A-10 basketball enters Feast Week with an opportunity to solidify itself as one of the best mid-major conferences in the country.
The state of A-10 basketball
Last week, A-10 basketball had four opportunities to take on Power Five opponents and hoped to take advantage of these chances to develop a higher level of respect around the country. The result was the conference splitting those four games. Dayton survived a late-game comeback by Marquette to take down the Golden Eagles in overtime. While Davidson took down one of the two Power Five teams with a losing record, Boston College, by 10 points.
The first of those two losses against Power Five opponents came when La Salle lost on their home floor to Philly Big 5 rival Villanova. However, the second is much more promising for the team that was projected to finish atop the A-10 basketball standings this season. VCU travelled to the Lenovo Center to take on the 23rd-ranked NC State Wolfpack, but fell in a close game, 85-79. Although the A-10 finished 2-2 in these games, the split appears to have been effective enough to elevate the level of competition in the conference.
Elsewhere around the conference, two more teams saw their undefeated seasons come to an end. George Washington has three games on the schedule this week at the Cayman Islands Classic, but dropped the first to McNeese State, 92-86. While Davidson, after their upset win over Boston College, fell in the championship game of the Charleston Classic’s Lowcountry Bracket in blowout fashion to Utah State. This leaves four undefeated teams remaining atop the conference: Saint Louis, George Mason, Richmond, and St. Bonaventure.
Team of the week: Dayton
After dropping an early-season road matchup to Cincinnati, the Flyers have won three straight games. While the wins have not been remarkable blowouts, it is a solid response after surviving an upset bid by UMBC and falling to a Power Five opponent. This week, the Flyers took down Marquette on the road in front of a somewhat hostile crowd of more than 14,000 people. In the win, Dayton shot 53% from the field and 41% from behind the arc. After struggling from deep early in the season, hitting 7-17 three pointers could go a long way to developing some confidence.
The Flyers also defeated North Carolina Central this week. 74-55. In the win, Dayton’s efficiency dropped to just 28% from deep and 43% from the field. However, they forced NCCU into 18 turnovers and won the rebounding battle. The Flyers will make the trip to the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational for the Magic Bracket, where they will face Georgetown, which has quickly risen to prominence in the Big East to start the season. After that, the Flyers will play either Miami or BYU.
If Dayton is successful at State Farm Field House, do not be surprised to see the Flyers gaining national recognition.
Player of the week:
Jonah Hinton: Rhode Island
Hinton and Rhode Island only played one game in the third week of the season, but it was a big one. The Rams travelled to take on Yale, which had started the season with three straight wins. The result of that one, a huge win for Rhode Island. The Rams trailed by six points at halftime, but Hinton scored in double figures in the second half to lead the Rams to their biggest win of the young season. In total, the junior finished with 24 points, while knocking down five triples, and adding three assists.
A-10 Basketball Upcoming Games to Watch
St. Bonaventure vs #16 UNC – Tue., Nov. 25, 6 p.m.
George Washington vs Murray State – Tue., Nov. 25, 7:30 p.m.
VCU vs USF – Wed., Nov. 26, 2:30 p.m.
Georgetown vs Dayton – Thurs., Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m.