A-10 basketball avoids disaster, but struggles to find a big win in week five of the regular season.
The state of A-10 basketball
Week five of the college basketball regular season was all about maintaining momentum for A-10 basketball. Some of the major players had opportunities to enter the national conversation, while others succeeded in staying afloat before conference play rolls around in a few weeks. While it was not a remarkable week by any means for A-10 basketball, multiple big names remain in contention to earn an at-large bid, which, for mid-December, is a win for the conference.
A-10 Basketball NET Rankings:
#29: Saint Louis
#47: George Washington
#48: VCU
#58: George Mason
#72: St. Bonaventure
#81: Dayton
#84: Richmond
#98: Rhode Island
Even though it is still early, Saint Louis, George Washington, VCU, and George Mason remain in the conversation to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. But only a few of these contenders had the opportunity to continue their climb in the NET Rankings. George Mason travelled to Blacksburg, Virginia, to take on Virginia Tech, but after a solid start, it was the Hokies that pulled away for the 11-point win. While the “quality loss” is not devastating for the Patriots, it was their only opportunity to take on a Power Five opponent in the regular season.
The team that is most familiar with the term “quality loss” is Dayton. After falling to Virginia this weekend, the Flyers are now 0-2 in Quad 1 games, the biggest determining factor in the NET Rankings. Dayton currently sits at 7-3 in the regular season, but those three losses have all come against Power Five opponents, Cincinnati, BYU, and Virginia. It is easy to say the most battle-tested team entering conference play is the Flyers, but they will have some work to do to get back into the national conversation.
Elsewhere around the A-10, Davidson, which was ranked inside the top 100, fell at home to Saint Mary’s by nine. Saint Louis bounced back from the heartbreaking loss to Stanford with wins over Loyola Marymount and Central Michigan. Also, one of the favorites to contend in the A-10 this year, Loyola Chicago, has won two in a row. After dropping seven straight games, the Ramblers took down Central Michigan and Princeton to improve to 3-7 on the season. Loyola Chicago has the opportunity to ride this momentum before conference play, as they face Chicago State, San Francisco, and a talented Santa Clara side.
This upcoming week for A-10 basketball does not look like one that will cement the conference atop the mid-major conversation. But instead, it will be about maintaining the momentum before conference play begins on New Year’s Eve.
Team of the Week: George Washington
George Washington completed this week with two wins over mid-major opponents. First, the Revolutionaries travelled to West Point to take an Army team that had struggled to begin the season. In the first true road test of the season, the Revs jumped out to an eight-point lead at half on the way to an 84-70 win at Army. Then, on Saturday, George Washington welcomed William and Mary into the Charles E. Smith Center. The Tribe was riding a six-game winning streak, which was capped off by a four-point win on the road against Duquesne. But it was the Revolutionaries who put an end to the run with a 99-86 victory.
While it was not the best shooting week, the Revolutionaries found a way to outrebound their opponents by 23 total boards, which was the ultimate difference in both games. However, the biggest problem for the Revs right now is from behind the arc. In both contests, George Washington shot below 30% from deep, but still found ways to incorporate their experienced front-court to restart their winning streak.
Right now, the Revolutionaries are ranked as the second-best team in A-10 Basketball by the NCAA’s NET Rankings, sliding in at 47th. Next week, they will have an opportunity to earn their spot in the national conversation and continue their rise in the NET as they take on the defending national champions, Florida, in Sunrise.
Player of the Week:
De’Shayne Montgomery: Dayton
This week, Dayton went 1-1, but even with the 13-point loss to Virginia, Montgomery continued to shine for the Flyers. In the win over ETSU on Tuesday, Montgomery led the team with 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. All while shooting 57% from the floor and 41% from distance. Although his performance against the 24th-ranked Hoos was not as stellar, the 6-foot-4 guard scored in double figures for the 10th straight game. Javon Bennett leads the team in scoring, but Montgomery is the only Flyer to score in double figures in each of the ten games this season.
With challenging games against Florida State and Liberty on the horizon, the Flyers will need Montgomery to continue his consistency to grab momentum before conference play.
A-10 Basketball Upcoming Games to Watch
New Mexico at VCU – Wed., Dec. 10, 7 p.m.
Duquesne at Boise State – Wed., Dec 10, 9 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s at Syracuse – Thurs., Dec. 11, 9 p.m.
George Washington vs #18 Florida – Sat., Dec. 13, 2:30 p.m.