“I always kind check off the season in certain ways,” said VCU coach Will Wade on Monday on the weekly A-10 coaches teleconference. “I always think if you can get to double-digit wins in the non-conference, that’s a check mark. If you can get a conference tournament bye, that’s a check mark you want. Once you check that off, you focus on winning the regular-season title. You know that bye gives you one of the best opportunities to win the league tournament.”
At this point, VCU would get the No. 1 seed because it beat Dayton, but the teams play again on March 1 at UD Arena, and each team has a challenging road in the last two weeks.
The Rams host Saint Louis on Wednesday. That’s a game they should win. Their odds of winning the next game, Saturday at Rhode Island, are 42 percent, according to KenPom.com.
VCU built some momentum for the week ahead with a strong performance against its crosstown rival Richmond (15-11, 9-5) on Friday. The Rams swept the season series with an 84-73 victory.
“It was a tremendous game for the league on ESPN2,” Wade said. “I think both teams showed well. It showed well for our league. The second half was as well as we’ve played in a while on the road.”
Rhode Island rallies: Rhode Island (17-9, 9-5) had an up-and-down week. It suffered one of the most surprising losses in A-10 play this season by a home team, falling 53-43 to Fordham on Wednesday. It bounced back to win 77-74 at George Mason (18-9, 8-6) on Saturday.
“We really had to show resiliency and character to walk out of there with a win,” Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley said. “We’re thrilled with the way the week ended. We weren’t thrilled with the way it started.”
Two straight for Davidson: Davidson, another inconsistent team, won two games last week after losing three in a row. The Wildcats beat George Washington 74-63 at home on Wednesday and then won 79-74 at Massachusetts on Saturday.
Davidson plays at Richmond at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Dayton (14-11, 7-7) plays at Davidson at 9 p.m. Friday.
“It was a good week for us,” Davidson coach Bob McKillop said. “Anytime you get two victories, you’re a happy guy. I’m not just happy because of the two victories, but I think we’re getting better as a team. I’m delighted with our focus. I’m excited with how the rest of this A-10 schedule is going to play out. It’s an exciting time of year.”
RPI update: No. 25 VCU and No. 27 lead the A-10 in the RPI. Following them are: No. 51 Rhode Island; No. 95 St. Bonaventure; No. 99 La Salle; No. 100 Richmond; No. 106 Davidson; No. 119 George Mason; No. 132 George Washington; No. 164 St. Joseph's; No. 183 Massachusetts; No. 193 Fordham; No. 230 Duquesne; and No. 251 Saint Louis.
Poll news: VCU just missed moving into the top 25 Monday in the Associated Press poll. It's No. 26.
Dayton ranks 31st. Two voters ranked Dayton No. 23. Three had them at No. 25.
About the Author
