Temple Basketball

Temple University is reportedly on the cusp of moving to the Big East for football and basketball. This speaks to the incredible resurrection of the football program by former and current coaches Al Golden and Steve Addazio. It was only 11 years ago that the Big East voted to boot Temple from the conference for being a financial drain. 

But Temple football may return to the Big East with the basketball program, currently a member of the Atlantic 10, in tow. So what does that mean for the six Philadelphia area schools that play Division I hoops?

Temple stands to reap the most benefit. The school’s national profile would jump dramatically with several more televised games. Suddenly it’d be on ESPN or ESPN2 with regularity. It’d play its conference tournament at Madison Square Garden instead of Atlantic City or Brooklyn. People would realize its coach is no longer John Chaney.

Temple’s Big 5 rivalry with Villanova would be heightened, which could help both schools recruit. And if Temple was to continue its football rebirth, and perhaps earn a ticket to a high-profile bowl game or two, it could create a halo effect to help land hoops recruits to North Broad Street.

When it comes to Big East basketball, Villanova has had the fourth largest TV market to itself for more than three decades. Not being able to tell recruits that it’s the only Big East school in the market can’t be good. But Villanova has a great legacy, scoring arguably the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history in 1985 and going to the Final Four as recently as 2009 (Temple hasn’t been to the final Four since 1958).

Villanova also has a beautiful campus in the leafy, Main Line suburbs. While the football team won the FCS national championship in 2009, there’s still plenty of room for the basketball recruit who wants to be the BMOC.

The trickle down effect means that St. Joe’s would become the biggest Philadelphia school in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Coach Phil Martelli could be content to let the big boys knock themselves out for exposure and recruits while he continues to find success in his little corner of the college basketball world. St. Joe’s could be the Tampa Bay Rays to Villanova and Temple’s Yankees and Red Sox. In this analogy, La Salle, having a nice year at 18-9, is the Toronto Blue Jays.

Elsewhere, coach Bruiser Flint has Drexel playing well (23-5). The school’s profile has been helped by playing in a conference that has sent two schools to recent Final Fours (George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011). Temple's move to the Big East would likely have no effect on the Dragons, nor Penn, who has long been a force in the non-scholarship Ivy League.

Of course, the possibility remains that Temple could use the Big East as pit stop on the way to the ACC. After all, the ACC has gobbled up Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Temple is attractive since it’s located in the second largest TV market on the East Coast. Such a move would return Villanova to its status as the only Big East school in the Philadelphia area.

But that is a story for another day. For now, it’s about Temple basketball possibly joining the Big East Conference. One hopes that if Temple does go big time, the school stays true to its roots at the head coach position. The last two men to run the program, John Chaney and Fran Dunphy, came from, respectively, Cheyney State and Penn. It is difficult to imagine a Big East school in the 21^st Century affording a Division II or an Ivy League coach the opportunity to head its program. 

A 10-game winning streak delivers a few things to a basketball team.  It instills confidence in a team as they wind down the season. It begets fear and trepidation in opposing teams. It also garners the recognition of the polls, and a top-25 ranking.

Both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP rank Temple at No. 22. The Owls are finally getting what Miss Aretha Franklin requested in 1967— a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Temple's ascent to the Top 25 could not have arrived at a better time. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Owls and their blue collar, Broad Street swagger have the moxie to close out their regular season Atlantic-10 Conference play on a 14-game winning streak.

The Owls are favorites for the A-10 crown, but the road to their fourth A-10 championship in five seasons likely passes through an overachieving Saint Louis team that is only one half game behind Temple for first place.

Temple defeated the Billikens at their house on January 11, 72-67. Saint Louis is clamoring for A-10 respect, and they have their eyes set on a championship. However, the Owls of now are battle tested, healthy and possess the pride of a team that has been winning handily. With arguably one of the best trio of guards (Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt and Juan Fernandez) in the entire country, Temple has the talent and ability to dominate the upcoming A-10 tournament. 

Temple is currently sitting at 21 wins. If they reach 25 wins, the Owls can expect either a sixth or seventh seed in the NCAA tournament. If the Owls reach 28 wins (four more regular season wins and another three A-10 tournament wins), they will be deserving of a fifth seed. With such a high seed, the Owls will be truly getting the respect they deserve.

