A10 Tournament Possibilities

[redbengal]

With 3 games left before A10 Tourney time, things are shaking out just a little bit for the Flyers. With the St. Joe's loss, it now appears very likely that the 7 seed will belong to UD. This would be disappointing on many levels. It's tough to take a 7th place A10 team as a 4th or 5th at-large from the conference (along with the tourney winner). Plus, the prognosticators would be exactly right with Dayton this year. 7th place. Truly the middle of the pack when there's 13 teams total. Not that a slight seed improvement isn't possible. But nothing higher than #6 (maybe) without a win at SLU and some other things falling into place.

GW has only one loss less than UD and UD has the head-to-head. But they finish with GMU, JOES, and @FOR. So that's likely a 10-6 for them. VCU is 8-4 and has to play SLU and @RICH. But they also have @FOR and SBON. So 10 wins is looking likely there. UMass has @DUQ which should allow them to pick up win #10.

The target, not just for A10 Tourney seeding but also possibly for an NCAA bid, is Richmond. They are home to VCU before coming to the Arena to finish the season. Very possible to be tied for 6th at 9-7 with them IF we can knock off UMass on Saturday. For 9-7 plus A10 Tourney damage to be the magic formula for the Flyers, I think it's imperative that Richmond is no better than 9-7. Does anyone know, if the two are tied at 9-7 with nobody else, who wins the tiebreaker for the 6th seed?

I'm not forgetting, btw, that slipping to #8 (currently SBON) or #9 (currently LAS) is possible. But SBU (6-8) finishes vs JOES and @VCU while LAS (5-8) ends @JOES. So unless we stay stuck on 7 W's (God help this board and all of us if we do) I think the #7 is pretty much ours.

Assuming the 7 seed for a moment, that means SBON and LAS will have a rematch of tonight's close tilt while Dayton faces the "best" of the group of DUQ, URI, GMU, and FOR. Of that group, 3 have 10 L's and only Rhody has 11. So the first question would be, which team would we WANT to play? I'm going with Fordham since URI beat us (and always has our number), DUQ should have beaten us, and GMU is better than the night we played them.

If we get by that game, how excited would 1) players, and 2) fans be to see the Hawks looming in the Quarters? I'm thinking fans would NOT want any part of that action. I would HOPE the players would relish the chance.

With either the 6 or 7 seed - and with SJU and VCU likely to finish in 2nd and 3rd place (or 3rd and 2nd), it would seem the path to the A10 Tourney Finals would be something like this:

RD1: George Mason
QF: St. Joe's
SF: VCU
FIN: SLU

That's a tough row to hoe. Would 9-7 plus a loss to VCU in the Semi's get it done? Or would we have to go through both SJU and VCU in such a scenario in order to be NCAA bracket worthy? I'm just glad there are still possibilities other than winning the whole A10 Tournament (at least for now).

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	St Bonaventure SAINT BONAVENTURE Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Fordham FORDHAM Fordham University is an independent Jesuit university established in 1841 as St. John's College on old Rose Hill Manor in the village of Fordham, then part of Westchester County in the Bronx, NY. The name Fordham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "ford" and "ham," meaning a wading place or ford by a settlement. Rose Hill is the name given to the site in 1787 by Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home of the same name in Scotland. The College was originally staffed by diocesan clergy. The name was officially changed to Fordham University in 1907. Fordham's 10 schools enroll 14,448 students. There are 7,652 undergraduates, of whom 3,842 live in University-managed housing either on-campus or in the local community. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams. Athletic claim to fame is consistent mediocrity in nearly all sports and few A10 title winning programs.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[priceg75]

If we split with Richmond and both finish 9-7, I think next tiebreaker is best winning percentage against the highest finishing teams. They would win that by virtue of their win over St. Joseph's.

Personally, I would love another chance at St. Joseph's in Brooklyn (assuming we win our 7/10 game). LOVE IT. Very winnable, even considering the massacre we all just witnessed.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

[SC_Flyer]

I have posted in years past about my dislike of pods. While I know for a fact our pod is not the reason we are in the state we are in, I was still surprised to find out that once again, based on RPI, we have the hardest pod in all of the A-10. Why does this seem to happen every year?

I thought this thread might be a good one to share this data instead of starting a new one.

