Welcome to A10Talk’s series of Atlantic 10 Bracketology. Throughout the year we’ll be providing updates on where teams stand in regards to making the NCAA Tournament. Lets take a look at this week’s edition.
Who’s In
To put it simply: no one. At this point in the season, no A-10 team is close to being an at-large lock for the NCAA tournament. While a few teams put together nice non-conference resumes and are on the rise, a lot of basketball remains to be played.
On The Bubble
Saint Louis (10-4), VCU (10-4), Davidson (10-4)
Starting conference play 1-0, Saint Louis, VCU, and Davidson are the first three A-10 teams to reach double digit wins this season. While none of these teams suffered bad non-conference losses, each of them missed out on some winnable opportunities. That said, both Saint Louis and VCU managed to compile some quality wins. The Billikens beat teams like Seton Hall and Butler while the Rams took down the likes of Texas and Temple. Davidson, on the other hand, failed to come up with a signature non-conference win. Nevertheless, at 10-4 overall and no bad losses, a strong conference showing could be enough to put the Wildcats in the tournament. With A-10 play just getting started, these three teams clearly have the best chances to earn an NCAA at-large bid.
Last Life
Dayton (9-5)
Winners of four straight games, the Dayton Flyers have resurrected themselves to the “last life” list. While Dayton certainly missed out on some big non-conference opportunities, the Flyers played a remarkably tough schedule. With no bad losses and a quality win over Butler, Dayton put together a pretty mediocre non-conference resume. Listed as the “15th team out” of the tournament by Sports Illustrated and “considered” by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Flyers clearly sit on the outside looking in. Baring a 14-4 type run in A-10 play, Dayton’s tournament hopes will come down to what happens in Brooklyn. That said, the Flyers have as good of chance to win the conference as anyone. With talented point guard Jalen Crutcher and dominant big men Josh Cunningham and Obadiah Toppin, Dayton still has life. Starting A-10 play with a 72-48 rout of Richmond, the Flyers will be a team to keep an eye on going forward.