We’re just two days away from knowing exactly what this year’s Atlantic 10 tournament bracket will look like. We could wait until Saturday evening and get into that discussion with the official bracket OR throw some guesses out now and have some fun.
I like the later, so let’s get into it.
| Session | Game | Time* | Matchup# | Television | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round – Wednesday, March 11 | |||||
| 1 | 1 | 6:30 pm | #13 Mason vs. #12 Fordham | ||
| 2 | 9:00 pm | #14 SLU vs. #11 Duquesne | |||
| Second round – Thursday, March 12 | |||||
| 2 | 3 | 12:00 pm | #9 La Salle vs. #8 SBU | NBCSN | |
| 4 | 2:30 pm | #12 Fordham vs. #5 VCU | NBCSN | ||
| 3 | 5 | 6:30 pm | #10 Saint Joseph’s vs. #7 UMass | NBCSN | |
| 6 | 9:00 pm | #11 Duquesne vs. #6 GW | NBCSN | ||
| Quarterfinals – Friday, March 13 | |||||
| 4 | 7 | 12:00 pm | #9 La Salle vs. #1 Davidson | NBCSN | |
| 8 | 2:30 pm | #5 VCU vs. #4 Richmond | NBCSN | ||
| 5 | 9 | 6:30 pm | #10 SJU vs. #2 Dayton | NBCSN | |
| 10 | 9:00 pm | #6 GW vs. #3 Rhody | NBCSN | ||
| Semifinals – Saturday, March 14 | |||||
| 6 | 11 | 1:30 pm | #1 Davidson vs. #5 VCU | CBSSN | |
| 12 | 4:00 pm | #2 Dayton vs. #3 Rhody | CBSSN | ||
| Championship – Sunday, March 15 | |||||
| 7 | 13 | 1:00pm | #1 Davidson vs. #2 Dayton | CBS | |
I’ll actually let you fill in the champ.
Here’s the reality with this year’s tournament: This year’s Atlantic 10 is full of flawed teams.
I think that fact provides and exciting atmosphere at the Barclays Center (I picked a lot of chalk but don’t be surprised to see a ton of upsets) but I worry about the Atlantic 10’s chances in March.
- Davidson has one of the best offensive teams in the country but remains undersized and questionable on defense.
- Dayton has one of the best starting fives around but has ZERO depth and maxes out at 6’6 in the paint.
- Rhode Island has some great pieces but like VCU, can go ice-cold on offense.
- Richmond has nice pieces inside and out but have and undersized backcourt and too many bad losses (Mason, JMU, Wake, Northeastern) to inspire confidence in their ability to do damage in March against the four, five and six seeds of the world.
QUICK AWARDS PREDICTIONS
A-10 Player of the Year: Tyler Kalinoski – Davidson
A-10 Coach of the Year: Archie Miller – Dayton (beats Bob McKillop by one vote)
A-10 Defensive Player of the Year: Hassan Martin – Rhode Island
A-10 Rookie of the Year: Eric Paschall – Fordham
