Re: ATLANTIC TEN CONFERENCE THREAD Official: George Mason is leaving CAA for A-10 http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/official-george-mason-leaving-caa-a10 Official Athletic Site: http://www.gomason.com/ Fan Forum: http://www.Masonhoops.com Blog: http://georgemasonbasketball.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MasonAthletics Twitter: https://twitter.com/MasonAthletics Basketball YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MasonBasketball
Re: ATLANTIC TEN CONFERENCE THREAD CBI Championship Preview: Getting to Know George Mason The George Mason Patriots, currently in conference alignment purgatory, have recovered from their deflating exit from the CAA Tournament and put together an impressive streak in the CBI Tournament. They're currently staring down a best-of-three championship series with the WCC's Santa Clara, a 24-win team with an impressively efficient offense (45th in the country, according to kenpom.com). http://www.midmajormadness.com/2013...pionship-preview-getting-to-know-george-mason
Jim Crews to still coach Billikens Just days removed from the start of fall practice in 2011-12, Rick Majerus needed an assistant coach -- fast. Jim Crews had 24 hours to decide. "He said, 'I think we're going to win a lot of games, we're going to eat well and we're going to laugh a lot,' " Crews remembered. "A great trifecta." Saint Louis hired Crews on Friday, stripping his interim tag and making him the official replacement for Majerus, who died last December. The official step came after a record-setting season and nearly three weeks after the Billikens were eliminated in the NCAA tournament. But Crews has known he was staying put for quite a while. "We knew were going to get to this point," Crews said. "It just took time." Crews accepted blame for the pace. He did his own negotiating before the final stages, when an attorney guided him through the fine print, and said with the exception of the decision to join Majerus, he's very deliberate about major decisions. "Well, I am slow," Crews said. "I dated my wife for six years." Read more http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-crews-named-saint-louis-billikens-head-coach
Re: ATLANTIC TEN CONFERENCE THREAD A-10 close to adding Davidson The A-10 is close to adding Davidson to the league, likely in 2014-15, sources told CBSSports.com. The move is pending approval from the school's board of trustees. The league has lost Butler and Xavier to the Big East, and is likely to see two more schools eventually bolt -- potentially Dayton and Saint Louis. The A-10 has already added George Mason, and commissioner Bernadatte McGlade had targeted Davidson -- which had previously spurned the CAA. Davidson has been the elite school in the Southern Conference, but that league has also been hit by realignment as College of Charleston is bolting for the CAA. Bob McKillop has been the head coach since 1989, and the Wildcats have gone to the NCAA tournament in five of the past eight seasons. Sources told CBSSports.com that Siena is also under consideration by McGlade to join the A-10. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...etball/22072822/a-10-close-to-adding-davidson
Davidson College Wildcats Official Athletic Site: http://www.davidsonwildcats.com/ Fan Forum: http://www.davidsoncats.com/viewforum.php?f=2 Blog: http://blog.davidsonwildcats.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidsonWildcats Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidsonWildcat Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/DavidsonAthletics
20 Mid-Major College Basketball Teams You Should Watch at Least Once in 2014 VCU Saint Louis LaSalle Rhode Island UMass http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-teams-you-should-watch-at-least-once-in-2014
Atlantic 10 offers challenge, reward for Davidson basketball DAVIDSON Davidson College’s impending move from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 is one of the rare conference realignment moves motivated by basketball rather than football. In a time when schools are changing conferences for bigger television money for football, Davidson will go the Atlantic 10 in the 2014-15 season in search of an elevated national profile, a more challenging conference schedule and high-caliber recruits for its men’s basketball program. Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/28/4069259/atlantic-10-offers-challenge.html#storylink=cpy
