define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); bob mckillop – Rush The Court http://rushthecourt.net The Independent Voice of College Basketball Tue, 13 Mar 2018 06:14:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.9 http://rushthecourt.net http://rushthecourt.net/wp-content/mbp-favicon/RTC.jpg Rush The Court RTC Bracket Prep: South Region http://rushthecourt.net/2018/03/13/rtc-bracket-prep-south-region-3/ http://rushthecourt.net/2018/03/13/rtc-bracket-prep-south-region-3/#respond Tue, 13 Mar 2018 15:01:44 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=133264

Yesterday and today we will be rolling out our region-by-region analysis for the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Here, Tommy Lemoine (@hoopthink) breaks down the South Region from top to bottom. Also, be sure to follow our RTC South Region handle on Twitter for continuous updates the next two weeks (@RTCSouthRegion).

South Region

Favorite: #1 Virginia (31-2, 17-1 ACC). Oh, how far Virginia has come. After beginning the season outside of both the AP and USA Today/Coaches Poll Top 25, the Cavaliers have won a school-record 31 games en route to the the #1 overall seed on Selection Sunday. In the process, they posted the second-best adjusted defensive [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2018/03/13/rtc-bracket-prep-south-region-3/feed/ 0 Morning Five: 09.19.16 Edition http://rushthecourt.net/2016/09/19/morning-five-09-19-16-edition/ http://rushthecourt.net/2016/09/19/morning-five-09-19-16-edition/#respond Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:10:16 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=121317

The NCAA gets a lot of criticism for a lot of things (often warranted), but their decision to pull seven championship events out of North Carolina during the 2016-17 championship season in response to the HB2 law seems to be widely applauded in the mainstream media. While some have been critical of the NCAA for making this decision against the state of North Carolina, the NCAA did come out with a clear list of reasons for their decision. It is also worth nothing that North Carolina is not the only state to have faced a ban by the NCAA for non-NCAA-related [...]]]>
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Checking In On… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2016/01/13/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-69/ http://rushthecourt.net/2016/01/13/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-69/#respond Wed, 13 Jan 2016 20:31:27 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=115429

Now a couple weeks into conference play, a few early observations can be made in the Atlantic 10 race.

Quick Hits From the First Fortnight

Patricio Garino (left) and George Washington should still be in the mix for the A-10 crown. (Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

Home vs Road — Home teams have won 69 percent of conference games, going 13-8 through Sunday evening. Most Surprising Win — St. Bonaventure’s 97-85 over Davidson to open conference play at the Reilly Center, as the 12-point margin raised eyebrows all around the conference. Davidson has lost four games away from Belk Arena by an average of 19.3 points. [...]]]>
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Checking In On… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2016/01/06/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-68/ http://rushthecourt.net/2016/01/06/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-68/#respond Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:31:48 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=114858

Joe Dzuback (@vbtnblog) is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Three Things We Learned in the First Weekend

Davidson won’t repeat as the regular season champion. The Wildcats are 1-4 away from the Belk Arena so far, including their 97-85 loss to St. Bonaventure on Saturday. With away games still to come versus Dayton, George Washington, VCU, Richmond and Fordham, along with tough home games against VCU, Saint Joseph’s and George Washington, Davidson could lose as many as eight conference games over the next two months.

Despite his elite coaching prowess, it doesn’t look like Bob McKillop’s team will repeat at conference champs this [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2016/01/06/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-68/feed/ 0 Checking in on… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/22/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-66/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/22/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-66/#respond Tue, 22 Dec 2015 18:01:44 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=114014

Joe Dzuback (@vbtnblog) is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Breaking Down the Non-Conference Season

As KenPom’s eighth-ranked conference, the Atlantic 10 is securely in the top 25 percent of Division I basketball, well above the next conference (the WCC) and at the head of the Basketball-First group of conferences that typically expect at least two NCAA Tournament bids every season. The A-10 has drawn at least three bids every season since 2007 and this year should be no different. The non-conference composite record again shows that the league is capable of competing with the elite conferences while dominating (to varying degrees) the other 24.

