ESPN's Pat Forde discusses A-10 chances

[Mr. Neutral]

ATLANTIC 10

Storyline: There are five teams between 36 and 66 in the RPI, jostling for bids. Who gets them? And how many?

Team To Beat: Xavier (10). The Musketeers won the league by three games, and aside from Drew Lavender's (11) bad wheel haven't shown many weaknesses. Potential quarterfinal opponent Dayton is the only team to hold X to fewer than 60 points in the last 13 games, but the Flyers only scored 51 and lost by six.

Team To Watch: Massachusetts (12). Since an upset home loss to Fordham Feb. 14, Minutemen have won six straight. Travis Ford's up-tempo style will test opponents' conditioning in a play-every-day format.

Team Losing It: Rhode Island (13). Since reaching the 20-win plateau on Feb. 10, the Rams have thrown away an NCAA bid by losing six of their last seven. Opponents have averaged 86.4 points per game in that stretch.

Tourney MVP: Josh Duncan (14), Xavier. This is the time of year when seniors rise and shine. If he avoids foul trouble, the sweet-shooting big man will be a matchup problem for UMass in the title game.

Last Stand For: Xavier's Sean Miller, UMass' Travis Ford and Duquesne's Ron Everhardt? All conceivably could chase other jobs by choice.

[muskieman]

ATLANTIC 10

Storyline: There are five teams between 36 and 66 in the RPI, jostling for bids. Who gets them? And how many?

Team To Beat: Xavier (10). The Musketeers won the league by three games, and aside from Drew Lavender's (11) bad wheel haven't shown many weaknesses. Potential quarterfinal opponent Dayton is the only team to hold X to fewer than 60 points in the last 13 games, but the Flyers only scored 51 and lost by six.

Team To Watch: Massachusetts (12). Since an upset home loss to Fordham Feb. 14, Minutemen have won six straight. Travis Ford's up-tempo style will test opponents' conditioning in a play-every-day format.

Team Losing It: Rhode Island (13). Since reaching the 20-win plateau on Feb. 10, the Rams have thrown away an NCAA bid by losing six of their last seven. Opponents have averaged 86.4 points per game in that stretch.

Tourney MVP: Josh Duncan (14), Xavier. This is the time of year when seniors rise and shine. If he avoids foul trouble, the sweet-shooting big man will be a matchup problem for UMass in the title game.

Last Stand For: Xavier's Sean Miller, UMass' Travis Ford and Duquesne's Ron Everhardt? All conceivably could chase other jobs by choice.

What no Brain Gregory? The flyer faithful will be pissed.

[joeybaloney]

What no Brain Gregory? The flyer faithful will be pissed.

who is "brain" gregory? or is that just a freudian slip because you find him to be such a cerebral coach?

actually, i am looking forward to seeing what gregory can do, now that he is starting to recruit better.

[muskieman]

Sarcasm