What Are the Big 5's Prospects of Dancing?

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With selection Sunday just a few days away, we turn to our friends from Storming the Floor for a look at the prospect of any team from the Big Five making the big dance this year.  Enjoy.

Strange days for the college
hoops scene in Philadelphia. With just four days until Selection Sunday,
there is a real possibility that Philly could be shut out of the NCAA
Tournament for the first time since 1977. Hoping to avoid adding another
chapter to Philadelphia sports futility while maintaining this city’s
place as the best college hoops city in America (not DC, despite what
Steinberg may tell you), here are NCAA Tournament prospects for the
remaining Big 5 teams ...

Villanova – Left for dead
after being blown out by Saint Joseph’s at the beginning of February,
the Wildcats have rallied back to the brink of the tournament and have
the easiest road of any Philly team to the dance. If they can beat Syracuse
in the first round of the Big East Tournament today at noon and avoid
a blowout against Georgetown tomorrow, the Wildcats will be dancing.
Don’t forget that Nova may be given some slack by the committee for
controversial losses to NC State and Georgetown early in the year.

Saint Joseph’s - If
the game only lasted 38 minutes, the Hawks would be considered a Sweet
Sixteen team. But they are still playing 40 these days, and the Hawks
inability to close out games has them outside of the bubble. A win over
Xavier in the final game at the Fieldhouse appeared to make up for all
SJU’s last second woes and place the Hawks in the dance, but a loss
two days later to fellow bubble team Dayton undid all of that good.
Without a bye in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the Hawks will most likely
need to top Fordham, #4 seed Richmond and #1 seed Xavier once again
to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Temple – Flying under the
radar all season, the Owls finished a surprising second in the Atlantic
10 and may only be a deep run in Atlantic City away from having a serious
argument for making the dance. At 18-12, the Owls will need to reach
the Atlantic 10 Tournament final to even be considered, but the bracket
does play in the Owls favor.  They get a first round bye then face
the winner of La Salle and Duquesne tomorrow, two teams they defeated
just last week. Then it’s most likely a rematch with fellow bubble
squad UMass, who the Owls took down in overtime in February. If the
Owls can make the A10 final as the clear-cut #2, eliminating other bubble
teams in the process, they just might sneak into the dance.

La Salle – Yeah, the Explorers
aren’t going anywhere unless they win the Atlantic 10 tournament.
But you would be hard-pressed to find a La Salle fan isn’t happy with
14 wins this season. With only one senior (albeit a good senior in Darnell
Harris), the future is finally bright for La Salle basketball.

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