Around the A-10: big games, rankings, and more from the league

The Atlantic 10 has recently started putting out a weekly recap for bloggers, which I'm going to start sharing with you. It's a nice recap of what's going on, what's interesting, and what's new. Check it out!

Week Ahead Top Games

Below are the top games around the league this week. A full schedule is always available on Atlantic10.com and can be found here.

·      On SATURDAY, George Washington will face a tough road challenge, taking on current conference leader VCU, who hasn’t lost a game since mid-December. (CBS Sports Network, 12 p.m. ET) 

·      Davidson will also be taking on Duquesne on the road SATURDAY afternoon. (NBCSN, 12:30 p.m. ET) 

·      SATURDAY evening, No. 24 Dayton faces George Mason as the Flyers look to keep their hold on second place in the conference standings. (MASN, 6 p.m. ET)

 

National Picture Updates

40 Days Until Selection Sunday

In both the latest AP and Coaches polls released Monday, Dayton made its way back into the Top 25 at No. 24. VCU and Saint Joseph’s received votes in both polls.

 

Six A-10 teams, Dayton (13), St. Joseph’s (29), VCU (34), George Washington (54), Davidson (58) and St. Bonaventure (60) are in the top 75 of the latest RPI rankings, last updated February 2. The Hawks and Bonnies both jumped a spot since the previous rankings.

 

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm has four A-10 teams in his latest bracket, released Monday night. Both Saint Joseph’s and George Washington are projected in his First Four as an 11 and 12 seed, respectively. VCU sits at a 10 seed and Dayton as a 5 seed.  

 

USA Today’s latest NCAA tournament predictions (updated February 2) puts three A-10 teams in the mix: Dayton (6 seed), VCU (9 seed) and Saint Joseph’s (11 seed). George Washington Davidson and St. Bonaventure are also considered potential contenders for at-large bids.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has three A-10 teams, Dayton (7 seed), George Washington (10 seed) and VCU (11 seed), making the tournament cut in his latest bracket.

A-10 Pulse

Bleacher Report wrote a great long-form piece on VCU’s Melvin Johnson and his evolution as a student-athlete, including his career goals. A great nod to the emphasis A-10 teams place on both on and off the court performance. LINK

Forbes wrote a case study on the relationship between athletic directors and university presidents, which includes VCU’s Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin. LINK

The Washington Post’s Matthew Giles wrote an article on Dayton’s strong potential come NCAA tournament time, considering its current 8-1 run. LINK

Duquesne senior guard Derrick Colter was named A-10 Player of the Week after averaging 25 points in the team’s victories against La Salle and Saint Louis during Coaches vs. Cancer week. Fitting timing, as Colter himself is a cancer survivor. This marks the first time a Dukes player has received Player of the Week award in almost two years. LINK

Buffalo News’ Bucky Gleason wrote about the relationship between St. Bonaventure’s junior guard Marcus Posley and Coach Mark Schmidt. LINK