By Sam Federman
Providence at Rhode Island: The surprise of the A-10 so far has been Rhode Island's strong start behind MARFO transfer Sebastian Thomas. Today is their biggest game in half a decade. Inside what is sure to be a sold-out Ryan Center, the Rams take on in-state rival Providence, who also needs another big win after battering BYU
Wisconsin at Marquette: This is perhaps the worst possible game for Wisconsin to have on the schedule following a home conference loss. A trip to Marquette, who themselves are coming off of a loss, albeit a non-conference one on the road against a top 5 team. It doesn't get any easier for the Badgers after the rivalry either, as they travel to Champaign to take on Illinois. Marquette hasn't beaten Wisconsin since 2020, but today, that could change.
Colorado State at Colorado: There's not quite as much juice in the Rocky Mountain Showdown on the hardwood as there was for their meeting on the gridiron, but Colorado and Colorado State are fairly evenly matched, and should play a fun game. The Buffs have shot the ball extremely well this year, but CSU has long and athletic defenders on the wing that can bother Colorado.
Middle Tennessee at Belmont: I'm not from this part of the country, so I don't really know if these two schools are big rivals, but only about an hour separates the two, and both are competitive on the court. The Bruins defeated the Blue Raiders last year on the road, returning the favor after MTSU won in Nashville two years ago. Middle Tennessee is 7-2 and already has wins over South Florida and UAB. They are expected to compete in an electric Conference USA thanks to the duo of Essam Mostafa and Jestin Porter. Belmont is also 7-2, winning a conference game against Illinois State earlier this week thanks to a Carter Whitt buzzer beater in overtime. Whitt is one of six Bruins averaging over 9 points per game.
La Salle vs Saint Joseph's: Yes, I know. These two teams are in the same league, and they will play each other at least twice more during the season. However, this game will not count for the A-10 standings. It counts for something perhaps even more important, the Big 5 Championship. The Hawks are looking for back-to-back Big 5 crowns inside the Wells Fargo Center, with a packed crowd expected.