The table below shows an average RPI for each team's 4 podmates. I didn't list out the podmates for each team as it is pulled from a spreadsheet and I simply didn't have time, but you can see them at this link:

http://www.atlantic10.com/ViewArticl...CLID=208916402

--------|----------------|---------------|
TEAM       Ave POD RPI     A-10 Standing
--------|----------------|---------------|
DAY            63.3               7
FOR            66.0              13
GM             69.3              10  
VCU            73.0               4
URI            74.3              12
SJU            80.0               2
DUQ            86.8              10
UR             92.0               5
LAS            94.5               9
SBU            95.8               8
UM            106.5               3
SLU           111.0               1
GW            114.8               5      

[redbengal]

Things are looking better for our Flyers as the A10 Tournament looms less than 2 weeks from now. Big thanks go out to Rhode Island and St. Joe's for their wins over Richmond and St. Bonaventure respectively. Forham almost pulled off a big win over LaSalle but I do believe that by virtue of the Bonnies losing there is now no doubt that Dayton can finish no worse than 7th (may have not even needed the Bonnie loss since we've beaten both them and LaSalle this year).

I know there's another thread talking about the possibilities of still finishing with the 4 seed. And it's nice to know we're still alive for that. I'm trying to figure out in this thread, though, what seed UD will get and who they'll likely play if they finish the year as expected. With the recent SLU slide, they could either be ripe for the picking or, more likely, ready to take out their frustrations on their next opponent. One thing that goes against the Flyers in this rematch is that SLU won't allow Dayton to run in nearly the way that UMass just did. Remember, the 1st game score was 67-59.

So, if we lose at SLU and win the finale against Richmond as most expect, that leaves us 9-7. Here are seeding questions at this point:

1. If we end up tied with Richmond and no others at 9-7 (they would need to defeat VCU this week to set that scenario up), would the Spiders get the 6 seed? Based on the post above it looks like they would.
2. If GW loses to JOE's and @FOR this week to finish 9-7 along with UD and Richmond, how would seeds 5-7 get distributed?
3. If UMass loses out this week (@DUQ, SLU) how would seeds 5-7 get distributed among Dayton, Richmond, and the Minutemen? (This scenario is probably more likely than GW losing out)

Of course, there are other scenarios such as beating SLU on Wednesday or having 4 teams tied at 9-7. But I'm curious about the ones above since they appear the most likely (especially the one where we beat Richmond and end up in a 2-way tie with them at 9-7).

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	St Bonaventure SAINT BONAVENTURE Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[Figgie123]

Originally Posted by redbengal So, if we lose at SLU and win the finale against Richmond as most expect, that leaves us 9-7. Here are seeding questions at this point: 1. If we end up tied with Richmond and no others at 9-7 (they would need to defeat VCU this week to set that scenario up), would the Spiders get the 6 seed? Based on the post above it looks like they would. 2. If GW loses to JOE's and @FOR this week to finish 9-7 along with UD and Richmond, how would seeds 5-7 get distributed? 3. If UMass loses out this week (@DUQ, SLU) how would seeds 5-7 get distributed among Dayton, Richmond, and the Minutemen? (This scenario is probably more likely than GW losing out) Of course, there are other scenarios such as beating SLU on Wednesday or having 4 teams tied at 9-7. But I'm curious about the ones above since they appear the most likely (especially the one where we beat Richmond and end up in a 2-way tie with them at 9-7).

If UD and Richmond are tied straight up, Richmond probably gets the nod over UD. Head to head is 1-1. UD would be 0-2 against Saint Louis, while Richmond is 0-1. UD is also 0-2 against Saint Joseph's while Richmond is 1-0. And then VCU, UD is 0-1, Richmond would then be 1-1. So, we don't want a 2-way tie between UD and Richmond.

Massachusetts lost to both Richmond and Dayton, so they don't help our cause, as both UD and Richmond would be 2-1, while Massachusetts would be 0-2, then we go back to head-to-head with Richmond, which doesn't bode well for us.

George Washington, though, we beat them and GW beat Richmond, and Mass beat GW. So, UD would be 3-1, Richmond 2-2, GW 1-2, Mass 1-2. Bam, we get ahead of them. If you take Mass out, UD 2-1, Rich 1-2, GW 1-1.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	George Washington GEORGE WASHINGTON Students choose from two distinct GW campuses — Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon. Both are located in historic and prestigious Northwest Washington, DC residential neighborhoods. With 9,700 undergraduate students, GW was founded almost 200 years ago and is named after the first President of the United States. GW stands as one of the nation's premier academic institutions with dozens of famous political, social, science, liberal arts, medical and professional graduates to its credit. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Colonials.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[redbengal]

10-6. Quite an achievement! At this hour we know the Flyers will finish with either the 5 or 6 seed. 4 seed went out the window this afternoon when GW held on to nip Fordham by 3. The 7 seed is also gone after the solid W over Richmond tonight.

So the 5 seed hangs in the balance based on the SLU @ UMass result tomorrow. A UMass win gives Dayton the 6 seed and a matchup with 11 seed Rhode Island. A SLU win gives the Flyers the 5 seed and a game against the winner of Fordham and George Mason.

