A10: Day Two
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Now this was the Atlantic 10 tournament everybody expected. The league's members beat each other up all season; yesterday, games were decided by 1, 2 and 3 points. Despite the close games, all the top seeds managed to hold on, although eighth-seeded Dayton needed OT to do it. Basketball Prospectus predicted a wide-open tournament, and even the teams who survived yesterday are certainly dangerous in quarterfinal matchups today.
Here's what's coming from down the shore at Boardwalk Hall this afternoon.
(1) Xavier vs. (8) Dayton, noon.
The Musketeers are 26-5, 9th in the RPI and probably locked in to a three seed in the NCAA Tournament after a 14-2 Atlantic 10 regular season. The Flyers opened 13-1, but lost 8 of 11 at mid-season and fell to eighth in the league. They're still 21-9 and 29th in the RPI, but probably need to win the tournament to make the NCAAs. Xavier beat Dayton twice this year, including a 69-43 drubbing in Cincinnati on Jan. 24.
(4) Richmond vs. (5) Saint Joseph's, 2:30ish
The Hawks ended the season on a 3-6 skid, which probably means they need to make it to the final and maybe need to win it to get into the tournament. The Hawks go for a 20-win season today. Richmond never won more than two conference games in a row this year, but snuck into a tie for third at 9-7 and got the bye due to a tiebreaker over Charlotte and St. Joe's. The Hawks beat the Spiders at Hawk Hill, 81-63, in the teams' only meeting.
There's some more Atlantic 10 and other conference tourney recaps at The Mid-Majority.
