This isn’t your Grandpa’s A-10…this isn’t even 2011’s version of the A-10. This year’s mid-major darlings will come from this new souped up group which added 3 of the last 12 final four participants Butler and VCU to an already formidable group that includes St. Louis, Temple, Xavier, UMass, and St. Joseph’s.
Starting at the top I think the new guy, VCU, is the team to beat. With Rick Majerus stuck in his hotel dreaming about Ashley Judd all season St. Louis will probably be slow out of the gate and have to settle for 2nd place. Coming in third, in their swan song before sliding to the Big East are the Temple Owls. Yes, they’ve lost a little from last year but Fran Dunphy always seems to bring a winner. After those three it gets a little muddier. I think the A-10 will be a 4 bid league but it’s tight to see who Team #4 might be. Butler brings back 4 starters and adds Rotnei Clark but this is a big step up in class from the Horizon. UMass looks poised to finally break on through and St. Joe’s brings back basically it’s whole team from last year. It wouldn’t surprise me to see all 6 of these teams in the hunt come March but I’m going with a minor upset in the conference tournament as Butler secures the auto-bid to join VCU, St. Louis, and Temple in the big dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment