Atlantic 10 Basketball: VCU on top, Bonnies drop in latest power rankings

RICHMOND, VA - DECEMBER 07: Nah"u2019Shon Hyland #5 of the VCU Rams drives past Jaylin Hunter #12 of the Old Dominion Monarchs in the first half during a game at Stuart C. Siegel Center on December 7, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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Saint Louis Billikens Javonte Perkins Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Saint Louis Billikens

2020-21 record: 10-3 overall, 3-2 A-10
Previous ranking: 2nd

It took a little while, but the Billikens are finally starting to look like the team that entered the A-10 season as the consensus favorites prior to their month-long break.

Their return to this point has not been without issues, naturally – and those problems are one of the key things keeping them out of the top spot for now. After returning from their month-long pause, the Billikens endured back-to-back losses to Dayton and La Salle that have put their at-large aspirations in jeopardy – but rebounded nicely with three-straight wins.

Among those may be Saint Louis’ most crucial win yet, a 70-59 romp over St. Bonaventure – just days after the loss to La Salle. Subsequently, the Billikens scooped up a seven-point win over URI before decimating Fordham, 68-40, on Saturday. The victory over Fordham, statistically, may have been their most impressive yet, recording 1.13 PPP while shooting 54.5% inside and hauling down an insane 19 offensive rebounds – meaning they brought down an offensive board on nearly 50% of their missed attempts.

The win at Fordham saw three Billikens reach double-digits in Javonte Perkins (19), Gibson Jimerson (14), and Jordan Goodwin (12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists). If there has been any cause for concern for Saint Louis, it could be the absence of point guard Yuri Collins, who – despite scoring just 5.7 points – is eighth in Div. I in assists per game with 6.4. Collins missed the Fordham game due to an ankle injury he suffered against URI, and his timetable is currently unknown.

If there is any other thing to be concerned about, it is the need for Saint Louis to build up its resume in order to feel confident about an at-large bid. Firmly on the bubble, the Billikens still have opportunities to pad their resume, with games against VCU, Richmond, and Dayton quickly approaching – but Saint Louis cannot afford to drop those or the other scheduled games against pesky La Salle and George Mason squads.

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