Sneak Peek to the Atlantic-10 Tournament

📸 Photo Credit: Robert Rizzo/Latino Sports

Washington D.C. – This week, we got a full slate of Men’s College Basketball across the country competing to secure bids into the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Teams within the Atlantic-10 conference have showcased themselves at the top tier, this season in various statistics and outstanding wins. The A-10 conference tourney starts on Wednesday, March 9th and concludes on Championship Sunday March 13th with tip-off at 1pm. All the action will take place at Capital One Arena in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.

There’s a countless amount of talent across the A-10 conference. Today, we will learn more about the upcoming tournament games along with a few players within the A-10. The tourney starts off Wednesday with two first round games.

Wednesday March 9th – Both games televised live on ESPN+

#12 La Salle (10-18) vs. #13 Saint Joseph’s (11-18) @ 1pm

#11 Rhode Island (14-15) vs. #14 Duquesne (6-23) @ 3:30pm

The winner of the first matchup between #12 and #13 will advance to the second round to face off against #5 Saint Louis. The winner of game two will move along to the next round and battle #6 Richmond. You will see that we go into depth on certain players, a brief game preview on Thursdays four matchups along with “The Pick”.

La Salle University: Andrés Marrero – Freshman, 6-5, Guard, 200 lbs

Marrero was born in Carcass, Venezuela. He went to high school at Upper Room Christian School in Dix Hills, New York. Marrero is a monster on the basketball court. He was a member of the Venezuela National Basketball u17 team. 

Thursday March 10th – All games televised live on USA Network

 #8 Fordham (15-15) vs. #9 George Mason (14-15) @ noon 

In their first and only matchup this season, the Rams defeated George Mason in a tight one, 50-49. I like to go by what you have done for me lately, sort of records+statistics. From February 2nd until the end of the regular season, the Patriots finished with a record of 3-8. 

Bronx native, Chuba Ohams and the crew have displayed rebounding intensity as games come to crunchtime. The Rams finished the season with 36.5 team rebounds per game, which finished 4th across the A-10 conference. Fordham continues to progress momentum from scrappy defense to offensive buckets.

My Pick: Fordham Rams

Fordham University: Josh-Colon Navarro – Graduate Student, 5-10 Guard, 170 lbs

Colon-Navarro was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. In 29 games played this season, he averaged 7.8 points per game with a total of 27 steals. As you can see, Colon-Navarro contains an elite blend of talent for both ends of the court.

#5 Saint Louis (21-10) vs. Winner of La Salle/Saint Joseph’s @ 2:30pm

In their last 10 games, the Saint Louis Billikens have gone 6-4 with two impressive home wins against #2 Dayton and #3 Virginia Commonwealth University. Led by redshirt-freshman Gibson Jimerson with 16.2 points per game, the Billikens have shown they can compete against the best. The rest factor could have a major impact on this matchup. Saint Louis will be on four days of rest compared to their opponents less than 24 hour layoff.

My Pick: Saint Louis Billikens

#7 George Washington (12-17) vs. #10 Massachusetts (14-16) @ 6:00pm

This past Wednesday, March 2nd, George Washington University defeated #14 Duquesne in a triple overtime thriller. The Colonials finished their last four games at 1-3. GWU has shown they can defend the three-ball effectively. Their opponents averaged 30% from behind the arc, which finished 2nd across the Atlantic-10 conference on the season. The dynamic scoring duo between guards, Joe Bamisile and James Bishop are a nightmare for opposing teams and coaches. 

Similar to the Colonials, UMass won in an overtime matchup this past week, on the road against #9 George Mason. The Umass Minutemen contain a scoring duo of their own. Junior, Jose Fernandes led the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) this season. The 6’1 guard, Kelly Rich is a legit 3-point threat. In 30 games played, Rich shot 47% from behind the arc while averaging 12.7 points per game. The Minutemen finished the last week of the regular season on a positive note (2-1 record).

My Pick: George Washington Colonials

#6 Richmond (19-12) vs. Rhode Island/Duquesne @ 8:30pm

The Richmond Spiders have steadied their way into yet another successful regular season. In the two of the last three years, the Spiders have achieved 19 or more wins. Impressive feat for any team in a conference as intense with firepower as the A-10. Led by junior Tyler Burton, Richmond was the best team in the A-10 in the turnover category. The Spiders averaged less than 10 turnovers per game. Turnovers are one of the largest elements in deciding games, especially in tournament play. The way this team keeps pace with the offensive flow is a joy to watch. 

My Pick: Richmond Spiders

Four teams received a second round bye and automatically advanced to the quarterfinals, due to their overall record and in-conference record play. These teams will play on Friday, March 11th. All four games will be televised on USA Network.

#1 Davidson (25-5, 15-3 in conference) – faces winner of Fordham/George Mason

#2 Dayton (22-9, 14-4 in conference) – faces winner of George Washington/Massachusetts

#3 Virginia Commonwealth University (21-8, 14-4 in conference) – faces potential winners: Richmond, Rhode Island, Duquesne

#4 Saint Bonaventure (20-8, 12-5 in conference) – faces potential winners: Saint Louis, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s

Semi-final games take place on Saturday, March 11th televised on CBS Sports Network. We conclude on March 12th. Championship Sunday will go down at 1pm, live on CBS Sports. 

Robert Rizzo Social Media 

Instagram: @Rrizzo4

Twitter: @drizzyrizz