A-10 Releases 2013-14 Men's Basketball Conference Schedule Pairings Teams Will Play 16-Game League Schedule NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Atlantic 10 Conference on Wednesday released the 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule conference team pairings. The league’s 13 members will play a 16-game conference schedule in the upcoming season, which allows teams to face each opponent once and four teams twice. The complete 2013-14 Conference schedule with dates and times will be announced at a later date. The following is a list of each school's home and away pairings for the 2013-14 season. DAYTON Home - GW, LAS, UM, VCU, UR, SJU, SLU,URI Away – DUQ, FOR, GM, SBU, UR, SJU, SLU, URI DUQUESNE Home – DAY, FOR, UR, UM, GM, LAS, SBU, SLU Away – GW, SJU, URI, VCU, GM, LAS, SBU, SLU FORDHAM Home – DAY, GM, LAS, SBU, GW, UR, URI, VCU Away – DUQ, SJU, SLU, UM, GW, UR, URI, VCU GEORGE MASON Home- DAY, UR, SBU, SJU, DUQ, GW, SLU, UM Away- FOR, LAS, URI, VCU, DUQ, GW, SLU, UM GEORGE WASHINGTON Home – DUQ, SJU, UM, URI, FOR, GM, LAS, VCU Away – DAY, UR, SBU, SLU, FOR, GM, LAS, VCU LA SALLE Home – GM, SLU, URI, VCU, DUQ, GW, SBU, SJU Away – DAY, FOR, UR, UM, DUQ, GW, SBU, SJU MASSACHUSETTS Home – FOR, LAS, SLU, VCU, GM, SBU, SJU, URI Away – DAY, DUQ, GW, UR, GM, SBU, SJU, URI RHODE ISLAND Home – DUQ, GM, UR, SLU, DAY, FOR, SJU, UM Away – LAS, GW, SBU, VCU, DAY, FOR, SJU, UM RICHMOND Home – GW, LAS, SJU, UM, DAY, FOR, SBU, VCU Away – DUQ, GM, SLU, URI, DAY, FOR, SBU, VCU ST. BONAVENTURE Home – DAY, GW, SJU, URI, DUQ, LAS, UR, UM Away – FOR, GM, SLU, VCU, DUQ, LAS, UR, UM SAINT JOSEPH’S Home – DUQ, FOR, SLU, VCU, DAY, LAS, UM, URI Away – GM, GW, UR, SBU, DAY, LAS, UM, URI SAINT LOUIS Home – FOR, GW, UR, SBU, DAY, DUQ, GM, VCU Away – LAS, SJU, UM, URI, DAY, DUQ, GM, VCU VCU Home – DUQ, GM, SBU, URI, FOR, GW, UR, SLU Away – DAY, LAS, SJU, UM, FOR, GW, UR, SLU The conference play will begin in early January and conclude the weekend prior to the 2014 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, which will be played March 13-16, 2014 at Barclays Center. For the first time since 2005, every Atlantic 10 team will advance to the championship in Brooklyn http://www.atlantic10.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/061213aaa.html
2013-14 College Basketball Conference Snapshot: MWC, MVC, A-10 and more. The key mid-majors to watch for 2013-14 1. WICHITA STATE (30-9, 12-6 Missouri Valley, NCAA Final Four) Key players gone: Malcolm Armstead, Carl Hall, Demetric Williams Top returners: Ron Baker, Tekele Cotton, Cleanthony Early, Fred Van Vleet, Jake White New faces: D.J. Bowles (freshman), Kadeem Coleby (Louisiana-Lafayette transfer), Earl Watson (junior college), Evan Wessel (redshirt) The point guard Armstead and leading rebounder Hall are gone from the Final Four run, but the rising sophomore Baker played only 18 games last season. With Early, Baker and Cotton, there’s enough returning to win the Missouri Valley this season, especially if Van Vleet flourishes as a full-time point guard. The 6-foot-9 Louisiana-Lafayette transfer Coleby and local 6-5 guard Wessel will fill some gaps. 2. VCU (27-9, 12-4 Atlantic 10, NCAA round of 32) Key players gone: Troy Daniels, Darius Theus Top returners: Rob Brandenburg, Treveon Graham, Juvonte Reddic, Melvin Thomas, Briante Weber New faces: Jordan Burgess (redshirt), Terrance Shannon (Florida State transfer) Five of the top seven players return to VCU, including three who averaged double-figure scoring. Theus’ 2.4 steals per game will be missed on the defensive end, but there’s a lot to like about a VCU team that went 12-4 in its first season in the Atlantic 10. Shannon was an injury-riddled player at Florida State, but he’s a 6-8 senior who will be a key piece for the Rams if he can stay healthy. 3. GONZAGA (32-3, 16-0 West Coast, NCAA round of 32) Key players gone: Elias Harris, Guy Landry Edi, Kelly Olynyk Top returning players: Gary Bell Jr, Sam Dower, Przemek Karnowski, Kevin Pangos, David Stockton New faces: Gerald Coleman (Providence transfer), Angel Nunez (Louisville transfer) The front line takes a hit without Olynyk and Harris, but Mark Few’s backcourt should be solid with Pangos (41.7 percent on three pointers) and Bell. Two centers who were part-time players last season in Karnowski (7-1) and Dower (6-9) will look to take a step forward in replacing the Olynyk. Gonzaga’s season was marred by losing to Wichita State in the round of 32, but the Bulldogs should remain a top-25 contender in 2013-14. 4. NEW MEXICO (29-6, 13-3 Mountain West, NCAA round of 64) Key players gone: Tony Snell, Demetrius Walker Top returning players: Cameron Bairstow, Alex Kirk, Hugh Greenwood, Kendall Williams New faces: Merv Lindsey (transfer from Kansas), Cullen Neal (freshman) Longtime Steve Alford assistant Craig Neal was promoted to coach a team that returns four players who started at least 30 games. The Lobos may be the preseason pick to win the Mountain West, but that NCAA Tournament loss to Harvard will be tough to forget. Snell (12.5 ppg) is a notable departure, but the Lobos were a balanced team for most of the season. 5. SAINT LOUIS (28-7, 13-3 Atlantic 10, NCAA round of 32) Key players gone: Kwamain Mitchell, Cody Ellis Top returners: Dwayne Evans, Grandy Glaze, Jordair Jett, Rob Loe, Mike McCall Jim Crews has the job full-time and a chance to repeat in the Atlantic 10. Replacing Kwamain Mitchell’s 30 minutes per game will be tough. Four starters are back, not including the assist leader Jett. 6. UMASS (21-12, 9-7 Atlantic 10, NIT first round) Key players gone: Freddie Riley, Terrell Vinson Top returning players: Cady Lalanne, Raphiael Putney, Chaz Williams New faces: Derrick Gordon (transfer from Western Kentucky) Derek Kellogg’s program has steadily improved in five seasons. Now, the Minutemen have a chance to be the top team in the Atlantic 10, which will see Butler, Temple and Xavier depart. The 5-9 point guard Chaz Williams will be one of the top players in the league, and the 6-3 Gordon was a major pickup from Western Kentucky, where he averaged 11.8 ppg, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. 