US Airways - March 2014 - (Page 74)

Atlantic 10 Conference sound. The league is so deep, you can't take a night off in conference play. And that's not the same for a lot of other Division I leagues." Kellogg agrees. "The A-10 brand of basketball is competitive. It's going to be a street fight to a certain extent," he says. "You're going to have to will your way to win. But it's also an enjoyable game to watch because the teams play in our league. The coaches have their NBCSN interviews teams play a lot of up-tempo." UMass' Derek Kellogg How strong is the league? No team entered the conference portion of the 2013-14 schedule with a sub-.500 record, and the A-10 as a whole won 71 percent of its non-conference games. That can be attributed, in part, to the typical A-10 player who is still competing as a junior and senior. "With all the media blitz and hype about one-and-done freshmen, the thing that's underrated about the Atlantic 10 is, not only are you playing against good players, they're also experienced National players who have been together Exposure for a long time," Miller says. F The televised games include 87 men's and women's games on ESPN, CBS Sports Network, and NBCSN. The league also aired a record 81.7 percent of the total number of interleague men's basketball games. In addition, through a unique partnership there are an additional 43 men's games that aired on SNY in the New York market, 26 of which were available digitally through CampusInsiders.com. 74 MARCH 2014 usairwaysmag.com Saint Joseph's standout Ronald Roberts Jr. Teamwork That's not to suggest that every A-10 team plays the same brand of basketball. One of the hallmarks of "survival of the fittest" is the ability to adapt. By that standard, the A-10 is a model of evolution, because of the variety of approaches the teams take. "You compete against so many different styles of play on any given night," Miller says. "Whether it's VCU's press or Richmond's match-up and Princeton's offense, all the way to Saint Louis' physical, halfcourt, grind-it-out game." In many ways, the A-10, as a league, resembles a successful basketball team. As any coach will tell you late in the season, your team is only as good as your depth. That holds true for conferences as well. "The depth of our league is almost unmatched," Giannini told reporters during the league's media day in October. "Last year we had ten teams in the top 100 of the RPI, second among all conferences. And we had a lot of teams just on the outside, and teams with new coaches that are rebuilding. So I just think we have more good teams than just about any other conference in the country." VCU's Smart, whose Rams reached the NCAA Final Four in 2011 and came into 2013-14 as a front-runner, acknowledged that the A-10 would be a challenge for his squad. "There really are eight to ten teams that I think are going to compete to be at or near the top of the conference," Smart said last fall. "That was the case last year, and I think that'll be the case again this PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) BY FORDHAM ATHLETICS, MICHAEL SCOTT/URI ATHLETICS, AND MITCHELL LEFF/ATLANTIC 10 (3) or a league with a tradition of success like the Atlantic 10, exposure and national perception are crucial. Thanks to a robust media rights agreement, the A-10 has great exposure, with over 210 basketball games aired on television this season. Combined with online offerings on the A-10 Network, the league had comprehensive coverage of the 2013-14 men's and women's basketball season. Fordham breakout freshman Jon Severe http://www.CampusInsiders.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - March 2014

US Airways - March 2014
Table of Contents
Perspective: CEO Letter
From the Editor
Making It Happen
Wine & Dine: Irish Whiskey
Connections: Everybody's Business
Great Escapes: Manchester, England
Great Escapes: Lisbon, Portugal
Adventure: Skiing in Alyeska, Alaska
Style Spotlight: Tee Time
Diversions: It's Just Lunch
Golf: Five Great Resorts
Gear Up: Going Green
Travel Feature: Winter Park, Florida
US Airways Feature: The Sky Is the Limit
University Spotlight: University of Dayton
Great Resorts: Phoenix
Special Section: Atlantic 10 Conference
Best of Health: Miami Beach Foot & Ankle Surgery
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - March 2014