Atlantic 10 Power Rankings: Saint Louis knocking on door
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
As the conference season reaches the midway point, the Atlantic 10 is shaping up as a three-team race. VCU, Butler and Saint Louis pretty much hold the balance of power.
Charlotte has a chance to reach 10 wins, but the 49ers are entering the toughest portion of their schedule and must face Temple twice. La Salle could go to 8-3 if it gets past St. Joe’s in a couple weeks. The Explorers’ next two games are home against Fordham and at St. Bonaventure, both winnable.
Temple has underachieved. If the Owls lose again, they can forget about finishing first. St. Joe’s dug too deep a hole with a 1-3 start. Xavier’s only a game back of the top seed, but a 1-3 road record with four away games left is ominous. UMass has gotten most of its easy games out of the way.
Let’s take a stab at this week’s IndySportsLegends.com A-10 Power Rankings, listed below Ben Fahrbach’s gallery from the Butler-Rhode Island game.
1. Butler (18-4, 5-2 conference)
Butler fell five spots in the AP Top 25 to fourteenth because of the ugly loss to Saint Louis – but suffers no harm here. Hey, no one said the Bulldogs were unbeatable. They do have an ingrained winning strategy, and the recovery against Rhode Island proved their second A-10 loss was just a speed bump. That strategy, boiled to its essence, is to never be too reliant on any one aspect of basketball. As usual, expect Brad Stevens to have his team playing its best in March.
2. Virginia Commonwealth (18-5, 6-2)
The one-spot drop to third last week didn’t last long. At plus-14.9, VCU has the best scoring margin in the conference, and no one else is even close. Only Saint Louis (10.2) joins the Rams in double digits. Believe it or not, Shaka Smart now has an elite offense go with his mayhem-inducing defense. Criminally underrated Juvonte Reddic is a leading component on both ends. There’s a case to be made for Reddic as A-10 player of the year. Had we more space, we’d gladly make it.
3. Saint Louis (16-5, 5-2)
Stuffed on the thrill of a demolition of Butler before a rare home sellout crowd, the Billikens swaggered into a contest with Dayton and handed the Flyers an early 20-point deficit. Two games, one message: these guys are serious contenders. Saint Louis doesn’t field a roster all that physically imposing, but the team has sneaky good strength. The way they mauled Butler won’t soon be forgotten.
4. La Salle (15-6, 5-3)
It’s true; most of the love once invested in our old fave Temple is now shifted fully onto La Salle, which had plenty of its own in this space dating back to the season’s earliest weeks. Why the belief? Roster flexibility. A genuine star in Ramon Galloway. Active bigs who can rebound. Floor spacing on one end combined with good 3-point defense on the other. Seven rotation players who all can score. We could go on, but we need two hands on the wheel while we steer the bandwagon.
5. Richmond (14-9, 4-4)
Coach Chris Mooney was asked by IndySportsLegends.com on a conference call a few weeks ago whether the absence of Derrick Williams allowed freshman big Alonzo Nelson-Ododa to accelerate his growth by assuming a larger responsibility, and Mooney agreed with the premise, reasoning that more confidence and learning would pay off down the line. Saturday was the time. The 6-foot-9 center had 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a 73-71 win over Xavier. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Williams is expected to return Saturday against Saint Louis after a nine-game absence.
6. Massachusetts (14-6, 4-3)
Jesse Morgan was their best outside shooter, but he’ll be a senior the next time he plays. Chaz Williams’ game is easy on the eyes. He’s asked to do more for his team than any other point guard in the conference, including Rotnei Clarke of Butler. Now Williams probably has to fill Morgan’s shoes as an outside threat. On paper, UMass doesn’t come across as statistically impressive, but it’s hard to argue with the results.
7. Saint Joseph’s (13-7, 4-3)
Underrated coach Phil Martelli oddly has a team with size and athleticism that ranks near the bottom of Division I in defensive rebounding. Worse, the Hawks have beaten just one probable NCAA tournament team (Notre Dame) all season. The rally to beat Temple was a start, but there’s still a stride to be hit, a ship to be righted or whatever phrase you choose to describe a team that’s fallen shy of expectations.
8. Temple (14-7, 3-4)
Anthony Lee and Scootie Randall sure caused the Owls to look the part of a one-man team in a collapse at St. Joe’s. It’s clear by now that Fran Dunphy’s bunch is not as good this season as they were in the previous three. Khalif Wyatt feels the pressure to score 30 every night. There’s no consistency.
9. Charlotte (17-4, 5-2)
The 49ers used poise and heady play to beat UMass on the road. The lack of star power is a concern. The scoring is balanced, but will there be enough of it? Even in that 66-65 victory over the Minutemen, Charlotte shot just 40 percent. Because of defense, Alan Major has a great shot at a 20-win season.
10. Xavier (12-9, 5-3)
Roll up to a street corner in Cincinnati, and you might see a poster that says, LOST: Justin Martin’s shooting stroke. Please return. After going 18-for-56 in January, Martin needs some easy baskets. Even if he gets them, Xavier would need to get on the roll of a lifetime to make the NCAA tournament. The streak of seven straight appearances is hanging by a thread given the Musketeers’ backloaded schedule.
11. George Washington (10-10, 4-3)
The offense has picked up as the season goes along. What hurt them in Saturday’s home loss to La Salle was the 3-point shot. The Colonials went 3-for-11, while the visitors sizzled to the tune of 11-for-25. Perimeter shooting is a missing element Mike Lonergan must address with future personnel. For now, this group faces an uphill climb. All the big boys – Butler, VCU, Saint Louis – and even a second date with La Salle await.
12. Dayton (12-9, 2-5)
The Flyers beat a couple quality teams in the nonconference schedule, but Alabama and Murray State seem like distant memories. Dayton is 0-5 against competent A-10 opponents.
13. St. Bonaventure (10-10, 3-4)
The Bonnies are one of four teams in the conference to allow 70 points per game. Their inconsistency after an A-10 championship season is making fans antsy, and the defense must develop some toughness, but this remains a team capable of defeating any school in the league one day and losing to anyone the next.
14. Rhode Island (6-14, 1-6)
Stevens was mighty impressed with the athleticism of freshman center Jordan Hare, who might already be the best shot-blocker in the league. New coach Dan Hurley has brought toughness to the program and is squeezing every bit of promise out of this roster. The key for the Rams will be the next two recruiting classes. Hurley and his staff have made them competitive and given the team a personality. The next two classes should provide the talent.
15. Fordham (6-16, 2-5)
Leading St. Joe’s in the final minute was a nice feat without Chris Gaston. Fordham refused to concede anything at VCU, hanging around for a half. Gaston, the team’s senior centerpiece, is questionable for Wednesday’s game against Saint Louis. The next four games are brutal.
16. Duquesne (7-14, 0-7)
At 0-7, the Dukes can only play the spoiler role. Any chance of earning a berth to the A-10 tournament is rapidly slipping away.
