The Atlantic 10 sent a clear message on Sunday. The league doesn't want to be underrated any more.
Think about what happened ...
• Fran Dunphy's Temple Owls (8-2) hit 11-of-22 trifectas to score a stunning upset, 75-65 over third-ranked Villanova. Juan Fernandez was the star of stars for Temple, scoring 33 big points. The Owls have a solid resume with wins over the Wildcats, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Siena. Temple's losses came against Big East members Georgetown (46-45) and St. John's (55-48).
• Xavier, which suffered three earlier losses (Marquette, Baylor, Kansas State), got past a ranked and talented Cincinnati squad in double-overtime, 83-79. The Musketeers have a W over Creighton on the resume.
• Rhode Island moved to 8-1 with a 80-69 win at Boston College. Rhode Island's lone loss was a nailbiter, 82-80 against another group of Rams, VCU. Jim Baron's team has clearly flown under the radar this season.
• This is a league that has had a number of memorable moments this season. Bobby Lutz's Charlotte team handed Louisville its worst home loss in the Rick Pitino era.
• Richmond won the South Padre Island Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend with wins over Missouri and Mississippi State. The Spiders are sitting with a solid 7-2 record.
• Dayton has a quality win over Georgia Tech. The Flyers lost to Villanova and Kansas State, nothing to cry about.
• This is a conference that has potential, potential, potential. It deserves more publicity for its early-season accomplishments.