A10 Tournament March 7-12 Barclays Bracket and Results

[Jersey77]

If Dayton doesn't win the A-10 how on the hot seat will Anthony Grant be?

Can you ask the same question for Mike Rhoades?

They should both be okay for now.

[hrstrat57]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

[LoveThoseRams]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

I would love for the Bronx Rams to knock the Virginia Rams out! Remember when people were calling for Fordham to be thrown out of the A10?

There is hope for URI Rams after all, even if we have a repeat of the 22-23 season.

[PeterRamTime]

Screw Fordham

Why would I want them to he happy after dragging the A-10 through the mud for decades?

[hrstrat57]

Screw Fordham

Why would I want them to he happy after dragging the A-10 through the mud for decades?

Looking back legit argument PRT. I’m hopeful with success it will lead Fordham to up their commitment.

For now I’m rooting for em….

[ace]

This is pretty impressive sustained success

[ramster]

85% to 90% of people here are for Fordham
Good turnout for Fordham considering they went on Spring Break Friday (yesterday)
Khalid Moore with 14 points playing well, with confidence. Has zero fouls at half.
Camara has been outstanding.
Place is getting louder tied 41-41

[SGreenwell]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

I would love for the Bronx Rams to knock the Virginia Rams out! Remember when people were calling for Fordham to be thrown out of the A10?

There is hope for URI Rams after all, even if we have a repeat of the 22-23 season.

I'm fine with Fordham in the A-10 going forward, regardless of their gym size, if they can be at this level. The problem is that even this level (better than .500, but not really a threat for an NCAA or even an NIT at-large berth) has been unattainable for them for pretty much their entire 28-year run in the A-10. I hope Urgo is the real deal.

[PeterRamTime]

Screw Fordham

Why would I want them to he happy after dragging the A-10 through the mud for decades?

Looking back legit argument PRT. I’m hopeful with success it will lead Fordham to up their commitment.

For now I’m rooting for em….

I mean if they make it to the dance I'll root for them because they'd be out there making the conference money.

[reef]

If Dayton doesn't win the A-10 how on the hot seat will Anthony Grant be?

Can you ask the same question for Mike Rhoades?

They should both be okay for now.

Agree I think both are safe

[reef]

85% to 90% of people here are for Fordham
Good turnout for Fordham considering they went on Spring Break Friday (yesterday)
Khalid Moore with 14 points playing well, with confidence. Has zero fouls at half.
Camara has been outstanding.
Place is getting louder tied 41-41

I’m pulling for them I like the underdog story

[reef]

Urgo is livid !!

[reef]

Hard to believe it’s been since 2015 when VCU and Dayton last met in the title game

The cream rises to the top in the A10

[Rhode_Island_Red]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

I would love for the Bronx Rams to knock the Virginia Rams out! Remember when people were calling for Fordham to be thrown out of the A10?

There is hope for URI Rams after all, even if we have a repeat of the 22-23 season.

So one fairly good year wipes out 30 horseshit years?

[McRam]

Screw Fordham

Why would I want them to he happy after dragging the A-10 through the mud for decades?

Because life is short. Duh!

[reef]

I am pulling for the Dayton Flyers , can’t stand VCU

[Dino611]

I am pulling for the Dayton Flyers , can’t stand VCU

Couldn’t agree more, Dayton is the team that could actually play close to a P5, VCU will just end up being blown out like the past couple of years they’ve been in the tourney

[ramster]

Championship Day Rankings VCU (Dayton):
NCAA NET: 58 (74)
RPI: 23 (82)
KenPom: 67 (73)
BPI: 50 (61)
Sagarin: 49 (62)
Barttovik: 61 (63)

Seed 1 VCU vs Seed 2 Dayton

Should be a battle

VCU favored by 2 points

[RF1]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

[section(105)]

What’s up with Dayton’s colors today?

[ramster]

Camara has had a very good tournament. 12-13 FG yesterday and just seemed unstoppable.
Camara and Holmes are a strong combo

Camara is starting out covering Brandon Johns. John's has been solid. He needs to avoid foul trouble.

Baldwin against Malachi Smith is a good matchup. Baldwin has been great.

Kern, Nunn starting along with Shriver and Watkins off the bench gives VCU good overall guard play.

Both excellent teams, both played well to get to this point of top two seeds. Shame only 1 will dance.

I think VCU wins it in a tough battle

[Rhody15]

What’s up with Dayton’s colors today?

Alternate jerseys, they’ve worn em for a few years.

Same with Xavier last night.

[adam914]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

Or maybe that shows that the RPI wasn't a great metric. VCU has a decent resume and should be squarely on the bubble, but 23 seems real high to me.