(Note: [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/22/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-66/feed/ 0 Checking in on… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/17/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-65/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/17/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-65/#respond Thu, 17 Dec 2015 20:31:19 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=113726

Joe Dzuback (@vbtnblog) is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Is the Atlantic 10 Fading?

Did Feast Week foretell a conference-wide stumble? After compiling a 36-10 (0.783) record through the season’s first 10 days, Atlantic 10 teams cooled off to a still solid 21-10 (0.677) record during the height of the early season invitational tournament events. Rolling into Finals Week (an academic, not an ESPN-inspired, reference), the conference’s December results of 29-19 (0.604) show another decline. The best win in December so far — Dayton‘s 72-67 win at Vanderbilt on December 9 — stands nearly alone among the consensus top seven conferences [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/17/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-65/feed/ 0 Checking in on… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/01/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-64/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/01/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-64/#respond Tue, 01 Dec 2015 17:35:42 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=112494

Joe Dzuback (@vbtnblog) is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Feast Week Feedback

With St. Bonaventure’s 77-73 win over Canisius last Tuesday, the Atlantic 10 pushed its non-conference record to 44-11, pushing its winning percentage over 80 percent for the second time this season. Senior guard Marcus Posley scored 37 points, including the two free throws that broke the tie that put the Bonnies up for good. So started Feast Week, but unfortunately momentum stalled as A-10 teams tallied a good but not spectacular 21-10 record in games spanning the Thanksgiving Holiday. Still, the league’s composite record on Monday, November 30, is 58-20 (0.774) — terrific [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/12/01/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-64/feed/ 0 Other 26 Previews: Atlantic 10 Conference http://rushthecourt.net/2015/11/12/other-26-previews-atlantic-10-conference/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/11/12/other-26-previews-atlantic-10-conference/#respond Thu, 12 Nov 2015 21:11:02 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=110659

Joe Dzuback (@vbtnblog) is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

As the Carousal Turns

After two quiet offseasons, three Atlantic 10 programs filled head coaching vacancies last spring. This matched the turnover rate from the 2012 offseason, the highest in over a decade. Two programs, Fordham and George Mason, released their veteran coaches, Tom Pecora (14 years, the last five on Rose Hill) and Paul Hewitt (18 years, the last four at GMU) respectively, in an effort to change the trajectories of their programs. Meanwhile, Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart left of his own accord for Austin to take the reins [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/11/12/other-26-previews-atlantic-10-conference/feed/ 0 O26 Never-Too-Early Top Five (and More) http://rushthecourt.net/2015/04/15/o26-never-too-early-top-five-and-more/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/04/15/o26-never-too-early-top-five-and-more/#respond Wed, 15 Apr 2015 19:15:13 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=109282

Don’t look now, but college basketball season is only seven months away! Okay, so that may seem a bit far off, but it’s never too early to gin up a little excitement for the sport we love. Let’s examine a few O26 teams that are sure to make some noise in 2015-16.

Top Five

Wichita State will be right back at it in 2015-16. (Getty Images Sport)

Wichita State. Fred VanVleet is back. Ron Baker is back. As is Gregg Marshall, much wealthier after a sizable pay raise. With one of the country’s top backcourts and most sought-after coaches rejoining the [...]]]>
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Rushed Reaction: #7 Iowa 83, #10 Davidson 52 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/20/rushed-reaction-7-iowa-83-10-davidson-52/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/20/rushed-reaction-7-iowa-83-10-davidson-52/#respond Sat, 21 Mar 2015 02:41:47 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=108829

Rush the Court will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of each of the NCAA Tournament from each of the 13 sites this year. Follow our NCAA Tourney specific Twitter accounts at @RTCeastregion, @RTCMWregion,@RTCsouthregion and @RTCwestregion.

Three Key Takeaways.

