After a strong 27-4 regular season, the St. Louis Billikens are back in action for the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, with their first conference tournament matchup coming Friday against the George Washington Colonials. Tipoff is slated for 10:30 a.m. CT / 11:30 a.m. ET. The game will be televised nationally on USA Network.
The Billikens dominated the regular season with one of the best records in the nation, but recent performances have raised questions. The Billikens come in at 27-4 overall — one of the best records in the country — with a double bye advantage and a chip on their shoulder after an ugly regular-season finale. Saint Louis closed the regular season with an 86-57 loss at George Mason — an embarrassing result for a team that had been one of the best in the country. This tournament matchup gives Saint Louis a chance to reset and refocus before March Madness.
George Washington arrives off a Thursday night escape against Fordham and has to run it back on a short turnaround against a team that erased a 10-point halftime deficit to beat them in January. Robbie Avila leads the team at 12.6 points and 4.1 assists per game, functioning as a connector who keeps Saint Louis organized in the half court and creates easy opportunities for the shooters around him. Dion Brown adds 11.2 points and a team-best 5.5 rebounds, Trey Green scores 10.9 per game on a sizzling 45.5 percent from three, and Amari McCottry chips in 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. Winners advance to the semifinals on Saturday and move closer to securing an NCAA Tournament bid. Get full tournament details from the official Saint Louis athletics website.