My bold prediction is that Temple is a Sweet 16 team. They are eight players strong, and their defense is tough enough to lead them there. The only thing better than Temple getting the respect is Temple getting the wins. The next month of play will surely be exciting times for this Temple team.

The Temple Owls are flying high after notching their ninth consecutive win, a 76-70 victory over St. Bonaventure. With a 20-5 overall record and 9-2 conference record, Temple is sitting in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 conference. Six of the nine straight wins have been by double digits, and the Owls are playing their best ball of the season. They are favorites to win the A-10 conference, and senior guard Ramon Moore is likely, and deservedly so, to be named the A-10 Player of the Year.

Joe Lunardi predicts that Temple will be a sixth seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament, a prospect that makes fans giddy. This team has the toughness and resilience to make a statement in the tournament and should be a dark horse for the Sweet 16.  Besides the great one-two punch of Moore and junior guard Khalif Wyatt, senior guard Juan Fernandez provides leadership and clutch shooting. All three players will be relied on for this team to advance. 

However, the X-factor for this Temple team is senior center Michael Eric. A patella injury caused Eric to miss 13 games this season. He has returned slowly and played in the last eight games. As his minutes have increased, so has his production. Temple is not a very tall team and Eric's 6-11 height will be needed if they face a bigger team in the tournament.

Eric has averaged double digit rebounds (12.8 rpg) in games he's played more than 25 minutes. Coach Fran Dunphy has worked Eric back into the game slowly and his minutes have increased little by little over the past five games. It's fair to say that he's not totally 100 percent healthy and fully in game shape, but with five games remaining, he should be before the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Eric defends the post well and is a good rebounder. If Eric's playing close to 30 minutes a game, he is good for a double-double. Eric is not a natural scorer, but Temple doesn't need him to be. If he continues to rebound and block shots, he's the X-factor needed to keep the defense honest against Moore and Wyatt. In the tournament, his height and post presence will be the X-factor if Temple is to make a deep tournament run.

If one word describes this Temple basketball team, that word is resilient.

The Owls, down by 12 at halftime to a struggling George Washington team, rallied with a 50 point second half to win 79-72. The win marks Temple's seventh straight win and keeps the Owls in command of first place in the Atlantic-10 conference.

The Colonials opened the second half by increasing their double digit lead to 15 points. The Owls displayed their resilience in fighting back, despite senior guard Juan Fernandez suffering a hip pointer and sitting out for most of the final seven minutes of the game.

In the second half, led by  dynamic guard duo of Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt, Temple shot 52 percent from the field and held the Colonials to 38 percent shooting. 

Moore, a favorite for A-10 Player of the Year honors, finished with 25 points and four assists. Wyatt, despite being pulled from the starting line up as punishment for study hall tardiness, finished with 22 points. Michael Eric, still working himself back after a patella injury, played a solid 23 minutes and finished with nine points and six rebounds. 

Temple's second half play demonstrated the resilience that this team embodies. Many teams, down by 15, would have not had the fortitude to fight back and win. These wins, where leadership and toughness prevail, build character for a team inching closer to an A-10 title and a tourney berth. The Owls will need to continue to show such resilience as they face six teams with winning records in the final seven game stretch.

After two early losses in conference play to Dayton and Richmond, Temple seems to be finding its groove at just the right time. The Owls are owners of a five-game win streak, including a 13-point victory over ACC opponent Maryland. It's important for teams to play well before the madness of March arrives. No team wants to enter their conference tournament still searching for the recipe to win.

Though the Owls are a true definition of a team that plays "team ball," their current streak owes much to the great play of guards Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt. The two guards have stepped up tremendously this season and play very well together. The Moore-Wyatt duo is averaging over 33 points per game, and with Juan Fernandez (11.8 PPG and 4.1 APG) the Owls feature a deadly backcourt trio. 

The Owls are only going to get better with the return of center Michael Eric from a patella injury. Freshman Anthony Lee has played valiantly in Eric's absence, but Eric's size and rebounding have been missed. As Eric's minutes increase, Lee and Eric will become a formidable frontcourt tandem.

