By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

TOURNAMENT TIME

• Bearcats, Wildcats pad resumes • Huggins miffed by No.3 seed • UK marches into SEC play on roll TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS & BRACKETS • C-USA: A favorite? Try any of the five champs • A-10: Road to title goes through Saint Joseph's • SEC: UK, Miss. State fight for top seed • MAC: Western Michigan should take lone bid

Team to beat

Saint Joseph's. Obviously, this is Saint Joseph's tournament to lose. Having finished the regular season unbeaten at 27-0, every team wants a chance to beat the Hawks. Ironically, because of conference familiarity and having to play three games in three days, Saint Joseph's might have a better chance of making the Final Four than getting through the A-10 Tournament without losing.

Dark horse

Rhode Island. The Rams are the team that no one wants to face because they can match up with any team in the league. Rebounding is always a chore against Rhode Island, which outplayed and nearly upset Saint Joseph's a week and a half ago.

Most to prove

Xavier. At least four teams could fit into this category, but Xavier needs to make a statement to the NCAA selection committee. The Musketeers probably have to advance to the semifinals, which means beating Saint Joseph's Thursday, to warrant an at-large bid. XU is competing for attention with George Washington, Dayton and Richmond.

Toughest draw

George Washington. The Colonials earned a first-round bye, and they will need that extra day of preparation. GW is probably looking at a quarterfinal game against Rhode Island, followed by a potential semifinal pairing against Saint Joseph's or Xavier. If the Colonials should win those games, Dayton is the logical opponent to be waiting in the championship game.

Weakest draw

Dayton. Not only does UD get to play on its home court, but the Flyers' quarterfinal matchup will be against either Duquesne or Massachusetts. If the Flyers get past that, they will probably face Temple or Richmond in the semifinals. That's not an easy game, but it's definitely winnable at home.

Most likely MVP

Jameer Nelson. There's only one frontrunner. The Saint Joseph's national player of the year candidate has never won an Atlantic 10 Tournament championship. Not only are the Hawks expected to do so this week, but Nelson has the ability to control each game the Hawks play from the point guard position.

Player on the spot

Romain Sato. The Xavier star has had a fine season (it's hard to argue with 16.0 points and 7.9 rebounds), but his accomplishments have been overshadowed by Saint Joseph's Nelson and Delonte West, and Temple's David Hawkins. This is Sato's last chance to make a significant impact on the conference landscape.

Ticket information

At UD Arena. Call (937) 229-4433.