When: Today through Saturday.
Where: First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia.
*Radio, Internet: Duquesne-St. Bonaventure, 8 p.m. today, KQV-AM (1410); Fox Sports Pittsburgh will televise the first two games Thursday. ESPN is televising the championship game Saturday.
DUQUESNE VS. ST. BONAVENTURE
Duquesne: Coming off an 83-57 loss to Richmond. ... Has lost three in a row after winning four of five. ... Looking for first victory in conference tournament since beating Rhode Island, 82-69, in 1994-95. ... Senior G Jamal Hunter and junior G Kevin Forney and F Brad Midgley return to the lineup after being suspended for the Richmond game because of a curfew violation. ... Senior F Aaron Lovelace is questionable with a toe injury. ... Senior F Wayne Smith, who was named third team all-Atlantic 10 last night, needs three points to pass Norm Nixon on the school's all-time scoring list, 26 to pass No. 3 Tom Pipkins. He needs 25 to become the top Canadian scorer in Division I history.
St. Bonaventure: Coming off an 80-72 loss to Rhode Island. ... Has lost three in a row. ... Led by senior G J.R. Bremer, fourth in the nation in scoring and a first team all-conference player, who is averaging 24.8 points per game. ... Three other players average in double figures. ... Sophomore G Marques Green is averaging 15.3 ppg and 6.0 apg. ... Leads the league in scoring offense (81.5 ppg), 3-point field-goals per game (10.3), free-throw percentage (78.6), steals, (10.07) and turnover margin (+7.11). Last in the league in scoring defense (78.6), field-goal percentage defense (50.8), and in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (38.0).
AT A GLANCE
Notes: Xavier's David West became the third player in conference history to win back-to-back player of the year honors. He also was named defensive player of the year. ... Temple has won the past two titles and six overall, more than any other team. Massachusetts has won five and Saint Joseph's is the only other team currently in the league with as many as two. ... Xavier's Thad Matta, picked as the conference coach of the year, is just the third coach to win the regular-season title in his first year at his school. He will next try to become the third coach to win the conference tournament in his first try, joining Roy Chipman, who did it at Pitt in 1981, and Bob Wenzel, who did it at Rutgers in 1989. ... No team has won four games to capture the championship. ... The top four seeds have advanced to the semifinal round only five times since the tournament began in 1977. ... Temple has reached the semifinal round every season it has been in the league -- 19 seasons in a row. ... George Washington is the only charter member of the league never to have won a title. ... Duquesne won the first conference title but hasn't been back to the title game since 1981.
Who's hot: Temple has won 9 of 10 after starting the season 3-3 in conference. ... Xavier has won five of six, with its only loss in the stretch coming against Temple. ... Richmond, in its first season in the league, has won six of eight and earned a first-round bye.
Who's not: Saint Joseph's, the preseason conference favorite, is 3-3 in its past six games and likely needs to win the tournament to get a return bid to the NCAA tournament. ... Fordham lost its final nine regular-season contests. ... Massachusetts and Rhode Island each dropped four of their final six. ... Duquesne and St. Bonaventure each lost their final three games.
Players to watch: Rasual Butler of La Salle has transformed himself into a NBA first-round draft pick. He is averaging 21 points per game and scored 44 in a victory against Rhode Island a couple of weeks ago. ... David West of Xavier is one of the best post players in the country. He is averaging 18.6 points and 10 rebounds per game for the West Division champion Musketeers. ... Lynn Greer of Temple is one of the top guards in the country. He scored 32 of his 36 points after halftime in the Owls' 87-84 double-overtime victory against Saint Joseph's. He is averaging 22.7 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Who will win: Temple. The Owls earned the top seed in the East Division with an 87-84 double-overtime victory against Saint Joseph's Sunday and have won 9 of 10.
