Prior to winter break, the Atlantic 10 conference standings stood unscathed, with all 14 teams posting zeros in their conference win-loss columns. By the break’s end, each team had made its mark on the conference, with all trying to earn the wins and respect needed to be granted entry to the coveted March Madness Tournament.
Dayton set the pace for the A-10 throughout the first few weeks of conference play, boasting a 4-1 (14-5 overall) conference record as of Saturday. The Flyers started with an impressive win against Saint Louis, who at the time, led the conference with a 12-2 record overall. Dayton fought for a lead for the entirety of the second half, before finally pulling out a 79-72 overtime victory.
Their next three games consisted of a win at Temple, a loss at St. Bonaventure, and a win at home against La Salle.
Last Saturday, the Flyers, who sat in second place in the conference, faced off versus first-place Xavier (4-2 A-10) for the marquee A-10 matchup of winter break. Junior guard Kevin Dillard led the way for the Flyers, putting up 16 points and nine assists as they dominated the Musketeers throughout for a 87-72 victory, earning them sole possession of first-place.
Xavier, the early season favorite in the A-10, faced character problems earlier in the season when four members of the then 8-0 Musketeers were suspended for four games apiece following a brawl against Cincinnati. Xavier fell out of the national ranks entirely and dropped five of its next six games. The Musketeers lost their conference opener to La Salle, but went on a four-game winning streak against their next four conference foes, prior to the defeat against Dayton on Saturday. They now sit tied for second with Massachusetts, with a 4-2 conference record. Up next for Xavier is the fourth place Saint Louis Billikens on Wednesday.
With a 15-4 record on the season, Saint Louis has the best overall winning percentage in the A-10. Entering conference play, the Billikens had an impressive 12-2 record, but with tough competition in the A-10, they dropped two out of their first five conference games to Dayton and Temple.
Temple was another early favorite in the A-10 this year, after finishing second behind Xavier last year and making a short run in the NCAA Tournament. After an astounding victory over then No. 3 Duke, the confidence of the Owls was soaring through the roof entering conference play. However, they lost at home in the opener to Dayton, despite a 28-point performance from junior guard Khalif Wyatt. Since then, Temple has gone 2-1 in the A-10, and recently defeated Atlantic Coast Conference competitor, Maryland.
At the bottom of the pack is Rhode Island, the only team who has yet to record a conference victory. At 3-17 overall, the Rams are the only team in the conference with a truly woeful record, having lost seven games more than any other team. Rhode Island has lost all five in-conference games, but on the upside, three of them were within 10 points.
As of Saturday, UMass and Xavier share second place, half a game behind Dayton. Next are the 3-2 teams, Saint Louis, La Salle, St. Bonaventure, and George Washington. Duquesne and Temple are both playing .500 ball and are a game and a half back, while Saint Joseph’s, Charlotte, and Richmond are all 2-3. Rounding out the conference is Fordham at 1-4, three games out of first, and Rhode Island at 0-5, four games behind the leading Flyers.
With A-10 conference play just underway, every team is still in it. However with a good chunk of the season in the books, the real powerhouses of the A-10 are becoming apparent.
Taylor Snow can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Snow.
