Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament

BRACKET:

#8 Dayton vs. #9 St. Louis
Winner Plays #1 Xavier

#5 St. Joseph's vs. #12 Fordham
Winner Plays #4 Richmond

#7 LaSalle vs. #10 Duquense
Winner Plays #2 Temple

#6 Charlotte vs. #11 Rhode Island
Winner Plays #3 UMass

Favorite - Xavier. The Musketeers have been atop the A-10 all season, posting a 14-2 record in conference. Already a guaranteed lock for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, a win of the conference tourney could get Xavier as high as a two seed. This season Xavier has used a dominating combination of experience, balance and depth en route to a 26-5 record and a top ten ranking.

Sleepers - This year's tournament is full of them - from Rhode Island, a team that beat Syracuse, UAB, and Providence, at #11 to Dayton, who knocked off Louisville and Pitt when healthy, at #8. But I like #5 St. Joe's as a sleeper pick. They get Fordham in the first round, and face Richmond in the second round. Remember this St. Joe's squad is the only team to beat Xavier since mid-January. I think the A-10, as much as any conference, is primed for upsets this year. There are five teams (URI, UMass, Dayton, St. Joe's, and Temple) that have at-large hopes, and all five really could use a couple wins here to improve their standing with the committee.

Most Intriguing Match-up - If Dayton can get by St. Louis, they get Xavier in the second round. Dayton and Xavier were expected to compete for the conference crown, but after a rash of injuries (including to second leading scorer Chris Wright), Dayton's record in conference was a disappointing 8-8. If they can beat Xavier, then that could be enough for them to earn an at-large bid.

My Pick - Xavier. I know, its a cop-out, but they are just too good this year.