2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played at Boardwalk Hall
in Atlantic City
, New Jersey
from March 12 through March 15, 2008. By winning the tournament, Temple
received an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and was crowned Atlantic 10 Conference champion. Xavier
and Saint Joseph's
also received at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. Dionte Christmas
of Temple was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
, Richmond
, and Saint Joseph's
all finished with records of 9-7. Richmond won the tiebreaker by having a 2-1 record among the tied schools. Saint Joseph's came second from the tiebreaker with a record of 1-1. Also, La Salle
and Dayton
both finished with 8-8 records. La Salle won the tiebreaker by having beaten Dayton during the regular season. Lastly, Duquesne
, Rhode Island
, and Saint Louis
all finished with records of 7-9. Because the teams were all 1-1 in games amongst each other, the tie was broken by record against the highest ranked teams in the conference. In the end, Saint Louis won the tiebreaker as a result of a 1-1 record vs. Massachusetts
. Duquesne (0-1 vs. Massachusetts) then got the tiebreaker over Rhode Island (0-2).
The top four teams receive byes to the second round of the tournament. Because they did not finish in the top 12 in the Atlantic 10, George Washington
and St. Bonaventure
did not qualify for the tournament.
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
from March 12 through March 15, 2008. By winning the tournament, Temple
Temple Owls
Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a very long-running athletic program. The school's sports teams are called the Owls, originating from the university's early days as a night school. The current athletic director is Bill Bradshaw....
received an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
and was crowned Atlantic 10 Conference champion. Xavier
Xavier Musketeers men's basketball
The Xavier Musketeers team is the basketball team that represents Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
and Saint Joseph's
Saint Joseph's Hawks
The Saint Joseph's Hawks represent the athletic teams at Saint Joseph's University. The Hawks compete in Division I in the NCAA and the Philadelphia Big 5. The school also has intramurals and extramurals, the latter of which compete with the City 6 . The school is mostly known for its men's...
also received at-large bids to the NCAA tournament. Dionte Christmas
Dionte Christmas
Dionte Christmas is an American basketball player. Christmas is listed as 6 ft 5 in and 205 lb .-High school career:...
of Temple was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Seeding
The seeding for the tournament is based on regular-season record during Atlantic 10 Conference play. Each team played a 16 game schedule. CharlotteCharlotte 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers represent the NCAA Division I sports teams of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10 in 2005. The 49ers field 16 teams, 8 men and 8 women....
, Richmond
Richmond Spiders men's basketball
The Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represents the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia and currently competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference...
, and Saint Joseph's
Saint Joseph's Hawks
The Saint Joseph's Hawks represent the athletic teams at Saint Joseph's University. The Hawks compete in Division I in the NCAA and the Philadelphia Big 5. The school also has intramurals and extramurals, the latter of which compete with the City 6 . The school is mostly known for its men's...
all finished with records of 9-7. Richmond won the tiebreaker by having a 2-1 record among the tied schools. Saint Joseph's came second from the tiebreaker with a record of 1-1. Also, La Salle
La Salle Explorers men's basketball
The La Salle Explorers Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University.-History:The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.La Salle...
and Dayton
Dayton Flyers men's basketball
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The...
both finished with 8-8 records. La Salle won the tiebreaker by having beaten Dayton during the regular season. Lastly, Duquesne
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island Rams
The Rhode Island Rams are the athletic programs of the University of Rhode Island, based in Kingston, Rhode Island, USA. The school sponsors 18 athletic programs , most of which compete in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The football team, however, competes in the Colonial Athletic...
, and Saint Louis
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball
The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have...
all finished with records of 7-9. Because the teams were all 1-1 in games amongst each other, the tie was broken by record against the highest ranked teams in the conference. In the end, Saint Louis won the tiebreaker as a result of a 1-1 record vs. Massachusetts
UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst in NCAA Division I sports competition. The nickname is also applied to club teams that do not participate within the NCAA structure. Strictly speaking, the Minutemen nickname applies to men's teams and...
. Duquesne (0-1 vs. Massachusetts) then got the tiebreaker over Rhode Island (0-2).
The top four teams receive byes to the second round of the tournament. Because they did not finish in the top 12 in the Atlantic 10, George Washington
George Washington Colonials men's basketball
The George Washington Colonials Basketball team represents The George Washington University in Washington, DC. It plays its home games in the Charles E. Smith Center, which is also shared with other George Washington Colonials athletic programs. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic...
and St. Bonaventure
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
did not qualify for the tournament.