The Atlantic 10 might have had its issues during week one of conference play, but week two saw some bounce back performances despite Rhode Island’s disappointing start. Saint Louis and George Mason have firmly staked claims as two of the conference’s top programs this season, but will the Patriots be able to keep pace with the contenders?
Our resident A10 reporter, Riley Frain, is bringing you a weekly notebook this season to recap all the latest news from his coverage around the league.
Advertisement
George Mason strikes again with a second-half special
George Mason is now 15-1 and a perfect 3-0 in A10 conference play with a win over Fordham earlier this week amidst what is the best start in program history. However, strength of schedule continues to come into question with the Patriots opening league play against three struggling teams in La Salle, Rhode Island and Fordham.
There’s a consistent theme arising too with George Mason typically going down early on the road and battling back in the second half, as was the case at Rose Hill on Wednesday. Once again it was Riley Allenspach to the rescue with Kory Mincy and Jahari Long limited early. But the Patriots can’t afford a similar slow start against VCU on Saturday if they want to show this team can compete in the A10’s best.
“I expected us to win this game because I’ve got confidence in this group,” George Mason head coach Tony Skinn said following the win over Fordham. “But things are only going to get tougher as we get down the stretch in conference play, just like it does for everybody else… We’ve got a great team coming into Fairfax on Saturday, and right now, that’s the only thing I’m locking in on.”
Advertisement
Archie Miller’s struggles apparent for Rhode Island
In his previous three seasons as head coach of Rhode Island, Archie Miller has never had more than 18 wins, he’s finished above .500 only once and is yet to win a game at the A10 Tournament. In year-four, the wheels are starting to fall off. After a decent start in the non-conference with wins over Yale, Vermont and Temple, the Rams are 0-3 to open conference play with losses to Loyola Chicago, George Mason and La Salle.
Miller was already on the hot seat prior to this season. It’s undoubtedly only warmed up over the past few weeks, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around and maybe win at the A10 tournament. We’ve seen how tough this Rhode Island defense can be, currently ranked 90th by KenPom, ninth in defensive turnover percentage, seventh in steal percentage and top-70 in two-point defense.
The roller coaster ride continues on Hawk Hill
From all the offseason drama, to an up-and-down non-conference run, to losing leading-scorer Deuce Jones II, to starting conference play 0-2, this season has been a roller coaster ride on Hawk Hill. That ride keep on churning this week as Saint Joseph’s picked up its first A10 win of the season, coming back in the second half to force overtime before eventually defeating Duquesne, 97-90.
Advertisement
It’s the type of win that can help galvanize a young and inexperienced team having battled plenty of adversity this season but more importantly, Jaiden Glover-Toscano has really stepped up in the wake of Jones’ departure. He finished with 28 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including the game-tying shot to force overtime, while Derek Simpson managed his first career double-double on 22 points and 11 assists.
Saint Louis prevails in showdown between A10 contenders
VCU and Saint Louis were both selected first and second, respectively, in the A10’s Preseason Men’s Basketball Poll back in September, each receiving 11 first-place votes from the committee. With the Rams managing a 9-4 record in the non-conference and Saint Louis finishing 12-1, a Jan. 7 meeting in Richmond between the two was must watch mid-major basketball.
Advertisement
Ultimately, Saint Louis prevailed, 71-62, in an offensive slog as VCU’s scoring and athleticism was suffocated by the defensive prowess and the depth of Josh Schertz’s nine-man rotation.
It’s a win that cements the Billikens as the A10’s top program early in conference play and gives the program a real shot at building an at-large resume should their dominance continue. No doubt both these programs have a Feb. 20 rematch at Chaifetz Arena circled on the calendar.