Also, 6 of the top 20 in the NET are from outside the P6 schools. If you narrow it to P5 its 9 of the top 20. The Mountain West has 4 schools in the Top 40. Of course things are always going to slant towards the P6 conferences, but thats always been the case. I don't think playing the victim and blaming everyone else for the conferences shortcomings is going to get anyone anywhere. If other non-P6 conferences can be successful under the current system then there is no reason why the A10 can't be.

[Rhode_Island_Red]

What’s up with Dayton’s colors today?

They're showing more Keaney Blue than we did all season.

[Rhody15]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

Or maybe that shows that the RPI wasn't a great metric. VCU has a decent resume and should be squarely on the bubble, but 23 seems real high to me.

Also, 6 of the top 20 in the NET are from outside the P6 schools. If you narrow it to P5 its 9 of the top 20. The Mountain West has 4 schools in the Top 40. Of course things are always going to slant towards the P6 conferences, but thats always been the case. I don't think playing the victim and blaming everyone else for the conferences shortcomings is going to get anyone anywhere. If other non-P6 conferences can be successful under the current system then there is no reason why the A10 can't be.

Yup I’ve said this for the last few years.

Stop playing the victim card and start taking care of business OOC.

Too many bad losses and not enough good wins OOC this season by Dayton St Louis VCU.

[Blue Man]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

I would love for the Bronx Rams to knock the Virginia Rams out! Remember when people were calling for Fordham to be thrown out of the A10?

There is hope for URI Rams after all, even if we have a repeat of the 22-23 season.

The disdain for Fordham is about their overall investment and facilities while contributing nothing to the conference for 30 years.

Their existence is a drain on the conference and 1 “good” season where they played absolute nobodies and placed 3rd in the worst A10 in history doesn’t make me magically say “wow great job continuing to bring in nothing for the conference this year.”

Go pay Urgo, get some facility upgrades, and maybe play some legit teams next year.

[adam914]

Impressive win for VCU. Pretty dominant second half all around.

[RI_Bred]

Dayton missing their last FOURTEEN shots in a row, not gonna win too many doing that. Good game though right up until the last quarter or so.

[ramster]

All Tournament Team

Loved seeing Watkins get named. Very well deserved. Love seeming a non-starter make All Tournament Team



Holmes got Best Player Award to the boos and dismay of VCU fans in attendance.

[Jdrums#3]

Let’s go Bronx Rams!!!!!

I would love for the Bronx Rams to knock the Virginia Rams out! Remember when people were calling for Fordham to be thrown out of the A10?

There is hope for URI Rams after all, even if we have a repeat of the 22-23 season.

The disdain for Fordham is about their overall investment and facilities while contributing nothing to the conference for 30 years.

Their existence is a drain on the conference and 1 “good” season where they played absolute nobodies and placed 3rd in the worst A10 in history doesn’t make me magically say “wow great job continuing to bring in nothing for the conference this year.”

Go pay Urgo, get some facility upgrades, and maybe play some legit teams next year.

Well said, Blue Man!

Put up or shut up time, FU.

[Jdrums#3]

Dayton missing their last FOURTEEN shots in a row, not gonna win too many doing that. Good game though right up until the last quarter or so.

Dayton… what a frustrating team. And, Grant unable to find any answers to their inconsistent play all season. Unfortunate that they were hit with a few key injuries but they still had more than enough talent to win the A10 in a way down year for the conference.

Real good job by VCU by coming out and taking over to win the tourney and auto-bid.

[Rhodymob05]

VCUs consistency over the past decade is impressive.

[Rhody15]

VCUs consistency over the past decade is impressive.

With multiple coaches too.

Just shows how invested the school is towards basketball.

[PeterRamTime]

VCU hasn't missed on coaching hires.

Rhoades is meh compared to Will Wade and Shaka, but he continues to get more talent than almost everyone in the conference. If you roll out superior athletes in this conference and play really good defense you will dominate.

[reef]

VCU hasn't missed on coaching hires.

Rhoades is meh compared to Will Wade and Shaka, but he continues to get more talent than almost everyone in the conference. If you roll out superior athletes in this conference and play really good defense you will dominate.

So very true in the last 8 Atlantic 10 tournaments VCU got either 1st or 2nd in 5 of them sign us up for that

[RhowdyRam02]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

Or more evidence that the A10 is scheduling as if we're still using RPI and didn't take care of business in the non-conference

[Blue Man]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

Or more evidence that the A10 is scheduling as if we're still using RPI and didn't take care of business in the non-conference

Yeah I don't get the argument here. Scheduling was not the issue this year for the conference.

St Louis was the only team to have a single Q1 win at the time - PC - but they weren't even a Q1 on Selection Sunday.

