Atlantic 10 Basketball Updates with Some Laughs from Colin Bish

12/7/2025

You know what really grinds my gears? Thanksgiving break. I mean, time off is nice, but you’re telling me I need to come back and immediately begin preparing for finals? At that point just keep me here at school. Now that’s off my chest, let’s look at the A-10 this weekend. 

Friday saw one game take place: an uneventful contest as VCU crushed Samford at home, 83-57. The 6-3 record shouldn’t fool anyone; the Rams are a tough team that have played a host of solid teams such as NC State and Vanderbilt. I wouldn’t list Samford as one of them, however. They shot 10% from three-point range, looking like me in my pre-workout warmups. 

Saturday gave us much, much more action, with 11 games to boot. Although the day didn’t start well for the best basketball conference in the nation. 

To boot, Rhode Island fell to Providence, 90-71, with freshman Jamier Jones scoring 18 points off the bench for the Friars. 23 points off turnovers for Providence also didn’t help matters. Can’t say my school knows anything about losing to Providence (74-70).

From bad to worse, Dayton lost their contest to Virginia, 86-73. But while UVA may have won the battle, they lost the war. The Cavaliers’ football team lost out on an ACC title and College Football Playoff berth in their 27-20 loss to Duke Saturday night. That’s what we call karma, so don’t ever cross the A-10 again, capisce? 

Old Dominion got the message, as Richmond took care of business at home, 86-77. After finishing last in the conference in 2024-25, head coach Chris Mooney has turned the ship around with an 8-1 start. The not-so itsy-bitsy Spiders are clawing their way back in the A-10, so watch out! 

We also saw some Big 5 Classic matchups on Saturday, featuring first Drexel and La Salle in the Fifth Place Game. The Explorers took care of business, 69-64, despite a furious second-half rally from the Dragons. But senior Josiah Harris was the knight in shining armor, and his 21-point, 13-rebound performance slayed the opposition. 

Finishing the Philly rivalry saga, Saint Joseph’s and Temple went to war on Saturday night. The Hawks proved themselves the superior birds of prey over the Owls, as sophomore Deuce Jones hit a game-winning three-pointer to give St. Joe’s the win and 3^rd place in the Big 5 Classic.

With the Philadelphia subplot out of the way, we take our attention to western New York. In a tough matchup, St. Bonaventure handed Buffalo its first loss of the year, 77-69. It was an all-around effort, with six Bonnies scoring double-digit points, and I couldn’t be more hyped for this squad. Just don’t start 14-1 and fall apart like last year, guys. 

Duquesne has looked like an absolute force at home, improving to 6-1 at the Cooper Fieldhouse thanks to an 84-75 win over Stony Brook. Now, isn’t that the story of every Pittsburgh sports team: great at home, poor on the road. And yes, I will take any chance I have to dig at the Steelers. Go Browns. 

Funny enough, I marked the Holy Cross-Fordham contest as a win for the Rams. Only to find out later at work that the Crusaders pulled off a crazy 70-69 upset. Junior Joe Nugent hit the game-winning free throws, giving Holy Cross its first road win of the season. Maybe this will teach me a lesson in jumping to conclusions… eh, probably not. 

Loyola-Chicago has had a rough year thus far. Starting with the unfortunate passing of school icon Sister Jean, the Ramblers would fall on a seven-game losing streak after a season-opening win. They’ve since turned a slight corner, especially their 73-68 win over Princeton on Saturday. But that’s like putting a band-aid on a broken fibula. Calling it like it is, I’m not sure things are going to get much better for Loyola anytime soon. 

While it was bound to happen, the final unbeaten A-10 team falling still shanks a dagger to my heart. George Mason suffered its first loss of the year, a 73-62 defeat to Virginia Tech. Though I’m not sure if the Hokies faithful care much; they’re probably laughing up a storm at their rivals in Charlottesville. 

To wrap up an utter chaotic Saturday, George Washington took home a solid 99-86 win over William & Mary. For their part, the Tribe looked competitive, going down 53-52 at the half. But the Revs’ bench was too much to handle, with the trio of Jean Aranguren, Luke Hunger and Tyrone Marshall Jr. feasted with a combined 46 points. The Tribe bench scored just 21 points total. That’s just our motto; the A-10 is the conference of crazy bench player performances. 

11/30/2025

Atlantic-10 Conference Summary

I’ve finally woken up from my Thanksgiving dinner-induced nap, so I guess I’m obligated to update you on A-10 men’s basketball. Not that that’s a bad thing; after all, the A-10 was up to a busy time during college basketball’s Feast Week. 

