As most schools are in the thick of finals, it’s been a slow week in A-10 games. But this weekend has plenty of good games to keep an eye on!
Now, let’s take a look at the top games of the weekend:
Sunday December 16
Rhode Island vs West Virginia (Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase) | 1 ET | CBSSN
It’s been a rebuilding year for Rhody so far, but this is a chance to get a season-defining win. Though this is a neutral-site game, this game is only 45 minutes from Rhode Island’s campus, which could give the Rams a nice boost. In addition, URI could sneak up on a sleeping West Virginia team that enters quietly 6-3, who though they don’t have any bad losses, have dropped games to Buffalo, WKU and Florida. Rhody in their own right doesn’t have any loses that look that bad, having lost to Charleston, Stony Brook and Providence, all are KenPom top-170 teams. That said, Rhody is going to have to put together their best game of the season to keep pace.
Saint Louis at #24 Houston | 3 ET | ESPNU
The Cougars enter this game as one of the final 9 undefeated teams left in the nation, and ranked #24 in the AP Poll. Houston’s résumé includes wins over BYU, Oregon, Oklahoma State, and most recently, LSU. At 9-0, this is one of the best starts in school history, and will be a tough test for a Billikens team that has been quite inconsistent this season. Saint Louis enters at 7-2 in their own right, boasting wins over Butler and Oregon State, but this would go a heck of a long way towards helping them in the eyes of the NCAA Selection Committee. Ranked #73 in the NET Rankings, SLU has quite a bit of work to do, and a win against Houston, who is ranked #11 in the NET, would really help their cause.
A Look at the Week Ahead…
Some big games on tap this week, kicking off Monday, when Davidson travels to face Wake Forest, while St. Bonaventure faces Vermont on the road. Wednesday is headlined by Duquesne’s showdown with Penn State at PPG Paints Arena. St. Bonaventure will get another road test at Northeastern Friday afternoon, while George Mason will look to avoid a possible trap-game against Navy Friday night.