on a neutral court. They have important games this week versus Richmond on the 10th and a chance for revenge at Temple on the 13th.

Temple Owls- 19-5, 7-2 A10 (RPI 18, SOS 41) After losing scoring machine Dionte Christmas to graduation, the Owl offense had a big hole to fill. Luckily for them, rugged defense is their key to success. Playmaking guards Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez have picked up the offensive punch. Double Double man Lavoy Allen is passive offensively, but also contributes with his passing and shot blocking. Temple can boast huge out of conference home wins versus Virginia Tech and Villanova. They have a matchup with Rhode Island on tap for Saturday the 13th in a clash of philosophies.

Richmond Spiders- 18-6, 7-2 A10 (RPI 30, SOS 69) The Spiders, who haven’t danced since 2004, sport an efficient offense, tremendous perimeter shooting and a fundamentally sound defense. Guard Kevin Anderson leads a balanced scoring attack with 18 points per game. Lack of a true post presence inside for easy baskets is a concern. Richmond can lean on massive non-conference wins at Florida, and neutral court wins over Missouri and Mississippi State. Off a thorough beat down of Temple on Saturday, the Spiders will try to keep the ball rolling at Rhode Island on Wednesday.

Dayton Flyers- 16-6, 5-3 A10 (RPI 33, SOS 38) Highly touted entering the season, the Flyers have hit some rough spots. Nevertheless, they are right in the hunt for an at-large berth. Dayton is a diverse club, capable of winning in a variety of ways, from offensive firepower to defense and rebounding. Forward Chris Wright is a beast inside and routinely plays above the rim. Their key out of conference win came versus Georgia Tech on a neutral floor in San Juan. Coming off a blitzing of Xavier, the Flyers will host Charlotte on Wednesday night.

Dynamic Performances: February 6th and 7th

DeSean Butler, F West Virginia- Butler led a 57 point Mountaineer outburst in the 2nd stanza with an inhuman shooting extravaganza. He finished with 33 points on 7-7 from three point range and 8-8 from the foul line. Speechless.

Denis Clemente, G Kansas State- Clemente led the Wildcats to a comeback win at Iowa State with 30 points on 6 of 8 shooting from beyond the arc and 6 for 6 from the stripe.

Darington Hobson, G-F New Mexico- Led the Lobos to an overtime victory over rival San Diego State. Scored eight of his 29 points in overtime, including the game winning free throws. Also compiled 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and zero turnovers.

Greivis Vasquez, G Maryland- The engine for the Terps put up 26 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds in a home victory over North Carolina. He also connected on 6 three pointers in the blowout win.

Demetri McCamey, G Illinois- Illinois’ point man led theway with 22 points, 11 assists and 6 clutch three pointers as the Fighting Illini downed Michigan State in a must-win game.

Tommy Mason Griffin, G Oklahoma- TMG (Too Much Game) picked up the slack for a hobbled Willie Warren in a home victory over Texas. The freshman put up 24 points on 5 three pointers, with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Tre’Von Willis, G UNLV- The versatile junior put up a career high 33 points as the Rebels hammered BYU. He added 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 three pointers for good measure.

Lavoy Allen, F Temple- Recorded 17 points and 18 rebounds in loss at Richmond.

*A special mention for the Ole Miss Rebels who overcame a 23 point second half deficit to defeat Alabama 74-67.

Marquee Matchups for Monday

7 ET Villanova @ West Virginia- This is a tough spot for the Wildcats after falling to Georgetown on Saturday. With the meat of their schedule on the horizon, Nova could be in store for some L’s. Can West Virginia carry over their red hot shooting to Morgantown? Let’s just hope their fans behave. Edge WVU.

9 ET Kansas @ Texas- Every college hoops fan has had this game circled for a while. Unfortunately, the Longhorns have not upheld their end of the bargain. They have really struggled, including a road to loss at Oklahoma on Saturday. Texas certainly has the horses to take down #1 Kansas, but they need to put together a full 40 minute game for the first time in over a month to do so. Common sense says Kansas has the edge, but Damion James and the super freshmen step up and take this one at home.

9 ET Louisiana Tech @ New Mexico State- An intriguing battle for first place in the WAC between two high octane clubs. The Tech Bulldogs are loaded with talent, including forward Kyle Gibson and LSU transfer Magnum Rolle in the middle. However, winning in Las Cruces is no simple task. The Aggies have played excellent ball since Wendell McKines returned from suspension. Slight edge to NMST as the Bulldogs struggle to defend on the road.