2009 A-10 Conference Tournament Preview
Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship Week Starts Wednesday
There is no clear favorite to win the A-10 conference tournament this season as there were in year's past. While Xavier won the regular season title with a 12-4 conference record, the Musketeers were defeated in their last game aby 7th-place Richmond.
A-10 Conference Tournament Preview
#12 Charlotte- They defeated Xavier and Dayton this season and could surprise a cold St. Joseph's team. 90-1
#11 St. Bonaventure- Any team that loses to Fordham does not have a chance. 500-1
#10 UMASS- Inconsistencies have marred this team all season and the only consistent result for them is losing. 250-1
#9 St. Louis- After winning five of six, Rick Majerus' Billikens have lost their past three. 50-1
#8 LaSalle- The Explorers are quietly mounting a solid season at 18-12. They face a rematch of St. Louis who they just defeated in their last game. 50-1
#7 Duquesne- The Dukes can shoot, but they do not play defense. They are beginning to unravel late in the season but they have shown an ability to take on the behemoths of the conference with success. 30-1
#6 Richmond- The Spiders are on fire having won five of their last six. Arguably, they have the best duo of guards in the conference. 10-1
#5 St. Joseph's- An early season surprise, they completely lost their wheels recently. They have only defeated Fordham and St. Bonaventure in their last eight games. 35-1
#4 Temple- Once, the Owls were the chic pick to win the title. Now, they could face a vengeful St. Joseph's team in their first game. A showdown with Xavier in the semi-finals looms, as well. 15-1
#3 Dayton- They beat Xavier by double digits at home and lost by double digits on the road. They will make the finals but lose to Xavier. 3-1
#2 Rhode Island- One has to wonder if the Rams' streak-breaking loss to UMASS was a back-breaker. 9-1
#1 Xavier- The Musketeers are in the best shape. They are the odds-on-favorites, but this season they will not let the tournament slip away to an underdog. 1-1
A-10 Conference Tournament Schedule
At Boardwalk Hall
Atlantic City, N.J.
2009 A-10 First Round Games
Wednesday, March 11Game 1: No. 8 La Salle vs. No. 9 St. Louis, noon
Game 2: No. 5 St. Joseph's vs. No. 12 Charlotte, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Duquesne vs. No. 10 UMASS, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Richmond vs. No. 11 St. Bonaventure, 9 p.m.
2009 A-10 Quarterfinal Games
Thursday, March 12Game 5: No. 1 Xavier vs. Game 1 winner, noon
Game 6: No. 4 Temple vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Rhode Island vs. Game 3 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 Dayton vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
A-10 Semifinal Games
Friday, March 13
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m.
2009 A-10 Championship Game
Saturday, March 14
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, ESPN2, 6 p.m.
A-10 Conference Tournament
Xavier is the number one seed in the A-10 tournament. Since the second through fourth place team's each finished with an 11-5 conference record, head-to-head matchups determined seeding. Rhode Island's win over Dayton gives them the edge for the second seed while Dayton's win over Temple provides them with the third seed and Temple with the fourth. The top four seeds receive a critical first round bye and do not play their first conference tournament game until Thursday.
In conclusion, Xavier, Dayton, and Temple appear to be the early favorites to win the 2009 A-10 men's basketball tournament.
Atlantic 10 Tournament Preview
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