VCU kicked off Friday with a dominant 86-68 win over the ACC’s Virginia Tech to take third place in the Marriott Bonvoy Battle 4 Atlantis. Sophomore Terrence Hill Jr. notched a career-high 21 points in the win, handing the Hokies their second loss of the season. Meanwhile, VT’s football team finished 3-9 after a grueling loss to archrival Virginia. Talk about Virginia-on-Virginia violence. 

Richmond avenged their first loss of the season with a 71-66 win over Charlotte thanks to senior AJ Lopez’s 17 points. The Spiders took the consolation game of the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational in the Imagination Bracket… holy hell, these names are too long to comprehend. Should the story be about A-10 basketball or these unnecessarily three-year-long tournament names? 

I think we’ll keep it at A-10, and there were some home games for a couple of squads. Davidson improved to 6-1 with a 90-74 win over North Carolina A&T, with junior Josh Scovens leading the Wildcats with 21 points and eight rebounds. 

La Salle wasn’t so lucky in their house, falling 63-58 to Hofstra… wait, The Palestra is Penn’s home arena. Ah well, it’s in Philadelphia anyways; tomato-tomato, potato-potato. 

Fordham has been interesting, to say the least. They fell in their opener to NJIT but have since jumped out to a 6-1 record and have looked good since the loss. Though a 74-72 win against Division-II Franklin Pierce is cause for concern. 

While the good vibes rolled through, they all fell through hard on Friday night as both A-10 teams vying for a tournament win lost in heartbreaking fashion. Saint Louis suffered its first loss of the year in the Acrisure Invitational, 78-77 to Stanford. Senior Benny Gealer hit a three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left, giving the Cardinal a dramatic victory; that also happened to be Gealer’s first points of the night. Ouch. 

Dayton looked to be on their way to an upset after going up 36-30 on #9 BYU at halftime; that was until Richie Saunders turned into Mormon Kyle Korver and scored 29 points on 60% shooting from three-point range. The Cougs exploded in the second half, outscoring the Flyers 53-43 en route to an 83-79 win. 

Then came Saturday, the calm after the Feast Week storm. And James Madison felt the storm in Fairfax after George Mason rode a 50-31 second half in their 82-66 win. À la Elton John, the Patriots still stand as the last unbeaten A-10 team thanks to junior Kory Mincy’s 25 points. 

Things just go from bad to worse for La Salle in their city, falling 73-71 to Penn and 3-5 on the year. The Explorers led by as many as 15 points but seeing as the Quakers shot 50% from both the field AND three-point range, I’m shocked La Salle was in the game to begin with. La Salle ends their Cathedral Classic split today against Merrimack. 

Fordham’s win over Albany was not a shock; the Rams trampled the Great Danes from start to finish in their 88-68 victory. Senior Christian Henry put up a career day with 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Fordham as they face Colgate in their Northern Classic capper today. 

Oh, what about the Bonnies? Yeah, they split their Fort Myers Tip-Off with a loss to North Carolina and a win over East Carolina. Fair enough, but I do want to note that Bonaventure had a free throw differential of 22 to 52 across those two games. NCAA, I declare there is a mass sting operation against St. Bonaventure basketball. I put the ball in your court. 

11/23/2025

A slow weekend in the Atlantic 10 kicked off with a remarkably slow game, as Davidson bested Boston College 59-49. Junior Josh Scovens led the Wildcats with 12 points as they look to remain undefeated against Utah State. As for Boston College, you couldn’t have scripted a worse start to the season, with the Eagles shooting 14% from three. Well, you could script worse; just ask the football team.

But, when all was said and done, the Atlantic 10 came out on top! Saint Louis continued the good vibes with a 91-60 thrashing of Purdue Fort Wayne. The Billikens reminded the Mastodons only one Purdue team can truly exist, bullying on the glass with 50 rebounds to 21 in favor of Saint Louis. 

And… it’s gone. Loyola-Chicago fell at home 76-59 to Northern Illinois. Freshman Dylan Ducommun continues to show out for the Huskies, dropping 24 points and six assists in the road victory. The Ramblers look lost this season, dropping to 1-5 in the year and 1-3 at home. Can we send them back to Ohio Valley for a year to get back in shape? They’re embarrassing our beautiful conference. 

Thankfully, I can always trust Anthony Grant and Dayton to cheer me up. Unless they play my Bonnies; then it’s war. The Flyers took home a 74-55 win over North Carolina Central, but the final score did not show the full story. Dayton led 44-20 at halftime, only for the Eagles to take the second half, 35-30. It’s like the big brother letting the little brother win the second half in Madden, only big bro smoked the first half 150 to nothing. 

But Duquesne continues to epitomize the Pittsburgh sports spirit by eternally confusing their fans. Are we competitive, or do we just suck? A 4-1 start looked promising until the Dukes fell at home to Northeastern, 93-86. Huskies’ freshman Xavier Abreu went ballistic off the bench, scoring 32 points in the win and making Duquesne look like the Cincinnati Bengals on defense. 

