No. 1 VCU vs. No. 8 Rhode Island
12:00 ET on NBC Sports Network
Riding a 12 game win streak into this one, VCU is undeniably the hottest team in the Atlantic 10 right now. With an NCAA tournament birth virtually locked up at this point, the A-10 regular season champs are looking to improve their seeding by adding one more accolade to their resume: a conference tournament championship. While the Rams are the clear favorite to win the title in Brooklyn, beating Rhode Island in the quarterfinals will be no easy task. The Rhode Island Rams are playing their best basketball of the season right now and enter this one fresh off a dominant 76-57 win over La Salle on Thursday. With Fatts Russell and Cyril Langevine playing at an incredibly high level right now, Rhode Island is looking to pull-off the upset. Friday’s first A-10 quarterfinal game should be a great one between the Rams and, well … the Rams.
No. 4 Saint Bonaventure vs. No. 5 George Mason
2:30 ET on NBC Sports Network
Friday’s second quarterfinal game will feature a battle between No. 4 Saint Bonaventure and No. 5 George Mason. The Bonnies enter this one on a hot streak of their own. Winning seven of its last eight games, St. Bonaventure is finally healthy and playing its best basketball of the year. A popular underdog pick to win the A-10 tournament, the Bonnies will take on George Mason today at 2:30 ET. The Patriots survived a scare from George Washington on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals. The winner of this one will advance to the semifinals on Saturday to take on the winner of No. 1 VCU and No. 8 Rhode Island.