With nine games remaining, Temple needs to win at least six to lock up a NCAA tournament bid. With 22 wins, upsets over Duke and Villanova and the nation's 13th best RPI, the Owls should be assured a berth. Six more wins would also ensure that Temple secures a high seeding in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, where the Owls have dominated as of late, winning three of the last four championships.

The A-10 is wide open as of now, with La Salle only a half-game in front of the Owls for first place. Temple beat La Salle in mid-January, a win that served as a catalyst for the current winning streak. If the Owls continue playing this well, they will be competing for another A-10 championship come March.

Over the last five years, Xavier and Temple have been the two powerhouses in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

While Temple has won the last three Atlantic 10 Tournaments, Xavier continually gets dispatched early on. 

In the end, it really doesn't matter because the Musketeers do their damage in the NCAA Tournament.  They're in the Sweet Sixteen every year!

Temple on the other hand has lost convincingly in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years. 

The Owls won the first two A-10 crowns because they were desperately seeking to get into the tournament. They wouldn't have gotten in as an at-large in each of those years. 

Last year, Temple still won being the favorite as a No. 1 seed.

Usually I'm not in favor of losing, but in some ways I'd feel better if Temple lost tomorrow's semifinal. They've looked really good in their A-10 tournament wins the last three years, but then they tank in the Big Dance.

They lost in 2008 as a No. 12 seed to Michigan State, 2009 as an No. 11 seed against Arizona State and last year as a No. 5 seed to Cornell.

I'm suggesting they pull a Xavier, lose early on, and get ready for the NCAA Tournament.  I certainly don't want the Owls to follow in Oliver Purnell's shadow. I want NCAA tournament wins, not another A-10 Title.

Here's the thing about Xavier: they've always won in the A-10 Tournament when they've had to. A perfect example is when they won the conference championship in 2006 as a No. 10 seed.  They eventually lost to Gonzaga in the First Round as a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

From 2007-2011, Xavier entered four out of the last five conference tournaments as a No. 1 seed. They were a No. 2 seed last season.  Yet, they've yet to reach the A-10 Finals since 2006. 

2007- Xavier loses to No. 4 Rhode Island (Semis)

2008- Xavier loses to No. 5 Saint Joseph's (Semis)

2009- Xavier loses to No. 4 Temple (Semis)

2010- Xavier loses to No. 3 Richmond (Semis)

2011- Xavier loses to No. 9 Dayton (Quarters)

In the last three years, the Owls have soared in the A-10 Tourney while the Musketeers have gone to the Sweet 16 three times.     

They made the elite eight as a No. 3 seed in 2008 before losing to UCLA, they got to the Sweet 16 in 2009 as a No. 4 seed before losing to Pitt and last year they got to the Sweet 16 as a No. 6 seed before losing a double overtime thriller to Kansas State.

As we reach the end of January, the college basketball season is well into conference play. 

Everyone is aware of the great races going on in the power conferences but what about some of the mid-major conferences around the country? 

There is some good basketball being played outside the bigger conference and some interesting races developing. 

Let’s take a look at five leagues that should be worth watching over the next month.

Atlantic 10

The A-10 has turned into an interesting race. 

Preseason favorite Temple (13-5, 3-2) suffered its second conference loss over the weekend at Xavier and find themselves two games behind the Musketeers (13-5, 5-0); Temple’s other conference loss is to co-leader Duquesne (13-5, 5-0). 

The surprising Dukes play at last place Fordham before hosting Dayton (15-5, 3-2) in a key game next weekend.

Richmond (15-5, 4-1) has two critical games this week that will go a long way in deciding the conference race. The Spiders go on the road to Dayton Tuesday, before hosting Xavier over the weekend.

Rhode Island (12-7, 3-2) figures to have some say in deciding the conference. The Rams suffered a critical loss at home to LaSalle over the weekend but have winnable road games this week at St. Louis (7-11, 2-3) and at UMass (11-7, 3-2).

It will be interesting to see which teams emerge in the next two weeks, as well as if the A-10 will be a multiple bid conference as March approaches.

