2013 College Basketball Picks: A-10 Conference Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Atlantic 10 Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: After adding two of the top mid-major programs in the country during the offseason, the battle for the Atlantic 10 regular season title proved to be as exciting as expected with five teams finishing within two games of the top spot. Not to mention the fact that the A-10 had multiple teams ranked in the top 25 throughout the year, and it isn’t out of the question that four teams from the conference make it into the NCAA Tournament. Constant conference realignment is going to quickly break up what has developed into a rather solid league, but in the meantime, this year’s Atlantic 10 Tournament should be fun. Here is a closer look at the top contenders.
2013 A-10 Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions
The Contenders
Although they basically have a spot in the Big Dance locked up, the St. Louis Billikens (24-6, 13-3 A-10) can improve their seeding by backing up their Atlantic 10 regular season crown with a conference tournament title. St. Louis has been getting the job done with a balanced offense and the conference’s stingiest defense. Five players are averaging 10 or more points per game, and the Billikens are allowing just 58.4 points per game to opponents. Not to mention the fact that this team should be plenty inspired as it tries to honor their late coach Rick Majerus with its play on the court.
A loss in the regular season finale cost the VCU Rams (24-7, 12-4 A-10) a share of the conference crown, but an Atlantic 10 Tournament title would help soften the blow. The Rams lead the conference and rank 11th nationally in scoring at 78.1 points per game. Four players are averaging double figures for VCU’s up-tempo offense, and the Rams’ aggressive defense is averaging more than 12 steals per game. Keeping up with the Rams is no easy task, and their ability to create turnovers and turn them into easy quick scores makes them very dangerous.
While they finished third in the Atlantic 10 this year, the Butler Bulldogs (24-7, 11-5 A-10) don’t really jump out on paper. Four players do average at least 10 points per game, including explosive scorer Rotnei Clarke, but Butler doesn’t overwhelm opponents on either end of the court. That being said, coach Brad Stevens has a way of getting his teams to play their best on the big stages, and this season has been no exception. Marquette, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Indiana are among the Bulldogs’ victims, and they always seem to be a tough out in any tournament in March.
Heading into the Atlantic 10 Tournament, no team in the conference has more momentum than the Temple Owls (23-8, 11-5 A-10). They have won seven straight games and nine of their last 10, and the Owls seem to be firing on all cylinders at the perfect time. Guard Khalif Wyatt gives Temple one of the best scorers in the A-10, and while he leads the team with 19.9 points per game, he is one of three players that have knocked down more than 50 3-pointers on the year. If the Owls stay hot from the perimeter in the A-10 Tournament, they might just keep on winning.
Bottom Line
Despite being currently ranked in the top 25 nationally, the VCU Rams are not a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, and an early loss in the A-10 Tournament would put them squarely on the bubble. The thought of missing out on March Madness should be more than enough motivation for the Rams to come out focused and aggressive, and when they are playing their style, they are tough to keep up with. Keep in mind that VCU absolutely clobbered Butler in the final weeks of the regular season and had Temple down big in the regular season finale before a surprising collapse. The meltdown against the Owls should only sharpen the Rams’ focus further, and their high-powered offense and high-octane pressure defense should carry them to the Atlantic 10 Tournament crown.
Prediction: VCU Rams win the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament
Odds to Win Atlantic 10 Tournament
Virginia Commonwealth 9/5
Saint Louis 2/1
Temple 13/2
La Salle 7/1
Butler 9/1
Dayton 25/1
Richmond 25/1
Saint Joseph’s 25/1
Massachusetts 30/1
Xavier 30/1
George Washington 75/1
Charlotte 150/1
2013 A-10 Tournament Schedule
First Round: Thursday, March 14
Note: All start times are approximate, depending on when game before ends.
Game No. Matchup Time (ET) TV Live Stream
1 No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Charlotte Noon NBC Sports Network Atlantic10.com
2 No. 5 Butler vs. No. 12 Dayton 2:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network Atlantic10.com
3 No. 7 Xavier vs. No. 10 Saint Joseph’s 6:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network Atlantic10.com
4 No. 6 UMass vs. No. 11 George Washington 9 p.m. NBC Sports Network Atlantic10.com
Quarterfinals: Friday, March 15
Game No. Matchup Time (ET) TV Live Stream
5 No. 1 Saint Louis vs. Winner of Game 1 Noon Regional Atlantic10.com
6 No. 4 La Salle vs. Winner of Game 2 2:30 p.m. Regional Atlantic10.com
7 No. 2 VCU vs. Winner of Game 3 6:30 p.m. Regional Atlantic10.com
8 No. 3 Temple vs. Winner of Game 4 9 p.m. Regional Atlantic10.com
Semifinals: Saturday, March 16
Game No. Matchup Time (ET) TV Live Stream
9 Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 1:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network Atlantic10.com
10 Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 4 p.m. CBS Sports Network Atlantic10.com
Finals: Sunday, March 17
Game No. Matchup Time (ET) TV Live Stream
11 Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10
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