Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 12:26 PM | 6 comments |
 

Atlantic 10 Tournament preview
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WE'RE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO: Stopping by one of the nearby racebooks between sessions to check out the action from Gulfstream Park. Semi-seriously, just some competitive hoops. Trying to make sense of this bracket is like trying to make sense of the regular season. There was a three-way tie for second and four-way tie for fifth. The regular-season champion had four losses. Should be a few games decided late where good luck or bad can change everything in an instant.

TEAM ON THE RISE: La Salle was playing its best basketball at the finish. No player in the league is playing better at the moment than Rodney Green. The Explorers just came from behind to win at Saint Louis Saturday night. The same matchup opens the tournament.

TEAM ON THE DECLINE: Since upsetting Xavier, Charlotte has lost four of five. Its only win was against Fordham, which really does not count. This team is more talented than its record, but injuries and inconsistency put them 11th in the standings when they were picked fifth

WORTH NOTING: This is the third year the tournament has been at Boardwalk Hall. It has not been announced where next year’s tournament will be. The finalists are Dayton, Cincinnati, Springfield (Mass.), Pittsburgh and Atlantic City. Sadly, no Philadelphia on the list.

DARK HORSE TO WIN IT ALL: Richmond. Chris Mooney’s team has won five of six. The Spiders beat Xavier on Saturday. Richmond is playing faster now that Mooney has amassed more talent. Having to win four games in four days obviously plays against them, but this is a dangerous team.

TEAM THAT NEEDS HELP TO MAKE THE NCAAS: All of them except Dayton and Xavier. Rhode Island and Temple might have been in play for an at large until late-season home losses to Massachusetts and La Salle respectively. The rest of them have been playing for conference seeding in recent weeks.

BEST PLAYER: Ahmad Nivins (Saint Joseph’s) led the league in scoring (tie with Temple’s Dionte Christmas), rebounding and field goal percentage despite constant double and sometimes triple teams. He was named Player of the Year by the coaches. Athletic artistry would be the best way to describe his game.

BEST SHOOTER: Rhode Island’s Jimmy Baron just set the league record with 345 made treys. This season, he made 102 and shot 45.3 percent. If he is in the gym, he is in range. He nearly beat Duke at Cameron with his quick release until the striped shirts remembered who was supposed to win.

BEST DEFENDER: Tony Gaffney (Massachusetts) led the league in blocks (113) and was second in steals (59). The frontline of the Minutemen defense is not particularly strong which puts all kinds on Gaffney as he mans the back line.

DON'T FOUL THESE GUYS: Kevin Lisch (Saint Louis) shot 82.9 percent and made 107 free throws. Duquesne’s Aaron Jackson, a wonderful all-around talent, shot 81.2 percent and made 134 foul shots.

ULTIMATE TITLE GAME: Temple-Rhode Island. With all due respect to Xavier and Dayton, they are already in the NCAA. The league would like this final as it would give them a third NCAA team. And this game would have the potential to be high scoring and quite entertaining with shooters like Baron and Christmas firing from deep and enough athletes around the basket to make it a game played in all places.

THE PICK: I liked Temple last year and the Owls got home. Without Mark Tyndale and Chris Clark scoring and leading, I don’t think this team is quite as ready as that one. I also don’t think this field is as good as last year’s. If Lavoy Allen can put together three strong games and Dionte Christmas can shoot a decent percentage from deep, I like the Owls. Juan Fernandez is going to be a very good player on North Broad. If he had been there all season, the Owls might be in play for an at large. Slowly, Fernandez’s talents are starting to emerge. If he is locked in for three games, the Owls will have even a bigger chance.
 
Posted by Dick Jerardi @ 12:26 PM  Permalink | File Under: La Salle | | St. Joes | | Temple | 6 comments
6
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:41 PM, 03/10/2009
    Nice job as always Dick. I looked at all the bubble teams resumes and really Temple should still be on the bubble. RPI 39 SOS 51 I do relize that the record against top 50/100 rpi temas is a little lacking but you guys did put Penn St. in at rpi 61 and sos 82 - I think everyone has gotten a little big conf blind and its a shame - saying all this, I still dont think Temple should get in, it just bothers me they are not even talked about as a bubble team when they have a fairly good case - just short the "big" conf
    — owlsrule
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:08 PM, 03/10/2009
    owlsrule: Take this from a diehard........ The birds got no shot at at large....That went out the window with two terrible efforts against Lasalle and Dayton...... wish it weren't true but it is!!!!!!!! The truly frustrating thing is also the rinky dink scheduling that this ad and coach put together.....Chaney certainly lost it for the last five or six years but the away games @ long beach states, @ lafayettes, @ eastern michigans, @buffalo wouldve have been @ duke @ wake @ memphis @ florida........RINNNNNNNNKYYYY DINK........LETS GET IT TOGETHER TEMPLE UNIVERSITY AND GET TEMPLE BASKETBALL BACK TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE WHERE IT BELONGS...... Now......for my two cents on the tourney......Unfortunately I don't think they are consistent enough or play hard enough (which p's me off) to beat what could potentially be the joe, xavier and dayton or rhody.......Not impossible but I think improbable.....But I'm still taking a half day thurs to catch it on tv......COME ON BIRDS!!!!!!!!!!! ILUVPHILLYCITYOFWINNERS!!!!!
    — ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:00 PM, 03/10/2009
    Isn't the reason for all of those small school games because of some type of agreement with Temple football?
    — CallerNo9
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:47 PM, 03/10/2009
    Some of those mid-major opponents are part of the football agreement to schedule b-ball for MAC games. But the Owls SOS is 51 which is very good. Compare that to PSU's cupcake 82 schedule. The truth is that the Owls should have beaten those smaller schools. The LaSalle loss has been a backbreaker. But I think that LaSalle is underestimated.
    — Byron
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:43 PM, 03/10/2009
    yeah Temple just has way too many bad losses: Long Beach State, Miami (OH), UMass, Buffalo, LaSalle. If they win one of those they're still on the bubble.
    — bobbyd24
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:29 PM, 03/10/2009
    east mich, buff,mia oh might be about football but why is TEMPLE GOING TO LAFAYETTE...GOING TO LONG BEACH.....and.....my real point is TEMPLE garnered many a 7 to 10 seeds with 17-12 or 18-11 records but the 11 losses were against a schedule no one else would put together. And they would consistedntly win a game or two or three against that number one grade a non conference schedule...as you all know there is not much to be gained traveling to long beach and lafayette and ypsilany win or lose.....exposure also huge recruiting tool which we don't capitilize on now.....My birds been rinky dink since 2001 and its gotta stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ILUVPHILLYCITYOFWINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!
    — ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS


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