The Atlantic 10 conference tournament tips off Wednesday, with seven of the league's 15 teams entering the postseason bracket with 20 or more wins during the regular season. All 15 teams will participate in the conference tournament, with the top four seeds automatically progressing to the quarterfinal round. According to Jerry Palm's latest bracketology update on CBS Sports, the A-10 will be a one-bid league with both VCU and Dayton on the bubble. Could a potential matchup in the final between the Rams and Flyers ultimately settle things? Here's how the bracket sets up for the A-10 conference tournament.
Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Schedule
First Round
No. 12 Davidson vs. No. 13 Richmond
No. 10 Rhode Island vs. No. 15 Fordham
No. 11 UMass vs. No. 14 LaSalle
Second Round
No. 8 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 9 Duquesne
No. 5 Saint Louis vs. No. 12 Davidson/No. 13 Richmond
No. 7 George Washington vs. No. 10 Rhode Island/No. 15 Fordham
No. 6 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 11 UMass/No. 14 LaSalle
Quarterfinals
QF1 - No. 1 VCU vs. No. 8 St. Bonaventure/No. 9 Duquesne
QF2 - No. 4 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 5 Saint Louis/No. 12 Davidson/No. 13 Richmond
QF3 - No. 2 George Mason vs. No. 7 George Washington/No. 10 Rhode Island/No. 15 Fordham
QF4 - No. 3 Dayton vs. No. 6 Saint Joseph's/No. 11 UMass/No. 14 LaSalle
Semifinals
SF1 - Winner of QF1 vs. Winner of QF2
SF2 - Winner of QF3 vs. Winner of QF4
Final
Winner of SF1 vs. Winner of SF2
VCU lost to Dayton in the final game of the regular season, but had won nine straight entering that contest. The Rams are -115 favorites to win the conference tournament at FanDuel behind a stellar defense. Though it's not quite like the famed "Havoc" system which took VCU to a Final Four under Shaka Smart, the Rams are the best team in the conference in points allowed per game and turnovers forced. They are just behind George Mason (+700) in opponent field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage. VCU beat George Mason in the lone regular season meeting between the two teams. The Patriots do have a knack for winning close games, taking two games in overtime and one game in double overtime during their 11-game winning streak in the middle of conference play.
The Flyers (+440) closed the regular season with four wins, including a victory over VCU. Dayton has a balanced offense with four players averaging double figures, headlined by Nate Santos (14.1 ppg). The Flyers don't turn the ball over much and have the league's second-best 3-point percentage, so they could be a tough out if they get hot from downtown.
Saint Louis (+2000) won four of its last five games and has the offensive firepower to create chaos in this bracket. The Billikens have two of the top five scorers in the conference in Gibson Jimerson (18.3 ppg) and Indiana State transfer Robbie Avila (17.4 ppg). Guard Isaiah Swope is not a bad third option at 16.4 points per game. Saint Louis is the most efficient team from the floor in the conference, which helps in a short tournament format.
SportsLine expert Thomas Casale has picked Dayton to win the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. But which teams are experts backing in the other conference tournaments? You can get the best bets for every conference tournament at SportsLine. You can also find the SportsLine Projection Model's simulations for every game.