CAA

The CAA could be in position to get two teams into the tournament as long as things fall right in conference play. 

However, due to the balance around the league this year, expect teams to beat up on each other as the season progresses.

Co-leaders VCU (15-5, 7-1) and Hofstra (13-6, 7-1) sit atop the conference after weekend wins over Old Dominion (14-5, 5-3) and William & Mary (6-13, 2-6), respectively. These two will square off next weekend at VCU,

George Mason (14-5, 6-2) is only a game behind the leaders after knocking off James Madison (15-5, 5-3) on Saturday. The Patriots have a crucial week playing three games in six days.

Delaware (10-8, 5-3) and Drexel (12-6, 4-4) are also in the mix but must find big wins in the next week to stay in contention.

Conference USA

Conference USA could be one of the more entertaining races in the country. Although the league doesn’t have the talented teams they had last year at the top of the league, it does have a lot more balance.

To no one's surprise, UTEP (16-4, 4-1) and Memphis (15-4, 4-1) have jumped out as the early leaders. Both teams had important road wins over the weekend: The Miners disposed of Houston (11-7, 3-2) while the Tigers knocked off UAB (13-5, 3-2). 

Preseason darling Central Florida (14-4, 1-4) has struggled in conference play and must go on the road to Memphis on Wednesday before they host UAB on Saturday.

East Carolina (11-8, 3-2), Tulsa (10-9, 3-2) and Southern Mississippi (14-5, 3-3) could also factor into the race but don’t appear to have enough to challenge the early frontrunners. 

Horizon League

Not since the 2005-06 season has Butler not won or shared the Horizon league title.

That streak may be in jeopardy this year for the Bulldogs.

Butler (14-7, 6-3) trails both Cleveland St. (18-3, 7-2) and Valparaiso (15-6, 7-2) by a game. Interestingly, the Crusaders host the defending national runners-up next weekend.

Wright St. (13-8, 6-3) owns a win over Butler but must go on the road to Green Bay (11-10, 5-4) and Milwaukee (10-11, 5-5) next weekend. 

Detroit (11-10, 5-4) is also still in the race but like Wright St., they must survive a road trip to Northern Wisconsin if they are to stay in contention.

Missouri Valley Conference

Can the Missouri Valley be a two bid conference when the NCAA tournament rolls around?  That is the question that should be answered in the next couple of weeks. 

As expected Missouri St. (16-4, 8-1) and Wichita St. (16-4, 7-2) have taken the early lead in The Valley. 

However, Indiana St. (12-8, 7-2) has been the early surprise. 

The Sycamores could easily be sharing the top spot with the Bears if not for falling in triple OT to the Shockers over the weekend.

Northern Iowa (15-6, 6-3) has recovered from a slow start to post five straight conference wins. The Panthers look to continue their hot streak when they host Creighton (13-8, 5-4) on Wednesday.

If Missouri St. and Wichita St. can pull away from the rest of the league and take care of business in the conference tourney, don’t be surprised if the MVC gets two into the Big Dance.

Ah, the BB&T Classic. The Cotton Bowl of early-season college basketball tournaments. It was once so proud, so regal. But now...well, it's actually still pretty good, even if it's not quite as notable as it once was.

Quick history: the BB&T used to be a solid hoops tournament in the Nation's Capital, anchored by DMV stalwarts Maryland and George Washington and fleshed out by national powerhouses like Kansas, Connecticut, Texas and Gonzaga. Think Maui Invitational with fewer palm trees and more and better Chaminades.

But as similar tournaments waxed, the BB&T waned. Facing a lack of interest from name-brand programs, organizers in 2005 switched from a two-day tournament to a one-day tripleheader featuring several local programs. This year, as is typically the case, Maryland is the event's top draw. The tournament takes places Dec. 5 at Verizon Center in D.C.

In the first game, humble American University takes on Florida. It will be interesting to see how the #16 Gators respond four days after scoring just 54 points in a pitiful loss to Central Florida. Whether they come out adrenalized or demoralized could reveal a lot about their prospects this season.