7. HARVARD (20-10, 11-3 Ivy, NCAA round of 32) Key players gone: Christian Webster Top returning players: Siyani Chambers, Steve Moundou-Missi, Laurent Rivard, Wesley Saunders New faces: Zena Edosomwan (freshman) Harvard’s upset of New Mexico signaled the young Crimson would be ready to take the next step in 2013-14. Last year’s team had only one senior (Webster), and one junior seeing significant minutes (Rivard). Led by Saunders and Chambers, Harvard will have a leg up on the the rest of the Ivy League the next two seasons. 8. BOISE STATE (21-11, 9-7 Mountain West, NCAA First Four) Key players gone: Kenny Buckner Top returning players: Anthony Drmic, Jeff Elorriaga, Igor Hadziomerovic, Derrick Marks, Mikey Thompson, Ryan Watkins The Mountain West is expanding, but teams like Colorado State, UNLV and San Diego State are in transition. With two of the league’s top returning scorers, Boise State is geared up for another run to the NCAA Tournament. Leading the four-guard lineup, Drmic averaged 17.7 points, and Marks averaged 16.3. 9. SAN DIEGO STATE (23-11, 9-7 Mountain West, NCAA round of 32) Key players gone: Jamaal Franklin, James Rahon, Chase Tapley Top returning players: J.J. O’Brien, Xavier Thames, Winston Shepard) New faces: Josh Davis (transfer from Tulane) The Aztecs have absorbed the loss of Kawhi Leonard and other key pieces in recent years. The next step is to replace Franklin, their top player the last two years, and the clutch Tapley. The key is the sophomore Shepard, a five-star recruit who averaged 5.7 points last season. Davis is a major pickup after averaging 17.6 points and 10.7 rebounds for Tulane in 2012-13. 10. UNLV (25-10, 10-6 Mountain West, NCAA round of 64)Key players gone: Anthony Bennett, Anthony Marshall, Mike Moser, Katin Reinhardt Top returning players: Khem Birch, Bryce Dejean-Jones New faces: Jelan Kendrick (junior college), Christian Wood (freshman) UNLV was the most talented team in a deep Mountain West, but the Runnin’ Rebels finished third in the league before losing to Cal in the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels will have eight players who were top-100 recruits at some point, and that’s taking into account the departures of Reinhardt and Moser via transfer. With something of a revolving door on the roster, the results have been mixed under Dave Rice. http://www.athlonsports.com/college-basketball/2013-14-college-basketball-mid-major-rankings-mwc-mvc
https://sites.google.com/site/vcurowdyrams/ https://www.facebook.com/vcurowdyrams https://twitter.com/RowdyRams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J8ppQBMPT0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2pnbaaRccc http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/l...cle_806223e6-8757-11e2-b801-0019bb30f31a.html
Mason is having fans vote for A-10 logo for next season #1 #2 http://www.gomason.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208403496&DB_OEM_ID=25200
Eric Skeeters new Mason Assistant BB Coach University of South Florida assistant coach Eric Skeeters joined the USF staff for the 2009-10 campaign, following his five seasons as an assistant coach at Towson. The 2011-12 season was a memorable one for Skeeters and the Bulls as they advanced to NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. In the postseason the Bulls defeated California in the First Round, 65-56, for their first win in the NCAA Tournament in program history. USF then beat Temple 58-44 in the Second Round before falling to Ohio 62-56 in the Third Round, just one game shy of reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Skeeters also was vital in helping the Bulls secure a top -15 recruiting class for the 2012-13 season. http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=204767838
2013 Commissioner's Honor Roll NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--The Atlantic 10 Conference recorded its second-highest number of student-athletes that earned a spot on the prestigious Commissioner's Honor Roll. There were 1,618 student-athletes that qualified for Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction for the Spring 2013 semester. To be listed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll, a student-athlete in an Atlantic 10-sponsored sport must have a 3.5 GPA or better (on a 4.0 scale) during the specified semester. Freshmen are eligible to receive the award. The 1,618 honorees is second only to the Fall 2012 semester when 1,637 student-athletes received the distinction. For the 2012-13 year, there were 3,255 selections to the