Atlantic 10 (cont.) — VCU, St. Bonaventure, and Saint Louis
This situation gets interesting with VCU, which is currently projected as one of the last four in on Bracket Matrix. In other words, if VCU gets to Davidson it would be in the championship game after beating Richmond in the quarterfinals and Dayton in the semifinals (assuming higher seeds win for simplicity). At that point, the Rams would likely have clinched an at-large bid for themselves making them no longer a bid-stealer.
St. Bonaventure
St. Bonaventure was not only the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10, but also the No. 23 team in the country on opening night, reaching a peak at No. 16 on Nov. 22.
The Bonnies proceed to go 7-7 in their next 14 games, falling out of at-large favor.
This team doesn’t defend nearly as well as last season’s NCAA Tournament team did and has a similar lack of depth with all five starters averaging between 30.3 and 38.2 minutes per game. Despite those glaring issues, the Bonnies are 8-1 in their last nine games and are still the most experienced team in the league. As the No. 4 seed, they also have a double-bye which significantly helps their chances.
Saint Louis
Saint Louis lost a preseason First Team All-A10 player in Javonte Perkins just over a week before the start of the season but has managed to stay competitive with the top of the league. This team’s resilience is a testament to Head Coach Travis Ford but also to the team’s on-court leader and starting point guard in Yuri Collins, who leads the nation in assists.
The Billikens ranks second in the A10 in offensive efficiency and 3-point percentage, per KenPom. They aren’t the biggest or most experienced team, but they have the best point guard in the conference, are well-coached, and have the offensive potential to string together a couple of upsets.
As the No. 5 seed, Saint Louis will have to win four games in four days which seems unlikely but isn’t something I would rule out entirely.