The second stanza features another down-on-their-luck D.C. program—George Washington—and the Naval Academy, their neighbor up the road. The Colonials have a good tradition at the BB&T, having won the old tournament three times in its 10 year existence playing a scrappy, fun-to-watch brand of basketball (remember Shawnta Rogers?).

But 2-4 GW has fallen on hard times, going 19-35 from 2007 to 2009 before scratching out a 16-14 mark last season. Frankly, I'm starting to wonder what kinds of compromising photographs head coach Karl Hobbs has on the university leadership.

As for Maryland, this year the Terps tangle with Temple University. With Temple struggling out of the gate, this could be a chance for Maryland to notch a meaningful out-of-conference win.Much like their vaporization of Penn State last week at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, however, this victory may not ultimately be of a marquee nature.

The 4-2 Owls lost two of their three big tests thus far, falling to Cal and Texas A&M but defeating Georgia. It's a big stumble for the A-10 favorites, who were ranked in the top 25 just a week ago.

Temple makes no secret about their approach: defense, defense, defense. And it doesn't matter. No opponent has broken 60 on Temple yet, though they also rank 298th nationally in points scored (hence the record). Their leading scorer is Ramone Moore, but it's not like you shut them down if you take him away.

No, Maryland's success, if it is to come, will be predicated on offense. Clearly, this will be a battle of styles and of wills for run-and-gun Maryland. They'll need to stay patient and they'll need to work hard to get guys open, get them the ball, and get off shots. Jordan Williams (or anyone else) probably won't be able to ride in on the white horse and bail them out.  No 12-2 runs are likely in the offing. 

This one will be a grinder. If Maryland's leaders can help the team punch through Temple's fortifications, they will earn a very nice win over a regional contemporary. It may not be Pittsburgh or Illinois, but out of conference is out of conference, and with a mediocre-at-best performance in that department to date I'm sure the Terps would take it twice this Sunday.

(This post and plenty more news, commentary, and ill-conceived humorousness on all things Terps is available at www.shell-games.com.  We also invite you to follow us on Twitter @Terpsblog.)

The Atlantic 10 is one of the best mid-major basketball conferences in the nation.

Temple and Xavier are among the premiere mid-major college basketball teams in the nation.  Calling Temple or Xavier mid-major is a bit unfair.

Dayton packs 12,000 fans in their gym per game, and has finished in the RPI top 75 in ten of the last thirteen seasons.

George Washington is a bit of a mess now, but the Colonials spent most of the 2006 season ranked in the top 10.

Saint Joseph's (PA) celebrated a Perfect Season in 2004, going 30-2 and missing out on the Final Four on a Jameer Nelson choked three point attempt.

Dr. Julius Erving went to UMass, and John Calipari led UMass to a Final Four that was later vacated due to violation of NCAA rules.

University of Rhode Island was a top 50 team last year, and their trip to the Elite 8 in 1998 was more recent than any of their Rhode Island Big East rival Providence College's NCAA Tournament wins.

Richmond was in the NCAA Tournament last year.

Charlotte has been to the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past 15 seasons.

St. Louis is coached by the legendary Rick Majerus and has shown improvement.

So why is the Atlantic 10 looked upon with such disdain?  Why don't outsiders respect Atlantic 10 basketball?  Why does the Atlantic 10 have a television contract that would embarrass low major conferences such as the NEAC or the MAC?

The answer is simple, the bottom of the Atlantic 10 is a pitiful collection of pathetic basketball programs that put no effort into their programs and ultimately cause great damage to those Atlantic 10 schools that do try to put a respectable product on the court.  The bottom of the conference is littered with RPI poison and schools that have no fans or following.

The Pathetic Four

La Salle, Fordham, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne are selfish schools.  They take their Atlantic 10 paycheck, which is not very large to begin with, and then give the finger to the rest of the schools in the conference. 

La Salle laughs as they drag down Temple and Saint Joseph's (PA)'s reputation.  Duquesne smiles as a high quality program like Xavier is pushed back to second page status.  Do St. Bonaventure and Fordham even offer scholarships anymore?

Here is a closer look at how pathetic these four schools are in their product:

La Salle

The RPI became a public index in 1994.  La Salle has never finished in the top 100.  La Salle has only finished in the top 140 twice.