Now that we’ve got headaches out of the way, I’m happy to say the A-10 closed out Saturday with three consecutive wins. First was La Salle, who picked up a 75-46 win over… Lancaster Bible College? That’s news to me. But a win’s a win, as they say! Just don’t ask me where the Explorers found this team.

Transitioning to a team I have heard of, only because of how bad they are, Richmond smoked Gardner-Webb 102-67. The Spiders remain unbeaten while the Runnin’ Bulldogs remain without a win. If I were a Gardner-Webb fan, I’d be runnin’ to next season with this kind of performance. And I wouldn’t blame them if I watched my team give up 62 points in one half of college basketball. 

Finally, VCU picked up an equally dominant 101-58 home victory over Coppin State. The Rams have struggled after a new turnover of both coaching and player personnel, but they remain unbeaten at home with a dangerous unit. And their head coach is all-too familiar with the A-10: Phil Martelli Jr., son of the legendary Saint Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli Sr. Give Junior some time; he’ll pick up on the conference play all too quickly. 

I have to go but, if you want to reach me, I’ll be curdled up in a corner having nightmares about Caleb Wilson before St. Bonaventure faces North Carolina on Tuesday. 

11/16/2025

Atlantic 10 men’s basketball action this past weekend was a doozy, and it kicked off Friday night with a back-and-forth duel between Fordham and Iona. In the battle of small New York schools, the Gaels came out on top, 76-71. Iona outshot the Rams from three-point range, 38% to just 19%, making it look like Rick Pitino was still in town. 

In the other matchup Friday night, Rhode Island avenged the glorious A-10 by dismantling Albany, 80-61. Albany led by as many as nine points in the first half, that is until Archie Miller’s crew came alive, leading by as many as 23. Kind of like letting your little sibling beat you in a game until you decide to lock in yourself.

Now, as Anakin Skywalker famously dubbed in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, “This is where the fun begins.” But instead of hunting down an intergalactic assassin, it’s watching eight A-10 games on a beautiful November Saturday. 

The action kicked off in a battle of Pennsylvania schools, with Penn State making the trip to Philly to beat La Salle, 83-69. Freshman Melih Tunca was the Nittany Lions’ shining star, scoring a team-high 20 points on 8-9 from the field and converting all four of his three-pointers. Now only if this effort showed out on the football field… 

George Mason made up for the Explorers’ loss with a resounding 61-44 victory over New Hampshire. While the Patriots were only up four after the first half, the defense came up huge and smothered the Wildcats, outscoring them 32 to 19 in the second half. Head coach Tony Skinn’s defense continues to get under his opponents’ skin, making George Mason a strong early contender in the conference. 

St. Bonaventure continues their torrid start in the first year under Adrian Wojnarowski’s tenure, beating Youngstown State in an 84-80. Heck, I even had the honor to run a camera for this game as part of a class! It was fun, though being right behind the student section may have ruptured my eardrum a little. Or a lot, I can’t tell. At least I slept well knowing Frank Mitchell has arrived on campus as the Canadian Shaquille O’Neal. 

Davidson helps add to the A-10 streak, defeating Bowling Green in a thriller of their own, 91-87. The Wildcats took full advantage of the three-point game, outshooting the Falcons a whopping 48% to 21%. For this game to be as close as it was, despite this glaring outlier, may be seen by some fans as alarming. Or maybe I’m reading too much into that. After all, overthinking is my superpower. It wouldn’t make me qualified for the Avengers, but it is a superhuman feat, in my opinion.

George Washington picked up another big win, crushing Old Dominion 96-73. This game was a tale of two halves; the Revs were up just 44-41 to end the first before demolishing the Monarchs 52-32 to close the game. Revolutionaries beating Monarchs… the Revolutionary War references are strong with this one. The history nerd inside me is jumping for joy. 

Dayton didn’t give me any history jokes to gush over, but they did put up another win on the scoreboard for the A-10, beating Bethune-Cookman 91-82. Senior Javon Bennett led the team with 25 points, but remember, this is the same Bethune team that took Auburn to overtime. Now they’re 1-3, and I imagine the fans are reacting like Rob Schneider did in The Waterboy when Bobby Boucher walked away from the Mud Dogs. 

With the streak that the A-10’s on right now, nothing can go wrong! I mean, look at Saint Louis, taking care of business at home against Grand Canyon 78-64. Sophomore Amari McCottry led the Billikens with 20 points on the night, who now sit at 4-0 and look to be a quietly nice team in the conference this season.

Wait, I’m being told that… Duquesne lost? The streak is broken? I knew it was too good to be true; you can’t put any faith in a team from Pittsburgh. 

