ATLANTIC 10 Tournament Predictions

       We here at the BSB have wagered a case of Philly's finest milk steaks and jelly beans on who we think will win the Atlantic 10 tournament.  The field is wide open this year and will most likely be the most fun tournament to watch this week.  Games start at 12 tomorrow and are on the NBC Sports Network.  Predictions after the jump.

KYLE

The Owls have come on strong as of late and seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time of the season.  With a lethal scoring threat in Khalif Wyatt and a talented group around him, I see Temple turning some heads come tournament time and possibly being this years Cinderella team in the NCAA Tournament.  With Anthony Lee and Scootie Randall both averaging over 10 points and 6 rebounds per game, the Owls have multiple scoring threats while also being tough on the glass.  Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson also makes big contributions on both ends of the court and having a sniper from three-point range in Jake "O'Buckets" O'Brien is always nice come tournament time.  For those reasons the Owls could be very dangerous this time of year.  I have a feeling Wyatt will thrive under the pressure and lead the Owls to an A-10 Tournament title, followed by a solid showing in the NCAA Tournament.

A-10 Championship Prediction: Temple 77 Saint Louis 72

BEN

Don’t be fooled into thinking SLU is a dominant #1 seed after beating VCU and Butler.  Saint Joseph’s almost did that, taking VCU to overtime on the road and losing to Butler by 6 at home.  I wish I could realistically pick SJU to win the tournament, but for the sake of beating Kyle and Matt I need to be serious, thus my pick is Butler.  Though he suffered a neck injury in January, Rotnei Clarke has been playing brilliantly since then, averaging 18 points a game sans 1 ugly performance against VCU.  Most of that is due to his 3-point prowess.  If Butler gets rolling with their 3 pointers they will be nearly unbeatable.  Though they did not earn a first-round bye, Butler now has the advantage of not really being the favorite in this tournament, which is something they absolutely thrive on.  Butler will play VCU again in the final, but this time the outcome will be different.

A-10 Championship Prediction: Butler 75 VCU 71

MATT

The Saint Louis Billikens enter the tournament with the well deserved #1 seed as they went 13-3 in conference play with great wins over VCU and LaSalle and 2 wins over Butler. The only bad loss for this squad was a 2 point overtime defeat by Rhode Island back in January. Since then, the Billikens have played some of their best basketball, winning 12 of their 13 remaining games in a dominant second half of the season. Saint Louis has 4 players averaging double digit points and are able to nicely spread the scoring load. Junior forward Dwayne Evans leads the team in points and rebounds per game, averaging 12.9 points and almost 8 boards. Evans is also a very efficient scorer, shooting over 51% from the floor this season. The Billikens also have two nice perimeter threats in Ellis and McCall Jr. Saint Louis has played inspired basketball this year after the passing of their coach Rick Majerus, and although they are a lock for the big dance, I think they will stay driven throughout the A10 tourney. I know it’s a cop-out to pick the #1 seed, but I can't see any A10 team beating this nationally ranked Saint Louis squad. 

A-10 Championship Prediction: Saint Louis 73 Temple 65