Since 1955, La Salle has won a total of two NCAA Tournament games.  Baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan has pitched a no hitter more recently than La Salle's most recent NCAA Tournament win.

Last season, La Salle was picked to finish at the top of the Atlantic 10.  Many doubted the predictions, they wanted to see the results first, but the talent was there.  Rodney Green had NBA potential, and Aaric Murray may leave for the NBA after his sophomore year as he attempts to be the next Yinka Dare.

So how did La Salle finish with all this talent?  How does 12-18 (4-12) sound?  They lost to Binghamton.  They lost to Duquesne.  They lost to St. Bonaventure.  They missed the Atlantic 10 tournament!  That's right, a team that was picked to possibly win the league, a team that had its top players Green and Murray healthy all season, missed the Atlantic 10 tournament. 

Let that soak in a bit.

So how did La Salle respond to one of the poorest coaching efforts in the history of Atlantic 10 conference?  They gave their coach, Dr. John Giannini a contract extension.

Nice commitment to winning. 

La Salle's attendance last season, in their most highly anticipated season in decades, was an impressive 2,171 fans per game.

Duquesne

Duquesne is another horrible basketball program.  In March 1969, Duquesne won their last NCAA Tournament game.  In July 1969, the United States put a man on the moon.

Duquesne has not played a NCAA Tournament game since March 1977.  The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners played their first Major League Baseball games in April 1977. 

Duquesne has spent seven of the past twelve seasons in the RPI 200 plus.  That means a win against Duquesne is likely to make a top tier Atlantic 10 team drop in the rankings.  Temple fans must love going on the road, beating Duquesne, and then watching their RPI drop in a bad way.

St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure has spent the past 7 seasons ranked outside of the RPI 150.  They are frequently ranked 200+ and a 300+ ranking is not unheard of. 

St. Bonaventure last won a NCAA Tournament game in 1970.  Willie Mays hit 28 HRs for the San Francisco Giants in 1970.

The only reason anybody outside of upstate New York has heard about Saint Bonaventure basketball is because of an academic scandal.  An academic scandal so bad that not only was the basketball coach fired, but the university president was pink slipped.  The scandal was so embarrassing that one university trustee committed suicide after the sharp criticism he received.

Fordham

Fordham is the definition of RPI poison.  Fordham finished 306 last year in the RPI, and 291 in 2009.

Fordham last won a NCAA Tournament game in 1971, and has only made the NCAA Tournament once since that time.

Last season Fordham went 0-16 in conference play.  Fordham was the first team to go winless in the Atlantic 10 since St. Bonaventure in 1993.

The Solution

The solution for the Atlantic 10 is simple.  Trim the fat.  Temple, Xavier, Saint Joseph's (PA), Dayton and the rest of the Atlantic 10 should no longer allow themselves to be taken advantage of by the Pathetic Four.

New look Atlantic 10:

1.  Temple

2.  Xavier

3.  Dayton

4.  Saint Joseph's (PA)

5.  UMass

6.  URI

7.  St. Louis

8.  Richmond

9.  George Washington

10.  Charlotte

Not a bad conference.  The conference RPI would greatly improve, allowing more bubble teams to make the NCAA Tournament, meaning more money for the schools in NCAA tournament win shares, more exposure for an improved television contract, more prestige and better recruiting, and fewer teams to split the increased revenue.

They could even add a couple of teams that actually try.  Butler interested?  Davidson?  Creighton?  Wagner?  Drake?  Western Kentucky?

As reported on Bleacher Report, Seton Hall may be leaving the Big East.  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/481737-big-east-expansion-villanova-tcu-and-how-seton-hall-can-open-the-door-for-more  Maybe they could be one of the new additions to the new look Atlantic 10?

If somebody can provide a good reason for the Atlantic 10 maintaining a relationship with the Pathetic Four, I would love to hear it.  I cannot think of one.

—  TJ Corbs, tackling the hard hitting issues of the northeast corridor.

The Atlantic 10 is gearing up for another compelling season, hoping to maintain their (justified) place as an upper-tier college basketball conference.

