Two teams in the top 25, two others getting votes. Let the Atlantic 10 action roll on.
Wednesday: Rutgers (4-4) at George Washington (6-1)
Coming off wins over Miami and then-No. 20 Creighton, George Washington’s Colonials doubled their AP Top 25 votes from one to two (maybe John Feinstein -the only GW vote two weeks ago-knows something others don’t). Does G-Dub have to guard against a letdown when hosting Rutgers? And be careful to not look ahead to a weekend date with Maryland?
Playing the numbers: GW is 23rd in the country holding opposing teams to 38.3 percent from the floor.
Rutgers is 192nd in the nation shooting 44.3 percent from the floor.
Looks good for G-Dub.
The Colonials can add some R to their RPI with a win over a foe from the American Athletic Conference.
Players to watch: Villanova transfer Isaiah Armwood leads the Colonials with 7.7 rebounds and adds 13.6 points.
Kadeem Jack paces four Scarlet Knights in double figures scoring 15.6 per game.
USF (4-2) at George Mason (5-2)
No, it’s not an A-10 -American Athletic challenge. It just looks that way. George Mason seeks to keep their perfect home mark in tact. South Florida wants to end a two-game slide including a 93-67 setback to then No. 5 Oklahoma State.
Playing the numbers: 20 – the number of turnovers (44th in the country) George Mason creates per game.
17.7 – percent of USF possessions which end in a turnover (tied for 181st)
Will anyone be surprised if George Mason finishes in the top four of the A-10.
Players to watch: Sherrod Wright scores 16.9 a night for George Mason.
Victor Rudd leads USF with 14.2 points.
St. Joseph’s (4-2) at Temple (3-3)
A-10-AAC matchups continue. Philly Big 5 opener for both teams – better get the cheese steak ready for these one-time conference foes. After dropping three straight, Temple’s Owls have won their last two. St. Joseph’s Hawks took two straight at the Old Spice Classic finishing with a win over the Pac-12’s Washington St.
Playing the numbers: So you’re saying you like deliberate-paced basketball.
St. Joseph’s averages 66.9 possessions per game (290th). SJU scores 1.12 points per possession (T 45th). Temple possesses it 71.7 times (120th).
The Hawks figure to need an at-large bid. Non-conference wins like this help the cause. Can Phil Martelli outduel Fran Dunphy?
Players to watch: Halil Kanacevic leads SJU with 4.5 assists and 7.5 boards per game.
Anthony Lee grabs 9.5 boards per game and scores 13 for the Cherry and White.
Delaware State (2-5) at No. 25 Dayton (6-1)
Can the Flyers handle success? After wins over California, then-No. 11 Gonzaga and Georgia Tech, UD has to stay focused against the sneaky Delaware State Hornets. Or in this case, can the Flyers defend the baseline flex which DSU will run throughout the game? Dayton showed themselves capable of attacking a zone in their loss to Baylor. That will be valuable in avoiding what could be a trap game.
UD has put themselves on the bubble. Bad losses are something to avoid.
Players to watch: Jalen Robinson – UD’s sophomore forward came off the bench and scored 17 against Cal.
Kendall Gray – DSU’s big man averages more than 11 points per game.
Thursday: Providence (7-2) at Rhode Island (6-3)
The Friars of Providence were within four (45-49) early in the second half of their 79-65 loss to Kentucky. Rhode Island’s Rams had won three straight before falling to George Mason, 61-54 in a non-conference game that was scheduled before the Patriots joined the A-10.
Playing the numbers: .92 points allowed per possession by Providence (T 37th).
Players to watch: Xavier Munford scores 14.9 per game for URI.
Bryce Cotton leads the Friars with 19 points while dishing out 5.2 dimes with 2 turnovers.
Can Rhody claim dominance in the Ocean State?
Statistics courtesy of Basketball State.
Leave a Reply