VCU lost to Q4 Jacksonville. Their schedule was fine. Arizona State and Memphis were Q1 games. Lost both. Pitt was a Q2 win. Vanderbilt was a Q2 win. Temple was a Q2 loss.

That's not scheduling problems. That's execution problems.

Dayton had UNLV, Wisconsin, NC State, BYU, and Virginia Tech on their schedule...all losses.

St. Louis - Beat Memphis, PC, and Drake. They lost to Maryland, Auburn, Iona, and Boise State. That's a hell of a schedule. They also decided to blow a 17 point lead AT HOME to something called an SIU Edwardsville.

For your traditional "3 bid" goal - those preseason top 3 teams scheduled pretty well. They either didn't win any of the good games they needed to - or didn't win enough of those games and had horrendous Q4 losses.

Scheduling had nothing to do with it.

[SmartyBarrett]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

[Blue Man]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

Point being - the top 3 teams had chances for Q1 and Q2 wins. They just didn't get them and still lost to Q4 teams.

You could play this game all day but if they keep those same schedules and win more games, they'd have gone dancing. I'm not even saying run the table and beat every good team. Just don't lose to the Q4's. FAU's OOC was 327.

Our NET ratings sucked because of who we couldn't beat, not because of who we did or didn't schedule.

[PeteRI]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

Point being - the top 3 teams had chances for Q1 and Q2 wins. They just didn't get them and still lost to Q4 teams.

You could play this game all day but if they keep those same schedules and win more games, they'd have gone dancing. I'm not even saying run the table and beat every good team. Just don't lose to the Q4's. FAU's OOC was 327.

Our NET ratings sucked because of who we couldn't beat, not because of who we did or didn't schedule.

Man FAU's stats give us hope. If a low-major team with no history of success makes the Final Four what's stopping us? (Other than statistical improbability.)

[Blue Man]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

Point being - the top 3 teams had chances for Q1 and Q2 wins. They just didn't get them and still lost to Q4 teams.

You could play this game all day but if they keep those same schedules and win more games, they'd have gone dancing. I'm not even saying run the table and beat every good team. Just don't lose to the Q4's. FAU's OOC was 327.

Our NET ratings sucked because of who we couldn't beat, not because of who we did or didn't schedule.

Man FAU's stats give us hope. If a low-major team with no history of success makes the Final Four what's stopping us? (Other than statistical improbability.)

That's why you just need to get to the tourney. The rest is all matchups and bounces of the ball.

Look at this final four. SDSU caught a one bid league team in the first, and then caught a one bid league in the second thanks to the Furman/VA upset. They had to beat a legit team one time in bama. Then ran into 6 seed creighton. As a 5 seed they played 1 team with a higher seed than them.

FAU played a Memphis team that straight choked the game away. Then caught the #16 team. They caught a sometimes offensively challenged Tennessee team, and then caught a good K State team on a night they decided to chuck up 40 footers whenever they felt like it.

Unless you are a truly transcendent team - like what UConn looks to be so far - the whole tourney is all about your seed and your matchups.

URI in 2018 could've been a 7 seed in any other bracket and made a final four run...

Either a Texas/Cinci/Loyola/K State road, or a Butler/Purdue/Texas Tech/Nova road, or even a PC/UNC/Michigan/FSU road. We match up with all of those teams significantly better than we did catching Duke in the 2nd round.

We were in the one bracket we had zero chance. We weren't beating Duke or Kansas.

Just trust Archie to get us back there enough times and we'll have a road open for us.

[steviep123]

Or the previous year we were one poor offensive foul call and inability to rebound late from beating the Oregon team that went to the final four

[SmartyBarrett]

For what it's worth, FAU's non-conference SOS was 251, two spots worse than Rhody. But they took care of business - the difference between them and the A-10.

EDIT: Sorry BlueMan I saw you already posted it. I got my # from KenPom, but there are a variety of ways to rank SOS. We're making the same point regardless.

[Jdrums#3]

Look at the difference between VCU's NET and RPI ranks. 35 spots 58 versus 23. More evidence that the power conferences and NCAA management have achieved their goal with their tournament selection metric move to the NET and its "secret" formula.

Or more evidence that the A10 is scheduling as if we're still using RPI and didn't take care of business in the non-conference

Yeah I don't get the argument here. Scheduling was not the issue this year for the conference.

St Louis was the only team to have a single Q1 win at the time - PC - but they weren't even a Q1 on Selection Sunday.

VCU lost to Q4 Jacksonville. Their schedule was fine. Arizona State and Memphis were Q1 games. Lost both. Pitt was a Q2 win. Vanderbilt was a Q2 win. Temple was a Q2 loss.

That's not scheduling problems. That's execution problems.