As many as seven teams vied for NCAA tournament recognition at various times last season, but ultimately, three teams (Xavier, Temple and Richmond) went dancing while another (Dayton) captured the NIT crown.

The expanded field this season is a positive for this conference and any less than four participants in this year's Madness will be disappointing.

Here is a brief look at some of the players hoping to lead their respective teams to the promised land.

Kevin Anderson - Richmond Spiders 

Reigning A-10 player of the year, Kevin Anderson will merit strong consideration for the award again this season.

He led the Spiders in scoring (17.8 PPG), assists and steals last season and will need to have another big season for Richmond to contend at the top of the league. After earning second team all-conference honours as a sophomore, Anderson was a first-team pick a year ago.

He is the first Spider to win the POY award since Richmond entered the league in 2001-02.

Chris Wright - Dayton Flyers 

Wright, too, was an all-conference second team pick as a sophomore and a first-team pick last season.

His numbers are good—14 PPG and seven RPG—but they need to be better if the Flyers hope to compete in the A-10.

Wright has been pegged as an NBA-type athlete for his entire career, but he needs to develop a better overall game and be more of a leader this season to prove that these assertions are justified.

Damian Saunders - Duquesne Dukes

Another returning first-team all-conference pick, Saunders does it all.

In addition to scoring 15 points per game and hauling in 11 rebounds, Saunders led the conference in blocks and steals en route to earning Defensive Player of the Year honours, the first Duke ever to win the award.

He also led the conference with 20 double-doubles and will be a force on what could be a sleeper team in the A-10. Anything close to the numbers he posted last season puts him at the top of the list.

Aaric Murray - LaSalle Explorers

Murray was as advertised as a freshman, despite the turmoil and disappointing results for the team overall.

He averaged 12.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and was second behind Saunders with over two blocks per game.  Murray helped the Explorers establish themselves as one of the better rebounding teams in the conference as well.

This season, with the departure of top scorer Rodney Green, more will be asked of Murray. If he steps up, he could be a dominant player in the A-10.

Kwamain Mitchell - Saint Louis Billikens 

The leader of the Billikens surprising jump to the top echelon of the A-10 last season, Mitchell was a second team all-conference pick a year ago.

He teams with Wilie Reed (whose name could be in here too, I suppose), to form a solid inside/outside duo for Saint Louis, who return every significant contributor from a year ago.

Mitchell averaged nearly 16 points a game last year and shot a decent 45 percent from the field, second on the team to Reed’s 59 percent.

The Billikens won’t surprise anyone this year, but Mitchell could possibly guide them to the NCAA tournament.

Lavoy Allen - Temple Owls 

The fourth of five first team picks that return, Allen is a complete player at both ends.

He averaged a double-double (11.7 PPG, 10.8 RPG) for the Owls, who won the A-10 tournament for the third year in a row.

Defense is the staple for Temple, so it is difficult to predict offensive numbers for Allen. However, if Michael Eric continues to develop, Allen could get some more one-on-one offensive opportunities. I don’t know if it is in the offensive scheme, but I would like to see him get more touches and get to the foul line (only 2.6 per game last season) more often.

Chris Gaston - Fordham Rams 

The fifth returning all-conference first-teamer, Gaston was also the Freshman of the Year, averaging 18 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.

Okay, Gaston won't lead them to the promised land. Working against him is the fact that the Rams were winless in league play last year and while they obviously can’t go down, any more than four or five wins would be surprising.

Gaston is an exceptional talent that has been asked to do everything, a little much for a sophomore on a team with decidedly less talent than almost all in the conference. So much so, in fact, that he committed nine turnovers in three separate games last season.

If he gets some help, Gaston will be someone to watch.

Shamari Spears - Charlotte 49ers  

Spears was a little under the radar (and just a little) last year and was third team all-conference pick in his first year with the 49ers.

Averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game, Spears teamed with freshman Chris Braswell to give Charlotte a formidable front court presence.

This season, Spears could improve on those numbers. Charlotte returns key players at key positions and could be a very dangerous team.

If the 49ers find their way into the top five of the league, Spears will likely be the driving force and will merit strong consideration for POY.