Atlantic 10 Basketball: St. Bonaventure on top in latest power rankings

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: The Atlantic 10 Logo on a basketball during the game between the St. Bonaventure Bonnies and the Davidson Wildcats during the Semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 10, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

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Atlantic 10 Basketball George Mason Patriots Jordan Miller Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

11. George Mason Patriots

2020-21 record: 8-6 overall, 3-4 A-10
Previous ranking: 8th

Just like earlier this month, this is where things get hazy in the Atlantic 10. The Patriots have strung together a resume that complements that of a middle-of-the-pack conference team: they have knocked off most of the teams below them, fallen to those at the top of the league, and have just one bad loss (Norfolk State) on the season. The only issue is that they have not necessarily looked remarkable and confidence-boosting in those wins.

Dave Paulsen and his crew deserve a lot of credit for some of their wins – they picked up a solid double-overtime victory over UMass at the end of December and decimated La Salle back on January 13th. None of George Mason’s conference losses is anything to laugh about – they have fallen to Dayton, VCU, Richmond, and Rhode Island. The former two came by single-digits, while the latter two were by 20 points apiece.

What keeps the Patriots this low for the time being is their less-than-ideal showings against Saint Joseph’s in their last two games. The Patriots narrowly escaped disaster last Wednesday, coming out on top in double-overtime at home – and then let a double-digit lead trickle down to one-point in the second half against the Hawks on Saturday, before claiming a 71-62 win.

The other issue for George Mason is just how chaotic the Atlantic 10 has been outside of them – but the Patriots, outside of the win over UMass, still do not have a season-defining victory. If they hope to pick one up, then they can rely on Jordan Miller to pull through, who – after recording single-digits against VCU and Richmond – has been stellar in George Mason’s last four outings, averaging nearly 17 points on a 45.1% shooting clip.

The Patriots have the capability of extending their winning streak to, potentially, four – they host George Washington on Wednesday, and then have a rematch – at home – against UMass to close out the week. They will have their hands full afterward, however, traveling to Richmond and St. Bonaventure to begin February.

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