On Campus
Atlantic-10 Preview
By Anthony Jaskulski

In college basketball two words separate the big guys from the little guys: power conference.

The Big East, ACC, Big 12, Big 10, etc. round out the big boys in D-1 basketball, while little ole' conferences like the Horizon League, Missouri Valley Conference and West Coast Conference pray for a conference title to guarantee them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Meet the only conference today that you'll find hanging in the middle between those two groups: the Atlantic-10.

Although the last two years haven't produced it, the A-10 typically sends a squad busting through the Sweet-16 or beyond.

For a long time it was Temple, and from 2001-04 it was St. Joseph's. Since that time it's been the Xavier Musketeers that have captured the imagination of the college basketball world.

Enter the newest squad that will make noise in the A-10 and NCAA Tournaments:

Dayton Flyers

Led by forward Chris Wright, who has the potential to be one of the better frontcourt studs in the conference, the Flyers bring one of the most explosive packages in the country with Marcus Johnson-second in scoring at 11.8 points per game last season-lining up beside Wright.

Four starters return from the Flyers team that went 27-8 last season, highlighted by an 11 over 6 upset of West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.

This team has the best potential to reach their first Elite 8 appearance since 1984.

The contenders:

2. Xavier - Sean Miller is out as coach, but that doesn't mean the dynamic guard duo of Jordan Crawford and Dante Jackson won't have room to shine.

3. La Salle - Forward Yves Mekongo is one of the more versatile forwards in the country. He brings a complete package to a team with every starter returning.

4. Duquesne - Aaron Jackson is a big loss, but with Bill Clark and Melquan Bolding leading the way, the Dukes won't lose much of a step.

5. Richmond - Guard Kevin Anderson will lead this run-and-gun unit to a possible run in the A-10 tournament.

6. Saint Louis - With four returning starters back, Rick Majerus has arguably one of his best squads since taking over the reigns.

7. Temple - Dionte Christmas is out, but Lavoy Allen, a possible lottery pick, rounds out a solid front court that could lead the Owls back to the A-10 championship.

The rest:

8. Charlotte
9. Massachusetts
10. Rhode Island
11. Saint Joseph's
12. George Washington
13. St. Bonaventure's
14. Fordham