From CBS...
Typically by this time of year, the Atlantic 10 and the American Athletic Conference have a couple of teams comfortably into the field and some others on the bubble. This year, there's only one team in either league that can feel good about getting picked, and that's Dayton.
The American's top team (SMU) is ineligible, which obviously doesn't help. However, nobody else has asserted itself this season to grab hold of a tournament spot.
Typically by this time of year, the Atlantic 10 and the American Athletic Conference have a couple of teams comfortably into the field and some others on the bubble. This year, there's only one team in either league that can feel good about getting picked, and that's Dayton.
The American's top team (SMU) is ineligible, which obviously doesn't help. However, nobody else has asserted itself this season to grab hold of a tournament spot.
- Temple leads the league, which would normally be a very comfortable position, but the Owls struggled in non-conference play, so it's taken this kind of run just to get on the bubble. Temple played five good non-conference opponents and lost to all of them. Their six non-conference wins all came against teams ranking below 200 in the RPI. They still have a Big 5 game left against Villanova.
In the league though, Temple has dominated the other league contenders. The Owls are 6-0 against SMU, Cincinnati, Connecticut and Tulsa. Their only losses have come to Houston, Memphis and East Carolina, the latter two being the only bad losses on the Owls' resume.
- Connecticut has the two best non-conference wins, having beaten Texas and Michigan, but is struggling against the better teams in the league. The Huskies beat Tulsa over the weekend for their first win against the bubble teams in this group. They were 0-4 before that. They still have a home-and-home with SMU, which are chances to play themselves off the bubble.
- Cincinnati has a win at UConn in the league and beat VCU and George Washington in non-conference play, which is nice if the Bearcats are competing for a spot with those teams. They would be in better shape if they defended their home floor better. Cincinnati has lost to Temple and Butler at home.
- Tulsa's tournament hopes were revived when the Golden Hurricane won at SMU last week. There's isn't much else to get excited about on their resume, although they do have home wins over UConn and Wichita State. They also lost at home to Oral Roberts.
