By PAUL GOTHAM
Six nationally-televised games on tap this weekend in Atlantic 10 men’s basketball. Here’s the rundown.
Friday: Rhode Island (10-4/2-0) at Dayton (11-3/2-0) 7pm ESPN2
Two teams picked to finish at the top at the conference. This one could be a preview of what’s to come in March when the A-10 tournament tips at the PPG Paints Arena. Both teams bring four-game winning streaks into the matchup. Hassan Martin (15.4 ppg/7.8 rpg) recently returned to the Rhode Island lineup. Charles Cooke (18.7 ppg/5.7 rpg) is a game-time decision for Dayton. Both make ball control a priority. Per KenPom, URI ranks 15th in the nation with turnover percentage of 15.5. Dayton sits at 37 with a rate of 16.2 percent. The Flyers defense creates mishandles 21.5 percent of the time while Rhody forces turnovers at a rate of 20.9. Dayton hit 15 of 27 3-pointers against VMI on December 23rd and 14 of 23 versus St. Bonaventure this past Tuesday. In between La Salle limited UD to a woeful3-of-22 performance. Rhode Island holds opponents to 30.8 percent from long range. Kendall Pollard has topped the 20-point mark in UD’s last two games. Rhode Island’s Jarvis Garrett hands out 4.1 assists per game while committing just 1.8 turnovers.
Saturday: UMass (10-5/0-2) at VCU (12-3/2-0) 1pm NBCSN
Winners of six straight, VCU has the longest such streak in the A-10. UMass looks to snap a two-game skid. The Minutemen are in the middle of a tough stretch in their schedule with games against Dayton and Rhode Island to follow. This one has the potential for going off the rails. Both teams average turnovers more than 20 percent of the time. Mo Alie-Cox ranks top 50 in the nation with a block percentage of 9.5. How much of an impact can the VCU center have in this game where UMass will want to get up and down? Will Alie-Cox will be forced to take on smaller ballhandlers getting paint touches? JeQuan Lewis leads VCU with 15.8 points and 4.3 assists per game. Donte Clark scores 15.5 a game for the Minutemen.
George Mason (11-4/1-1) at St. Bonaventure (9-5/1-1) 5pm NBCSN
George Mason had a nine-game winning streak snapped in its conference opener against VCU. The Patriots responded with a win over UMass. Bona started the conference slate with a road at UMass before falling at home to Dayton. Mason leads the A-10 and is 15th in the nation grabbing over 41 rebounds per game. Bona has struggled of late on defense allowing Dayton to hit 14 of 23 from behind the arc. This coming two games after Canisius connected on 15 of 38 occasions. Mason’s Marquise Moore top the conference 10.6 rebounds per game. The senior also scores nearly 18 points. SBU’s Jaylen Adams leads the A-10 in scoring (23.4 per game) and assists (6.1).
Sunday: Richmond (8-6/2-0) at George Washington (9-6/1-1) Noon NBCSN
Richmond is looking to start 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 1998. To do so the Spiders will need to limit George Washington’s second-chance opportunities. The Colonials rank 32 in the country with an offensive rebounding rate of 35.5. Richmond’s defensive rebound rate of 32.6 is near the bottom (283) of the nation. A pair of potential conference first teamers go head to head in Richmond’s T.J. Cline (17.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.9 app) and GW’s Tyler Cavanaugh (16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 2.6 apg).
Other Games
Saturday: Saint Joseph’s (7-6/1-1) at Fordham (6-9/0-2) 3pm NBCSN
Duquesne (8-7/1-1) at La Salle (7-5/1-1) 8pm American Sports Network
Sunday: Davidson (7-6/0-2) at Saint Louis (4-10/0-2) 2 pm NBCSN
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