Commissioner's Honor Roll, which eclipsed the previous single-year record of 2,728 by over 500 selections. "The fact that we continue to shatter records with the number of student-athletes honored with Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction is a credit to the dedication our student-athletes have to their academic endeavors," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "Academics is at the forefront of our mission as a conference and something our membership puts a high value on. These numbers demonstrate a commitment by our institutions to that academic success." The Atlantic 10 also ranks second in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) among 31 conferences and fifth in the Academic Progress Rate (APR). http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools...2013-14/misc_non_event/Spring2013_CHRList.pdf
Facts About the A-10's Newest Member George Mason http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=208547360&DB_OEM_ID=31600 http://masonhoops.com/
Give ‘em their due: The A10′s most underrated players When it comes to Atlantic 10 basketball, now that SLU’s Jordair Jett finally earned long overdue appreciation in 2012-13 (3rd team all-conference), here are five guys who may not be stars or have names familiar to all but, rest assured, there isn’t an opposing coach anywhere who enjoys preparing to face them or fails to appreciate their value. http://collegechalktalk.com/?p=7144
Jon Rothstein Talks A-10 Basketball on the Tim Brando Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?DB_OE...ure=c4-overview&list=UUja8sZ2T4ylIqjggA1Zuukg
A-10 Teams Draw Strong Matchups for In-Season Tournaments NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--The brackets of several men’s basketball in-season tournaments involving Atlantic 10 teams were announced this week, with key first-round matchups for Atlantic 10 programs. Dayton will play in the EA Sports Maui Invitational George Mason in the Hawaii Airlines Diamond Head Classic George Washington will play in the 2013 Wooden Legacy Massachusetts will participate in the Charleston Classic Saint Joseph’s will compete in the Old Spice Classic VCU will be featured in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Classic Information on each tournament, including first round matchups is listed below. http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=208730497&DB_OEM_ID=31600
Conference Catch-up: Atlantic 10 Atlantic-10, Conference Breakdowns By Andy Glockner The Atlantic 10 is coming off a massive season in which five of its teams made the NCAA tournament and all five of them won at least one NCAA game. You’d imagine a year like that would be a springboard of sorts, but the A-10 is one of the conferences hardest-hit by realignment and will feature a distinctly different look this season. That doesn’t mean the conference won’t be highly competitive, as a lot of the remaining members could be solid this season. The A-10 may not have the name recognition or extended tradition at the top of the league this season, but don’t underestimate how tough the conference could be. http://college-basketball.si.com/2013/07/17/atlantic-10/?sct=uk_wr_a1&sct=uk_bf1_a4
La Salle, UMass, VCU to Play in ESPN Marathon NEWPORT NEWS, Va.— Three Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball teams will compete in ESPN's annual Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 12. La Salle and Massachusetts will host in back-to-back games, beginning at 9:00 am ET, while VCU will head to Charlottesville for a 7:00 pm ET contest against the Cavaliers. The Tip-Off Marathon features 24 straight hours of men’s basketball on ESPN2. La Salle will host Quinnipiac in Tom Gola Arena at 9:00 am, marking the sixth game of the Marathon, which begins Nov. 11 at 11:00 pm. UMass will follow the Explorers at 11:00 am, hosting LSU at the Mullins Center and the Rams will face Virginia in the 7:00 pm game. La Salle is coming off a historic season in which the Explorers made the NCAA field for the first time since 1992 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since a Final Four appearance in 1955. La Salle advanced to the Sweet 16 from the First Four -- current A-10 member VCU is the only other team to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16. The Explorers’ win over Ole Miss advanced the Explorers to the Sweet 16 and marked the sixth consecutive year the A-10 has had a team advance to the Sweet 16. UMass, led by First Team All-Conference guard Chaz Williams, made its second straight trip to the NIT last year. Massachusetts advanced to the NIT Semifinals in 2012. It was the first back-to-back postseason appearances by the Minutemen since 1997 and 1998. Shaka Smart leads the Rams into Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena for the first time. The highly anticipated match-up will be the first meeting between UVA and VCU since 1998 and kicks off a two-year home-and-home series between the schools. http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=209073964&DB_OEM_ID=31600