Yes, as it would seem, the A-10 games began on Saturday with a loss and ended the day with one, as the Dukes fell 87-77 to Villanova. To be frank, Duquesne would have lost by a lot more had it not been for senior Tarence Guinyard; he scored 30 points in just 32 minutes of play, looking like LeBron James during his last year in Cleveland. 

11/9/2025

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Not this silly “Christmas” you all keep fretting over, I mean, think about it! The Mariah Carey Christmas phase only lasts a couple months, but the Atlantic 10 men’s basketball season lasts twice that period. I rest my case. Begin investing in A-10 basketball, people! 

The A-10 saw an incredible start to the year, with all their teams winning their opening contests from Monday to Wednesday. Except Fordham, who fell at home to NJIT on Tuesday. What a buzzkill! 

But the Rams, under new head coach Mike Magpayo, took that loss as a declaration of war. And the unfortunate victimization came to Mount Saint Mary (not the team from the MAAC), with Fordham cruising to a 106-37 win on Friday. Senior forward Zarique Nutter led the charge, scoring 19 points along with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Way to get the troops rolling, if I do say so myself. 

Fordham wasn’t the only A-10 squad to enjoy a Friday victory. In a crazy back-and-forth affair, reigning A-10 champions George Mason took down Winthrop, 96-90. It’s kind of ironic that a team called the Patriots would beat down on the Eagles, don’t you think?

Alongside Fordham and George Mason picking up wins were Davidson and Duquesne. The former rode a dominating 40-24 first half to beat Washington State at home, 85-69. The Cougs put up a valiant comeback effort in the second half, but the hill was too steep to climb. Oh, the plight of Sisyphus. 

On the other hand, Duquesne took down Sacred Heart, 92-80, thanks to 50 combined points between seniors John Hugley IV and Tarence Guinyard. Fun fact, Guinyard was one of the names I mentioned to watch when I wrote about the Dukes over the summer. As they say, a broken clock is right twice a day. 

But not every team was lucky on Friday night; Tulsa downed Rhode Island in a Veterans Classic matchup, 82-65. Romad Dean, who transferred to the Golden Hurricane from Fordham, continued to wreak havoc on A-10 teams with 13 points and six boards in the victory. VCU also wasn’t so lucky, falling in a nail-biter to Utah State, 80-77, at home. It’s ok, you two. I’m not mad, just really, REALLY disappointed. 

Thankfully, Saturday night the A-10 turned my frown upside down by going unbeaten on their five-game slate. Saint Joe’s kicked off the streak with a 76-65 win over in-city rival Drexel in this Big Five Classic. Sophomore guard Deuce Jones was the Hawks’ knight in shining armor, slaying the Dragons with his 29 points. 

In a crazy offensive showdown, George Washington took down South Florida, 99-95, thanks to senior Tre Dinkins’ 22 off the bench for the Revolutionaries. Dayton also played close in their matchup with UMBC, squeaking by with a 77-71 win. I love winning, guys, but maybe win by, I don’t know, 20? I need people to believe in A-10 supremacy. Close games at home against UMBC don’t spell confidence, although I should be cautious about the Retrievers. Just ask Tony Bennett. 

Fortunately, the other A-10 squads showed these boys how it’s done, securing double-digit victories to end the Saturday slate. La Salle, despite being outshot vs. Monmouth 42% to 37%, defeated the Hawks 73-60 thanks to senior Jaeden Marshall’s 26 points. 

St. Bonaventure thrashed Little Three rival Canisius 89-70, thanks in large part to their play on the glass. The Bonnies outrebounded the Golden Griffins 42-22, as well as outscored Canisius 44-26 in the paint. Not a gold standard performance from the Griffins. 

Finally, the itsy-bitsy Richmond Spiders, finishing last in the A-10 last year, defeated East Carolina at home, 87-72, to start 2-0 in the new year. The Richmond bench was on fire, as Aiden Argabright, Jonathan Beagle and Jaden Daughtry combined for 42 points in the win. Time to walk the plank, ECU! 

6/18/25

Dayton Flyers - 5 Names to Know for Next Season

1. Adam Njie

   • Dayton loses a huge piece in their squad from last season in senior point guard Malachi Smith, who transferred to UConn. So, if you're Anthony Grant, what do you do? Out with the old, in with the new, of course! Grant added Iona freshman guard Njie in the transfer portal. Coming from the highly touted Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, Njie became an immediate impact player for the Gaels. Njie played in 33 games with 28 starts, averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. With at least three seasons left under his belt, Njie looks to build an elite backcourt at Dayton alongside…

     
     

2. Javon Bennett

   • Having started his career at Merrimack before transferring to Dayton, Bennett has established himself as one of the best defensive guards in the country. 2025 was his best season yet, at least offensively, as he put up 11.6 points on 44% shooting from the field and 39% from three in 34 games. But, as mentioned his bread and butter comes from picking pockets. Bennett holds a career average of 1.9 steals a game, pulling out his best Gary Payton impression in his college career. Njie provides the offense, Bennett brings the defense, a perfect yin and yang of basketball.

