By Chris DiSano
It’s probably fitting that the month of February plays host to Groundhog Day because, once again this week, there’s another Friday night top-of-the-conference matchup slated for ESPN2 as still-perfect Rhode Island (13-0 A-10; and owner of the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 games) faces the rising St. Bonaventure Bonnies (9-4). Mark Schmidt’s club has fought back into a tie for second place, is firmly in the NCAA Tournament discussion and in rapid ascent having won seven straight. For a breakdown of this game, check out my Q&A with the BonaBlog. But plenty more around the league too… let’s take a look.
Double-bye anyone?
This week’s A-10 audience poll took aim at your perspective on which of the three teams currently 7-6 in league play – VCU, Saint Louis, or Richmond – you feel will ultimately secure one of the four double byes in the conference tournament. Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure and Davidson currently occupy spots one-through-three in the standings… and hot on the heels of the 7-6 squads are Duquesne, Saint Joe’s and George Mason – just a game off the pace at 6-7. Generating around 100 votes in seven hours, the majority of you, 54% to be exact, voted for VCU. The Rams do play three of the current bottom four teams in the league over their final five contests, albeit on the road. Their two home games are against the Bonnies and Patriots. We’ll see… as it’s been all year, this spot will be up for grabs.
Quote of the week
“It's really gratifying that we've had back-to-back good defensive performances from our team. That's what we want to focus on – to get our energy from the defensive end. Our guys are starting to make some progress in that regard.”
- George Mason head coach Dave Paulsen, after Wednesday night’s win over Dayton.
Ocean State Depth
Rhode Island continues to set the standard and depth is a major reason. The Rams’ bench has scored 41 points in each of its last two contests, wins over Davidson and Richmond. Jodi Pontbriand of URI Athletics Media Relations, unearthed this stat gem after the Richmond game, where five Rams scored in double-figures:
Rhode Island saw five players score in double figures for the fourth time this season. In each of these four contests, it has been a different group of five players scoring 10+ points each.
- Providence: Fatts Russell (20), Jarvis Garrett (15), Andre Berry (12), Jared Terrell (11) and Jeff Dowtin (10)
- FGCU: E.C. Matthews (20), Terrell (18), Stan Robinson (14), Dowtin (11), Berry (10)
- St. Bonaventure: Matthews (20), Dowtin (18), Terrell (13), Berry (12), Garrett (10)
- Richmond: Terrell (17), Cyril Langevine (15), Russell (14), Dowtin (11), Berry (10)
G²
Richmond remains firmly in the mix for a double-bye and top four conference seed this year… but after seeing them live it’s tough to not hit the fast forward button. The Spiders currently trot out one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen in their starting five. Those frosh are Jacob Gilyard and Grant Golden, hereinafter known as G². Golden (16 points, 6.4 rebounds per game), a frontrunner for Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year is a 6-10, 260 pounder with that weight evenly distributed throughout his frame. He’s highly skilled, fluid and runs the floor exceptionally well. As he rounds out his perimeter effectiveness, pairing it with his touch around the tin, he is going to be a nightmare for defenses. Gilyard (10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4 assists per game), a 5-9 guard from Kansas City is already playing iron man minutes and can do a bit of everything. He effectively gets his team into sets, is extremely poised, and has the look of another great find in the long list of smaller guards (Kevin Anderson, Cedrick Lindsay, Kendall Anthony, ShawnDre Jones) that Chris Mooney has recruited and developed in Richmond through the years.
Name to Know
Pierfrancesco Oliva (6.5ppg, 7.3rpg) missed last year due to injury and it always takes time to regain timing, feel -- and confidence above all else. Against Fordham earlier this week, the 6-8 sophomore recorded 10 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds, flashing the versatile skill set that will aid him as he matures on Hawk Hill. Fordham was content to give him the mid-range and perimeter looks and he capitalized. Keep an eye on him as he builds that confidence down the stretch. So who’s playing this weekend?
Friday:
- No. 16 Rhode Island at St. Bonaventure – 7pm (ESPN2)
Saturday:
- George Mason at La Salle – 2pm
- VCU at George Washington – 4pm (Stadium)
- Duquesne at Saint Joseph’s – 6pm
- Saint Louis at Richmond – 6pm
- Massachusetts at Davidson – 7pm
- Fordham at Dayton – 7pm
We’ll wrap with this…
Hey folks, they might not be stealing headlines but the rebuild is well under way in Saint Louis. Travis Ford’s team is now 14-12 overall and quietly has inched up the Atlantic 10 table into a tie for fourth at 7-6. Winners of four out of five, they’re doing it in the “hustle stats” department, ranking in the top 3 in the league in rebounding margin (1st), field goal percentage defense (2nd) and blocked shots (3rd). Watch for the Billikens to make someone’s life miserable in the A-10 Championship.
Chris DiSano, is an Atlantic 10 television analyst and writer. He has served as the host of A-10 Live! at Men's Basketball Media Day and founded the former College Chalktalk. DiSano, who was named an NBC Sports top Atlantic 10 basketball follow, can be found on Twitter at @CDiSano44