Dayton had UNLV, Wisconsin, NC State, BYU, and Virginia Tech on their schedule...all losses.

St. Louis - Beat Memphis, PC, and Drake. They lost to Maryland, Auburn, Iona, and Boise State. That's a hell of a schedule. They also decided to blow a 17 point lead AT HOME to something called an SIU Edwardsville.

For your traditional "3 bid" goal - those preseason top 3 teams scheduled pretty well. They either didn't win any of the good games they needed to - or didn't win enough of those games and had horrendous Q4 losses.

Scheduling had nothing to do with it.

Agreed, BlueMan. Their scheduling this year OOC was fine but the performance wasn’t. Then, they get to A10 play and there are very little Q1 opportunities to make up for the poor OOC performance.

My concern with scheduling is the potential lack of Q1 opportunities going forward (due to P5 conf member expansion and therefore more P5 conf games) compared to other conferences consistently rated in top ten Net conferences as those conferences have both OOC opportunities and adequate Q1 opportunities in conference (with limited Q4 pitfalls in conference).

If the A10 programs do not win their share of OOC Q1 opp’s, avoid Q4 losses, do not somehow make up or adapt to the potential lack of Q1 opp’s with P5’s and do not increase Q1 opp’s within the A10 then, Houston, we have a problem.

[ace]

And Florida Atlantic made it into the national rankings in mid-January by accumulating wins, not so much by the quality of their wins. Their best win in the OOC was a meh Florida team, their only lost to Ole Miss. They beat some of their better conference mates to start conference play, and that was enough to get them some well-deserved attention. They ended the season ranked, just like San Diego State.

[Jdrums#3]

And Florida Atlantic made it into the national rankings in mid-January by accumulating wins, not so much by the quality of their wins. Their best win in the OOC was a meh Florida team, their only lost to Ole Miss. They beat some of their better conference mates to start conference play, and that was enough to get them some well-deserved attention. They ended the season ranked, just like San Diego State.

Agreed, Ace. Very good teams always have the capability to rise above circumstances. FAU is an excellent example as is SDSU. Neither had the Q1 opportunities of say a WVU (which finished sub .500 in the Big 12) however, when the time came to perform at the highest level, each team won.

What I take from that is, though the course has changed, it is still possible to traverse it successfully.

[reef]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

This is really poor and some of it is due to it’s harder to schedule now in this day and age for a league like the a10

I also agree with Blue you need to beat those good teams when you play them and avoid the bad losses

[ramster]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

Point being - the top 3 teams had chances for Q1 and Q2 wins. They just didn't get them and still lost to Q4 teams.

You could play this game all day but if they keep those same schedules and win more games, they'd have gone dancing. I'm not even saying run the table and beat every good team. Just don't lose to the Q4's. FAU's OOC was 327.

Our NET ratings sucked because of who we couldn't beat, not because of who we did or didn't schedule.

Well said Blue Man. Completely agree.

[Jersey77]

Here's how the A-10 ranked in non-conference strength of schedule last season, starting with the most difficult:

66. Saint Louis
191. Massachusetts
207. Davidson
209. VCU
221. George Mason
227. Dayton
234. La Salle
243. Richmond
249. Rhode Island
279. St. Bonaventure
289. Loyola Chicago
293. Duquesne
313. Saint Joseph's
318. George Washington
363. Fordham (dead last in the nation)

Point being - the top 3 teams had chances for Q1 and Q2 wins. They just didn't get them and still lost to Q4 teams.

You could play this game all day but if they keep those same schedules and win more games, they'd have gone dancing. I'm not even saying run the table and beat every good team. Just don't lose to the Q4's. FAU's OOC was 327.

Our NET ratings sucked because of who we couldn't beat, not because of who we did or didn't schedule.

Well said Blue Man. Completely agree.

Yes Blue Man, I also agree.
That has always been my argument about the recent struggles of the A10.
The upper tier teams just haven't been able to take care of business.

[Jdrums#3]

Regarding the top of the A10 struggling, some open questions to KB…

To dig deeper into the reasons behind the results, why is the top of the A10 struggling in Q1 opportunities and losing some Q4 games ?

And, are the top teams of other non-P6 conferences having similar struggles while also losing Q4 games ?

That it (struggles) is coinciding with the onset of portalpalooza and NIL have anything to do with the struggles ?

Regarding my first question, I tend to lean towards a combination of reasons.

RE my second question, I haven’t done a thorough search over the past 2-3 seasons to know for sure one way or the other but, the recent Princeton, FAU and SDSU tourney runs are a compelling contrast.

RE my third question, yes, they are impacting the performance of the top of the A10 (as well as the whole conference, imho) but, I am unsure as to what extent or level of contribution.