Aaron White Led Iowa in a Big Way Friday Night (USA Today Images)

Runs. With 8:47 left in the first half, Davidson head coach Bob McKillop subbed senior Tyler Kalinoski back into the game, already with two fouls. Twenty-seven seconds later, with Iowa’s senior Aaron White attacking the hoop for a layup, Kalinoski picked up his third foul. Over the next four-plus minutes, Iowa [...]]]>
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NCAA Game Analysis: Second Round, Friday Evening http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/20/ncaa-game-analysis-second-round-friday-evening-4/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/20/ncaa-game-analysis-second-round-friday-evening-4/#respond Fri, 20 Mar 2015 22:14:36 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=108797

In what was certainly one of the most competitive and jam-packed “opening” days in NCAA Tournament history, Friday’s slate of games will have a hard time following Thursday’s remarkable act. However, today offers a fair share of fascinating matchups as well. Here is a preview of Friday’s evening games.

#8 Oregon vs. #9 Oklahoma State – West Region First Round (at Omaha, NE) – 6:50 PM ET on TBS.

The game plan is simple when playing Oregon: Stop Joe Young. (USA TODAY Sports)

For the Ducks, it all begins and ends with Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young. A deadly [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/20/ncaa-game-analysis-second-round-friday-evening-4/feed/ 0 Atlantic 10 Tournament: Semifinal Saturday Review http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/15/atlantic-10-tournament-semifinal-saturday-review/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/15/atlantic-10-tournament-semifinal-saturday-review/#respond Sun, 15 Mar 2015 14:31:50 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=108592

Joe Dzuback is the RTC correspondent at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn this weekend. He filed this report after Saturday’s semifinal action.

No Bid Thieves Among Us

With four opponents and three NCAA-bound teams left in the field, the chances for an NIT-bound team to play on Saturday were a given. Which team that would be, however, was not decided until Rhode Island crushed George Washington in the evening quarterfinal session on Friday night. Rhody’s burgeoning bid steal attempt ended at the hands of Dayton on Saturday in a game that was not decided until there were 20 seconds left. Davidson, unsteady in its [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/15/atlantic-10-tournament-semifinal-saturday-review/feed/ 0 Atlantic 10 Tournament: Second Round Review http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/13/atlantic-10-tournament-second-round-review/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/13/atlantic-10-tournament-second-round-review/#respond Fri, 13 Mar 2015 14:31:55 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=108472

Joe Dzuback is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference. You can also find his musings online at Villanova by the Numbers or on Twitter @vtbnblog.

Making Their Case

The forecasters say three conference teams — Davidson, Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth — are comfortably in the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68. Meanwhile three other teams — George Washington, Rhode Island and Richmond — are projected as a #4 seed or higher in the NIT. In an ironic twist all too common for the Atlantic 10, the #1 seed in the conference tournament, Davidson, holds the lowest projected NCAA seed (#11) while the highest projected NCAA [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/03/13/atlantic-10-tournament-second-round-review/feed/ 0 Checking in on… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/02/25/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-61/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/02/25/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-61/#respond Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:31:01 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=107944

Joe Dzuback is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference. You can also find his musings online at Villanova by the Numbers or on Twitter @vtbnblog.

Where They Stand

The conference regular season is two weeks away from finishing. Using possession-based offensive and defensive efficiency differences, three distinct tiers in the Atlantic 10 have emerged. The top five teams (see table below) — Davidson, Dayton, Virginia Commonwealth, Richmond and Rhode Island — have separated themselves from their nine conference-mates by an efficiency margin that will not disappear over the next four games. Richmond and Rhode Island present “Nitty Gritty” profiles that read [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/02/25/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-61/feed/ 0 Checking in on… the Atlantic 10 http://rushthecourt.net/2015/01/13/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-60/ http://rushthecourt.net/2015/01/13/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-60/#respond Tue, 13 Jan 2015 19:21:28 +0000 http://rushthecourt.net/?p=107258

Joe Dzuback is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference. You can also find his musings online at Villanova by the Numbers or on Twitter @vtbnblog.

How Last Week’s Games Determined Which Teams to Watch

Games last week confirmed that three undefeated teams — Virginia Commonwealth, Dayton and Rhode Island — have emerged as the teams to beat, while three others –Fordham, St. Louis and Saint Joseph’s — will struggle for the next nine weeks. For our three winless teams, the fact that each has played at least one contest against the group of VCU, Dayton and Rhode Island means there is a clear separation [...]]]> http://rushthecourt.net/2015/01/13/checking-in-on-the-atlantic-10-60/feed/ 0