Recapping the Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament

On the surface, the Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament ended according to form. The league's No. 1 seed and top NET squad, Richmond, picked up the victory and the NCAA Tournament bid. But there was plenty more going on, and the proceedings at Henrico, Virginia merit a deeper look.

Pre-Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament surprise

Davidson, with an 18-8 record and an 8-10 mark in league play, canceled the remainder of its season on March 4. The announcement indicated that "significant injuries" were a factor in the cancellation. Davidson would have been in a three-way tie for eighth in the league, but its departure trimmed the A-10 Tournament to 14 teams.

Accordingly, No. 10 seed George Washington was given a surprise bye. It would have been quite a story had "GW" gone on to win the league, instead of losing to No. 7 seed Saint Louis in its game on Thursday. But the latter occurred.

Crazy Quarterfinal Friday

Sophie Phillips and No. 6 seed Rhode Island made a gallant run to the finals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, but were dispatched there by Richmond.

The bizarro day at the Tournament was on Friday, as three of the four Atlantic 10 teams with double-byes were beaten in their first action. The loss was disastrous for No. 2 seed VCU, No. 3 seed St. Joseph's and No. 4 seed George Mason. None were perhaps likely to get into the NCAA Tournament field, but the losses made that a virtual certainty.

This also created a logjam for the NIT. VCU was the highest seed, but St. Joseph's had the superior NET ranking. It's unlikely that multiple A-10 schools will earn NIT selection, but one of the above probably will. St. Joseph's 14-1 mark in true road games might earn them the nod.

The Favorite Powers Through

Upset fever in the Atlantic 10 Tournament didn't hit Richmond, though. The Spiders, as the No. 1 seed in the Tournament, never were truly challenged, winning their games by 16, 14 and 14 points, respectively. It was No. 6 seed Rhode Island who met Richmond in the championship.

Richmond's Addie Budnik was the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She had 14 points in the final, as one of four Spiders players to reach double-digit scoring. She was joined by Grace Townsend and Maggie Doogan on the all-tournament team.

NCAA Look Ahead

The latest ESPN Bracketology placed the Spiders as a No. 12 seed. That projected matchup with No. 5 seed Utah would take place in nearby Blacksburg, Virginia. Notably, Richmond has never won an NCAA Tournament game, with a 0-3 record in prior appearances. The Spiders have been seeded from No. 7 to No. 11, but haven't been to the Tournament since 2005.