"We have a league that is very, very unusual for how competitive the games are going to be and how a decision on a Wednesday night and Saturday changes where you are," St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said.
The Hawks (15-9, 5-4) meet St. Louis (18-5, 6-3) Wednesday night at Hagan Arena. It will be the first of back-to-back games against teams that are 6-3 in the A-10, with St. Joe's hosting Massachusetts on Saturday.
2. Better than balanced
In expressing the same sentiments about the Atlantic Ten as Martelli, La Salle coach John Giannini said that "balanced" is a bad word in describing the conference.
"I don't want to say it's balanced because it makes everyone sound average," Giannini said. "I think there's a ton of good teams in this league, not average teams."
Because of all these good teams, Giannini said, it's important for coaches and players not to get too preoccupied by where they are in the standings. One or two games can make a big difference.
"A good week can move you to first place. A bad week can put you way down," he said. "I think it really would be a mistake for anyone to focus too much on their so-called position. I think we're all best served by focusing on our team."
3. A starter again
Temple center Micheal Eric, who was sidelined for 13 games this season with a fractured right kneecap, was back in the starting lineup Saturday for what would be a 73-56 Owls win over Rhode Island.
The 6-foot-11 graduate student, playing in his fifth game back but making his first start, finished with four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.
"I was hoping he'd get 20 points and 10 rebounds," joked Temple coach Fran Dunphy, who later added, "It hasn't been easy for Micheal, but he's come a long way."
