The Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament is set to hit the Barclays Center in Brooklyn from March 12-16. With an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line and a handful of bubble teams taking the court, we should be in for some terrific action this week.
Atlantic 10 Tournament 2014 bracket: Saint Louis, VCU lead deep field
With two of the best defenses in the country, the Billikens and Rams are on pace to meet up in the conference championship game. Could they get upset before then?
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Saint Louis comes in as the No. 1 seed after going 13-3 against the A-10 this season. The Bilikens were a perfect 12-0 at one point, but a three-game losing streak really put a damper on their quest for a perfect run through the conference. SLU is one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking fifth nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency rating.
The Virginia Commonwealth Rams come in winners of four in a row, and it seems Shaka Smart’s boys are peaking at the right time. VCU’s havoc defense does exactly that, causing havoc for opponents on the court for 40 minutes. Like Saint Louis, the Rams’ defense is one of the top units in the country, ranking third in Pomeroy.
If there’s a team to really keep an eye on, it’s Dayton. The Flyers may be this year’s biggest bubble team, and it seems they’ve been one of 10 or so teams right on the cusp of making the field of 68 for weeks. A couple of wins this week would be huge for their résumé.
March 12:
George Mason vs. Fordham, 7 p.m. ET, A-10 Network
March 13:
La Salle vs. St. Bonaventure, 12 p.m., NBC Sports Regional
Dayton vs. Game 1 Winner, 2:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Richmond vs. Duquesne, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN
Massachusetts vs. Rhode Island, 9 p.m., NBC Sports Regional
March 14:
Saint Louis vs. TBD, 12 p.m., NBCSN
Saint Joseph’s vs. TBD, 2:30 p.m., NBCSN
VCU vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m., NBCSN
George Washington vs. TBD, 9 p.m., NBCSN
March 15:
Semifinal No. 1, 1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Semifinal No. 2, 4 p.m., CBSSN
March 16:
Championship, 1 p.m., CBS
Here’s what the bracket looks like:
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