     
     

3. Jordan Derkack

   • Speaking of Merrimack, Bennett is quite familiar with Derkack, who were both apart of the Warriors' 2022-23 freshman class. While Bennett transferred after his freshman year, Derkack stuck around for another year. That proved to be the best decision, as Derkack was named NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals a game in 2023-24. However, his career took a swift turn like a slippery race track after transferring to Rutgers. Derkack only started 10 games for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. Maybe a change of scenery will turn the tide, and a familiar face in Bennett could help Derkack revitalize himself into the POY-caliber athlete we saw just over a year ago.

     
     

4. De'Shayne Montgomery

   • Montgomery has been in many places in his career. He started at Mount St. Mary's, being named MAAC Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals. He also took the mid-major to "Power" conference route, ending up at Georgia in 2024-25. However, he would miss time after being academically ineligible. He did show some signs of potential, averaging 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 17 games played for the Bulldogs. He'll likely compete with Njie for the other starting guard position alongside Bennett, which should be a thing to keep an eye on. However, it's like choosing between cookies or ice cream; you can't go wrong either way.

     
     

5. Amael L'Etang

   • Grant, in his time with the Flyers, has always produced highly talented big men. Look no further than Obi Toppin, a key cog in the Pacers' Finals run, and first-round pick DaRon Holmes II. This time, he's gone international with the frontcourt. L'Etang was the primary center for Dayton, playing in 34 games and starting 18 while averaging 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 block a game. After committing to Dayton from Cholet Basket in France, L'Etang said he models his play style after Dirk Nowitzki. And, as you can see through the stats and on the film, he has the versatility that the Hall of Famer possessed throughout his career. The difference is L'Etang is 7'1", and with a year of experience under his belt, he looks to be one of the scariest returning bigs in conference.

6/11/2025

Davidson - 5 Names to Know for Next Season

1. Matt McKillop

   • Like father, like son? Well, not quite for Wildcats head coach Matt McKillop. I mean, it would be hard for anyone to emulate the legendary Bob McKillop, who amassed over 600 career wins at Davidson, let alone his son Matt. Since Bob rode off into the sunset, Matt has struggled to help the Wildcats return to a nationally recognized status. Over his first three seasons, Davidson has gone 48-49 overall and a horrifically underwhelming 19-35 in conference. While Matt's surname holds huge weight in Davidson basketball lore, this coming season will be a huge one after losing stars Reed Bailey and Bobby Durkin.

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2. Roberts Blums

   • Blums had an incredible resume overseas, as the Latvian made waves internationally as the MVP of the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship, Division B. Blums averaged 20 points and five rebounds after leading his home country to the tournament title. After NBA Draft considerations, Blums decided to go the college route and commit to Davidson. With a changing of the guard through transfers and other departures, Blums is now thrust into a big role for 2025. But, like Spongebob, I think he's ready, he's ready. He saw action in 31 of 33 of Davidson's contests, averaging 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Blums will be an interesting A-10 prospect to watch this coming season.

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3. Manie Joses

   • On the other hand, another rising sophomore is set to have a much bigger role in 2025. Joses, coming out of London, stands at 6'7" and saw some action last season. He played in 23 games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in around 13 minutes a game. The reason Joses is someone to look at is because of the shoes he'll have to fill this season. Think Shaquille O'Neal-size times ten. As I just mentioned, Davidson loses two of the top three scorers in Reed Bailey and Bobby Durkin. Both of whom played in the frontcourt, which thrusts an inexperienced Joses into a big role. Especially considering McKillop's coaching style, which utilizes active big men, Joses will have his hands more full than me at my job washing dishes.

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4. Parker Friedrichsen

   • Davidson hasn’t had the best luck in the transfer portal, but every player coming through will be vital to a pivotal season in Matt McKillop's tenure. Friedrichsen fills in for the departing Connor Kochera. At Wake Forest, Friedrichsen played in 66 total games in the Demon Deacons, averaging 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds on 32% three point shooting in 16 minutes per game. Though he will have big shoes to fill in Kochera, who was the Wildcats' second-leading scorer, Friedrichsen has a lot of experience in a high-octane conference like the ACC that can bring needed leadership on a young squad.

