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| Photo: CBS New York |
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
Maybe it's just the fact that today would be March in any normal year, but I've already been struck with the "madness" that is the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. "Bracketology" is in full swing, which means if your favorite school is on the bubble, you're either full of glee or have been struck with panic, and those emotions are subject to change on a daily basis over the next couple of weeks. If you don't have a dog in this fight like myself, or you're just a fan of the sport in general, you're likely drooling at the possibilities
Wherever you may fall on that spectrum, it's hard to argue that the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10) could be in for a pretty big Selection Sunday on March 13th. According to the latest "Bracketology" reports from ESPN and CBS Sports, five A10 squads are currently in the NCAA Tournament discussion, and both Joe Lunardi of ESPN, and CBS' Jerry Palm project that the league will get three bids to the big dance.
Lunardi predicts that Dayton (22-6) will be a #5-seed in the midwest region, matching up with #12 San Diego State in Spokane. Lunardi also puts Saint Joseph's (24-5) in the midwest region as a #9-seed. He has the Hawks matching up with #8 USC (19-10) in Des Moines in the first round. Finally, Lunardi has VCU (21-8) as a #9-seed in the south region against #8 Texas Tech (18-10) in Raleigh.
According to Lunardi, Saint Bonaventure and George Washington will be on the outside looking in. He has the Bonnies among his "first four out," and the Colonials in a group with the "next four out."
Palm, Lunardi's counterpart at CBS sees things a bit differently. He agrees that both Dayton and Saint Joseph's will be in the field, with a tweak to their seedings. According to Palm, Dayton will be a #6-seed in the east region, and will matchup with #11 Temple (18-10) in Brooklyn. Palm also has Saint Joeseph's playing in the east region as a #8-seed against #9 Wisconsin (19-10). However, unlike Lunardi, Palm has given the nod to Saint Bonaventure as one of his "last four in." He expects the Bonnies to be one of two #10-seeds, along with Michigan (19-10). Palm has Saint Bonaventure and Michigan meeting in one of the First Four games in Dayton, with the winner facing #7 Colorado in St. Louis.
Both VCU and George Washington are among Palm's "first four out."
Obviously, all of this can change. There are still two games left on the A10 schedule and the conference tournament won't get underway until March 9th. However, anywhere from three to five teams dancing is a great year for the A10!
The A10 is kind of a tough conference to gauge. They don't fit into the categories of "mid-major" or "high major." However, getting five bids to the NCAA Tournament would put them in the high-majors' neighborhood, while three bids would separate them from the mid-majors. Three bids is the perfect number for the A10, and can't be looked at as anything but a success. Anything over three, and the conference will be on cloud nine, while anything less would be a disappointment.
Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see where the tournament committee goes with their bracket, so for now, just enjoy all of the ever-changing speculation. It's half the fun of March madness. Especially when you don't have the proverbial "dog in the fight."