Question: if you're UD, would you rather have the 6 seed and be able to focus on just one team this week? Or would you rather take the 5 and prepare for 2 possible teams, not knowing who you'll get until less than 24 hours before you play them? The big advantage there, though, is that the 12/13 winner has to play back-to-back nights while the Flyers would not.

Personally, I'd rather have the 5 seed. Not just for the advantage listed above. But also because it means there won't be 5 other teams with more W's in conference than us. Just takes one more concern off the table for the NCAA Selection Committee.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	Fordham FORDHAM Fordham University is an independent Jesuit university established in 1841 as St. John's College on old Rose Hill Manor in the village of Fordham, then part of Westchester County in the Bronx, NY. The name Fordham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "ford" and "ham," meaning a wading place or ford by a settlement. Rose Hill is the name given to the site in 1787 by Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home of the same name in Scotland. The College was originally staffed by diocesan clergy. The name was officially changed to Fordham University in 1907. Fordham's 10 schools enroll 14,448 students. There are 7,652 undergraduates, of whom 3,842 live in University-managed housing either on-campus or in the local community. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams. Athletic claim to fame is consistent mediocrity in nearly all sports and few A10 title winning programs.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[FlyerGuyer]

5 seed. Rhode Island always makes me nervous no matter their record haha.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

[m21eagle45]

Originally Posted by redbengal 10-6. Quite an achievement! At this hour we know the Flyers will finish with either the 5 or 6 seed. 4 seed went out the window this afternoon when GW held on to nip Fordham by 3. The 7 seed is also gone after the solid W over Richmond tonight. So the 5 seed hangs in the balance based on the SLU @ UMass result tomorrow. A UMass win gives Dayton the 6 seed and a matchup with 11 seed Rhode Island. A SLU win gives the Flyers the 5 seed and a game against the winner of Fordham and George Mason. Question: if you're UD, would you rather have the 6 seed and be able to focus on just one team this week? Or would you rather take the 5 and prepare for 2 possible teams, not knowing who you'll get until less than 24 hours before you play them? The big advantage there, though, is that the 12/13 winner has to play back-to-back nights while the Flyers would not. Personally, I'd rather have the 5 seed. Not just for the advantage listed above. But also because it means there won't be 5 other teams with more W's in conference than us. Just takes one more concern off the table for the NCAA Selection Committee.

I would rather be the 5. You have played each team at least once this year. For the most part the teams do not change much so there wouldn't be that much more to prepare for. Also, playing one less day is a HUGE advantage come the finals is we make it there.

	Richmond UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Founded in 1830, the private liberal arts university in the Commonwealth boasts 2,800 students in 57 majors within its picturesque 350-acre campus. The Robins School of Business is one of the Top-20 business schools in the country. Nickname is the Spiders and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	Fordham FORDHAM Fordham University is an independent Jesuit university established in 1841 as St. John's College on old Rose Hill Manor in the village of Fordham, then part of Westchester County in the Bronx, NY. The name Fordham is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "ford" and "ham," meaning a wading place or ford by a settlement. Rose Hill is the name given to the site in 1787 by Robert Watts, a wealthy New York merchant, in honor of his family's ancestral home of the same name in Scotland. The College was originally staffed by diocesan clergy. The name was officially changed to Fordham University in 1907. Fordham's 10 schools enroll 14,448 students. There are 7,652 undergraduates, of whom 3,842 live in University-managed housing either on-campus or in the local community. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams. Athletic claim to fame is consistent mediocrity in nearly all sports and few A10 title winning programs.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[T-Bone 84]

Agree completely, redbengal. Give me the 5 seed, let me play somebody who just had to play the night before (and not named Rhode Island), and I'll take my chances. Plus, my daughter is a SLU grad, so (Crews notwithstanding) I root for them whenever they're not playing our Flyers.

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[66flyer]

Just printed off the tourney bracket from a link on spidernation.com. I agree about being 5th. We would play the winner of the last place teams--better than #10 for the 6th seed.
I think we are on a good roll again and have done well on the road, for the most part. Trying not to get hopes up too high, but I feel good about the first game at least and maybe more. We CAN beat any team in this conference, but it depends on which team shows up. The SLU win on the road has got to be the best confidence builder. Big guys better do more than they did tonight.
GO FLYERS!

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.

[longtimefan]

Originally Posted by m21eagle45 I would rather be the 5. You have played each team at least once this year. For the most part the teams do not change much so there wouldn't be that much more to prepare for. Also, playing one less day is a HUGE advantage come the finals if we make it there.

Not sure what you mean. The 5 and the 6 play the same number of games.