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5. JaQualon Roberts

   • Like Friedrichsen, Roberts brings in valuable experience from a high-level conference in the SEC. At 6'8", JQ brings additional huge needs in the frontcourt for Wildcats. But, like a fishing trip, there's a catch, as Roberts brings a lot of question marks. While he will be a key mentor for the young Joses, his freshman to sophomore contrast might spark some worry. In his freshman year at Vanderbilt, Roberts played in 26 games, starting four, while averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a night on 13 minutes per game. Yet his sophomore season saw him play in only 21 games with an average of 4.6 minutes a game. In a new setting in a smaller conference, Roberts has the upside to be a valuable cog in the Davidson machine, but there's also a chance the piece could fall loose and throw everything into disarray.

3/9/2025

As the famous saying goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Yet, I’m smiling even harder than one would think; a wildly incredible A-10 regular season gives way to what will be another amazing conference tournament. But let’s wrap up the final regular season games, shall we? 

VCU, their heads held high on a nine-game winning streak, on their way to clinching an A-10 regular season conference title. Then Dayton came through like Gandalf the Grey, letting the Rams know they would not be passing by. The Flyers won a big road matchup 79-76, with all five starters scoring double digits; Javon Bennett led the team with 22 points. 

A-10 kicked off early Saturday afternoon, with Loyola-Chicago taking on UMass in Amherst. The Ramblers put foot to pedal and did not let off, like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. Loyola jumped out to a 13-point lead before halftime, holding firmly onto the lead in a 74-51 victory. 

Rhode Island picked up a much-needed win for both conference seeding and team confidence. Is it a bit bad that they needed it against bottom-of-the-barrel Fordham? Not really. For Archie Miller and co., you’ll need to take what you can get. But if Jaden House and Sebastian Thomas keep playing like they did on Saturday, the Rams could make some noise. 

Last season, St. Bonaventure had a great look to the A-10 tournament before falling apart in the final regular season stretch. This year, despite their 7-9 slump after a 14-1 start, the Bonnies didn’t end so poorly. Bonaventure went on the road at Davidson and picked up a 64-61 win over a reeling Wildcats squad. Though most fans may be overly enthusiastic, I’m remaining cautious. Like Jeremy Renner told Scarlett Johansson in the latest Avengers film: “Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope.” 

Saint Joseph’s has been a quiet surprise in the A-10. But that doesn’t mean the legend Fran Dunphy was going to let his final home game be ruined. Dunphy’s La Salle downed the Hawks 81-74 in a Philadelphia vs. Philadelphia battle. I thought it was the City of Brotherly Love? Then again, it’s Philly, so all’s fair in love and war. Freshman Deuce Jones put up a season-high 27 in the win Saturday afternoon. 

Just like that, VCU’s loss paid huge dividends, as George Mason earned a share of the A-10 regular season title with their 64-60 win at Richmond. It almost didn’t come to be, as the Spiders took a 32-24 lead into halftime. But the Patriots prevailed to make the upcoming conference tournament a lot more intriguing. A horrendous regular season ended for Richmond, but the rain hasn’t washed the Spiders out of the waterspout just yet. 

The final regular season matchup, a late-night affair between Duquesne and Saint Louis, did not disappoint. The Billikens triumphed over the Dukes 90-88 in overtime, led by none other than Gibson Jimerson, who scored 35 points. I’m sure it looked no different than the Steelers trying to stop Lamar Jackson every NFL season. Old habits die hard. 

3/1/2025

Just yesterday I made an hour and a half drive home to begin my spring break, ready to take some much-needed rest. But how could I rest? A-10 basketball leaves no rest for the wicked!

On Friday, VCU continued to show that they’re the top dogs (or top rams, what ever have you) in the conference. They steamrolled Davidson 80-56, despite their top players Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile having off nights. Thanks to Jack Clark’s 18 and freshman Luke Bamgboye’s 17, Davidson finds their postseason path just a little harder to sniff out. 

Saint Joseph’s came out to a slow start Saturday against Fordham, trailing at halftime 47-45. But the trio of Xzayvier Brown, Erik Reynolds II and Rasheer Fleming were too much for the Rams, boosting the Hawks to a 90-76 win. Those three can now call themselves the best basketball trio in Philadelphia; though that’s easy when the 76ers are always stuck with two. 

In an afternoon shocker, and to the delight of VCU, the 13-16 Duquesne Dukes bested one of the A-10’s best in George Mason, 85-68. Tre Dinkins was unstoppable, making six threes en route to an upset win. After an 11-game win streak dating back to January 8th, the Patriots have gone 1-2 in their last three, leaving massive question marks come conference tournament time.

In a game where many expected a blowout, Dayton and Richmond instead put on a two-overtime clinic. The Flyers came out on top, 74-64, thanks to 18 points each from Enoch Cheeks and Nate Santos. Dayton looks to be flying high starting this month, while Richmond crashed and burned after a great 2024 season. 

