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| Manhattan and Brooklyn are currently hosting the Big East and Atlantic 10 tournaments, respectively. |
March 11, 2016
Peter Solari
New York - Things started heating up in the Big East and Atlantic 10 tournaments on Thursday, as some of the actual contenders from each league took the court, especially in the Big East, where the top four teams were all in action. Here are the scores and recaps from Thursday's games brought to you by
CBS Sports:
As you can see, it was a good day for the top teams in the Big East Conference. Villanova, Xavier, and Seton Hall were locks to make the NCAA Tournament, before the Big East Tournament even started. Providence was looking good, too, and definitely solidified themselves with a convincing win over a good Butler team. I expect to see all four of the remaining Big East teams in the field of 68 come Sunday, regardless of what happens the rest of the way at Madison Square Garden.
Here's an updated look at the Big East bracket heading into Friday's semifinals, courtesy of
Wikipedia:
Now, here's a look at all of Thursday's action in the Atlantic 10 Championship, also brought to you by
CBS Sports:
There weren't many surprises from Brooklyn on Thursday. Technically, Richmond over Fordham is an upset, but not much of one. The only A10 team on the court that was playing for the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, was George Washington. The Colonials are on the bubble, and
ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently projects them on the outside looking in. With the bubble getting crowded, GW's only shot at an NCAA birth may be to win the A10 championship outright. They got off to a good start Thursday.
On Friday, the Atlantic 10's top four teams will make their 2016 tournament debuts. Since all 14 league schools qualify for their tournament, the A10's top four all receive double-byes into the quarterfinals. While nobody ever complains about the extra day off, it's not always beneficial, as none of the top four teams have played in a week, while their opponents all have a game under their belts. We'll see how it affects these squads. It is worth noting that Lunardi
currently projects that all four (Dayton, VCU, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's) will make the NCAA Tournament's field of 68.
Here's a look at the Atlantic 10 Championship's updated bracket, courtesy of
Wikipedia.