The next contest was not a competition, but more of a slow, agonizing ride. Like getting stuck on the peak of the roller coaster. Though that’d be terrifying, which would be the case for Loyola-Chicago fans. Saint Louis dragged the Ramblers 98-67, with Gibson Jimerson putting up 33 points while Robbe Avila poured in 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Taking to our nation’s capital, George Washington bested La Salle 71-60. A big home win for both confidence and conference seeding, as the Revs sit just behind the top six. Rafael Castro turned the clock back to give a prime Shaq-esque performance, scoring 22 points with 16 rebounds. 

Rounding out the weekend slate of A-10 action were Rhode Island and UMass, who put on an offensive showing. Archie Miller’s Rams seem poised for a big win, going up 56-47 in the first half. But the Minutemen didn’t give up; and thank God they didn’t, because I wouldn’t be writing this if they quit! Wait, we’re talking about basketball. Right. Anyways, UMass ended up overcoming the deficit to win 91-88, led by Rahsool Diggins, who had 29 total points and six in the final minute of the game. 

2/23/2025

One month until the greatest sports extravaganza in the spring season, and the tension couldn’t be higher. And, of course, the Atlantic 10 is very much in the mix, turning into an all-out war to go into March with momentum. 

Friday started off with a key A-10 matchup, with Dayton taking on Loyola Chicago. The Flyers couldn’t handle the winds of Chicago, falling short in a 76-72 loss. Loyola’s star guard, Des Watson, scored 22 points to help push the Ramblers up in the standings. 

Then came Saturday, one of the most important days of the season in A-10 basketball, six games on hand. 

We first look at Philadelphia, home of the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Though this wasn’t as monumental, St. Joseph’s picked up a win over Richmond, 78-62. Erik Reynolds II scored 25, while Rasheer Fleming added 23 to help put the Hawks in the top five of the conference standings. As for Richmond, the Spiders keep getting stomped out of contention, a year removed from a regular-season conference title. 

Moving to the Eagles’ rival city in New York, Davidson defeated Fordham 80-69 on the road in the Bronx. The trio of Bobby Durkin, Reed Bailey and Connor Kochera combined for 54 points, channeling the domination of a familiar Bronx trio of Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. 

Way over to Saint Louis, the home team Billikens took down Rhode Island, 81-66. Despite having a record of 15-12, Saint Louis is tied for fourth in the standings with St. Joe’s and Dayton. Gibson Jimerson did what he does best: shoot threes, making five en route to 21 points and 11 rebounds. 

The story of the year in the A-10 so far has been George Mason, off to a torrid 21-5 start in coach Tony Skinn’s second season. They’ve been the big guys on the block; until now. Like Muse telling Captain Phillips, “I’m the captain now,” VCU reminded the Patriots of whose A-10 royalty with a 70-54 win. Max Shulga, my favorite Ukrainian Luka Doncic clone, scored 22 points on nine shots to give the Ryan Odom’s Rams sole possession of the conference.

And now, my beloved Bonnies. In their beautiful throwback uniforms, St. Bonaventure defeated Duquesne 70-63 to keep their hopes alive. Though a win over Duquesne would’ve been better 344 days ago, we live in the present! And the Bonnies look like they have something rolling with Melvin Council Jr. and Lajae Jones at the helm. On the other hand, congrats to Chance Moore on reaching 1000 career points!

And finally, to round out the worldwide joy of A-10 basketball, George Washington thrashed UMass, 74-52. Who could’ve seen our first President going Benedict Arnold on his own troops? Regardless, the Revs had three starters score double-digit points, with freshman Christian Jones leading the team with 17. Much like the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Minutemen ran out of ammunition in their push to A-10 glory. 

But if your team is near the bottom, don’t worry. If your team is toward the top, don’t get complacent. Because, in this conference, you always expect the unexpected.

2/6/2025

A busy, two day-stretch of Atlantic-10 basketball kicked off with a nail biter between Saint Louis and UMass. And by nail biter, I mean almost-bite-off-your-finger levels of nervousness. Though it didn’t start that way, as the Minutemen led the Billikens by 10 with 6:38 to go. But Saint Louis would not go away, as a huge turnover from UMass set up the game-winning three by the Billikens’ Isaiah Swope, giving Saint Louis a 73-71 road victory. It wouldn’t be the first time a sports team from Saint Louis snatched victory away from another team in Massachusetts (looking right at you, 2019 Bruins). 

In other news, VCU continues to prove themselves as the A-10’s gold standard, trouncing La Salle 96-66. This surely will be the only bad thing to happen to Philadelphia sports teams this week. The Explorers not only lost their map, but subsequently went down with their ship, as Max Shulga and Phillip Russell unleashed a volley of threes like cannonballs. Not only will Fran Dunphy need a new map, but he’ll also need a new ship. 

In a highly defensive battle, the Dayton Flyers overcame the Davidson Wildcats 69-63. Dayton starters went five for five scoring 10 points or more, a feat that would make Kendrick Lamar proud after his famous diss track, “Not Like Us” went five-for-five at the Grammys. But unlike Lamar’s highly publicized beef with fellow rapper Drake, the Davidson-Dayton game was much more evenly matched. Davidson led by one with under a minute left before untimely fouls and free throws sealed a Flyers win. 

Rounding out the Tuesday slate of games, my beloved Bonnies went into Windy City and got blown away by Loyola Chicago, 77-53. It was much different from the second VCU game, where at least St. Bonaventure showed promise before letting the game slip away. Rather, I felt more like Rocky watching Apollo Creed get decimated by Ivan Drago, being helpless to do anything to stop the madness. 

A massive A-10 matchup kicked off Wednesday’s action, in a battle of the Georges. Mason got the better of Washington, 53-50, continuing their dominant run in the conference. The Patriots’ Jalen Haynes delivered the knockout blow like George Foreman, hitting a layup with 46 seconds to go. 

Once again, another battle of the Rams! You’d think we were in the Pacific Northwest with how rams run around in the A-10. Last summary, it was VCU getting the best of Fordham. But now, it’s Fordham’s turn for Rams bragging rights, defeating Rhode Island 80-79 thanks to Jackie Johnson III’s 25 points and a game-winning layup from Matt Zona.  

To round out a hectic weekday slate, Richmond picked up a much-needed conference win 73-68 over Duquesne. The Spiders’ Jason Roche led the team with 14, including going 3-3 on three pointers. Eerily like Tobey Maguire going three-for-three on Spider-Man movies (the third movie is good; I will die on that hill). And although Duquesne’s Maximus Edwards and Tre Dinkins tried teaming up like Venom and Sandman in said third movie, the hero Spider always comes out on top. 

1/10/2025

You would think a Flyer would hold the advantage over a Minuteman, since planes weren’t a thing in the 1700s. Though taking flight would have you tried for witchcraft then.

But it’s 2025, and the Minutemen overcame the technological and judicial advances as UMass defeated Dayton 76-72 for their first conference win. Dayton dropped their second consecutive conference game, the first being a 20-point loss to George Washington. Dayton coach Anthony Grant must really dislike colonial history.

Speaking of George Washington, the first President’s school picked up a big road win over Rhode Island, 75-67. The game itself was a slugfest from beyond the arc, as both teams shot a combined 6-for-42 from three. Dwayne Wade’s statue was a more alluring sight than watching both teams shoot threes.

But the Revolutionaries pulled through, with two massive conference wins under their belt ahead of their January 15th matchup with Duquesne, who picked up a big win of their own this past Wednesday. The Dukes downed St. Joseph’s 85-81 in overtime, thanks in part to Tre Dinkins’ 26 points and David Dixon adding 17 off the bench. Following a 0-6 start, the Dukes have gone 7-3 including 2-1 in conference play in an attempt to defend their conference title. Wait… a Pittsburgh team losing games to subpar competition and suddenly winning big games… where have I heard this story before? 

Oddly similar correlations aside, Loyola-Chicago notched their first conference win over La Salle 79-68. Although La Salle are the Explorers, they couldn’t find Jayden Dawson on a map if he was marked by a big red X. The junior guard led the Ramblers in points, rebounds and assists with 20, 6 and 3 respectively. Fran Dunphy will have to channel his inner pirate and continue searching for La Salle’s first conference win. 

Rounding out the starting slate of A-10 basketball, George Mason defeated Richmond 64-58 to hand the Spiders their first conference loss. How ironic that a wolf spider scared my mom half to death just a few days ago, and now Richmond suffered their first loss in conference. Poetic justice, in my opinion.

And, in a battle of the Rams, VCU downed Fordham 73-61, the latter of the teams now 0-3 in conference play. Max Shulga once again had a great game, scoring 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. I will never believe that Shulga is, in fact, not a Ukrainian super soldier experiment trying to clone Luka Doncic.

Also, in a game that determined the top spot in the A-10, Saint Louis downed red-hot St. Bonaventure 73-68. The Bonnies heavily relied on their starters, as coach Mark Schmidt subbed in three players off the bench for a whopping total of 16 minutes. Maybe Schmidt thought his starting five were the Avengers, and though it would be kind of cool if Noel Brown could Hulk up and smash his way through the paint, they assembled too little too late. But the Billikens’ Gibson Jimerson looked like Hawkeye out there, scoring 28 points on 9-15 shooting and 6-11 from three. Someone should tell Jeremy Renner he has competition.

I apologize for my nerd outburst, but standings-wise, Saint Louis sits atop the A-10 at 3-0, while the Bonnies fell to 2-1 with their eight-game win-streak snapped. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be crying in a corner after the Bonnies missed out on a potential top five spot in the Domination Rankings