A-10 Preview: Ranking the 15 best non-conference games

The Dagger's week-long Atlantic 10 preview continues with a look at the conference's 15 most intriguing non-conference matchups next season.

1. Cincinnati at Xavier, Dec. 10

Comment: One of the nation's fiercest inter-conference rivalry games will be as nationally relevant next season as it has been since the Bob Huggins era in the Queen City. Both Xavier and Cincinnati return the core of teams that made the NCAA tournament last year and expect to begin next season in the preseason top 25.

More from The Dagger's A-10 Preview

? MONDAY: Temple's Micheal Eric hopes to seize his chance
? TUESDAY: A-10 projections and storylines to watch
? WEDNESDAY: Ex-Xavier star Byron Larkin scouts the league
? THURSDAY: Ranking the 15 best non-league A-10 games
? FRIDAY: Q&A with St. Louis guard Kwamain Mitchell

2. Temple vs. Duke, Jan. 4

Comment: Even if it's not on campus at the the Liacouras Center and even if school's not in session yet, it's still a coup for Temple to draw Duke to Philadelphia. The Blue Devils routed the Owls 78-61 in Durham last season, but Temple's experienced, versatile guards should keep this game closer.

3. Xavier at Vanderbilt, Nov. 28

Comment: On a Xavier schedule loaded with difficult non-conference matchups, this is the first ? and maybe the toughest ? test.� The trio of John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor and Festus Ezeli has Vanderbilt poised to begin the season in the preseason top 10 and contend with Kentucky and Florida for an SEC championship.

4. Villanova at Temple, Dec. 10

Comment: Until St. Joseph's, La Salle or Penn prove otherwise, the annual matchup between Temple and Villanova will also essentially be the Big 5 championship game. The Owls have lost five of six to the Wildcats, but they upset Villanova the last time the two teams met at the Liacouras Center.

5. Washington at Saint Louis, Nov. 20

Comment: In addition to Saint Louis hosting a rare game against a potential top 25 opponent, this marks the return of Washington's Lorenzo Romar to the school he coached from 1999 to 2002. The nostalgia factor will be fun, but the Billikens can't waste an early chance for a statement victory to prove they're an NCAA tournament contender.

6. Xavier at Memphis, Feb. 4

Comment: When Memphis decided to postpone the final two games of its four-year series with Gonzaga, Xavier quickly agreed to replace the Zags. The result is the first meeting between the two non-BCS powers since the Musketeers upset the Tigers in the title game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament in Nov. 2008.

7. Gonzaga at Xavier, Dec. 31

Comment: Xavier and Gonzaga have been two of the nation's two premier non-BCS programs the past 15 years, but they hadn't met in the regular season during that span prior to last season. The Zags held serve at home in that matchup, securing a 64-54 victory.

8. Duquesne vs. Pittsburgh, Nov. 30

Comment: An 80-66 Pittsburgh win over Duquesne last December extended the Panthers' streak to 10 straight victories over their city rivals and 29 wins in the past 32 meetings. The closest the Dukes came to ending that losing streak? A double-overtime loss in 2009 in which they squandered a 16-point second-half lead.

9. Richmond at VCU, Dec. 10

Comment: These two city rivals would have met with a berth in the Final Four on the line last March had Richmond managed to upset Kansas in the Sweet 16. Instead the Spiders and Rams will square off eight months later with key players from last year like Kevin Anderson, Justin Harper, Joey Rodriguez and Jamie Skeen all having graduated.

10. Purdue at Xavier, Dec. 3

Comment: It's a testament to Xavier's strength of schedule that this is its fifth appearance on this list in the first 10 spots. Purdue probably isn't as strong as it was with E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, but the return of Robbie Hummel from back-to-back ACL tears ensures the Boilermakers will still pose a challenge.

11. Temple at Texas, Dec. 17

Comment: Three early defections sent Texas tumbling out of most preseason Top 25 polls, but this should still be a compelling matchup of elite backcourts. The Longhorns' duo of J'Covan Brown and freshman Myck Kabongo meet Temple's Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Scootie Randall.

12. St. Bonaventure vs. NC State, Dec. 20

Comment: If the Bonnies are going to claim they're legitimate NCAA tourney contenders, then a matchup with an ACC also-ran in Rochester is one they need to win.� St. Bonaventure's other two non-conference matchups with teams from BCS leagues are at Virginia Tech and at Illinois, so this probably represents the Bonnies' most winnable marquee non-league game.

13. Alabama at Dayton, Dec. 7

Comment: It's too bad Dayton's likely to endure a rebuilding season in new coach Archie Miller's first year because the Flyers' schedule actually sets up rather well for an NCAA tournament run. Besides this game against Alabama, Dayton also hosts Seton Hall and Ole Miss at its notoriously raucous home arena.

14. Saint Louis at New Mexico, Dec. 31

Comment: Wherever the best place to spend New Year's Eve is, it's definitely not Albuquerque's infamously rowdy arena known simply as the Pit. Deep and talented New Mexico is the favorite in the Mountain West this season, so this may be a difficult road victory for the Billikens to pull off.

15. Villanova at St. Joseph's, Dec. 17

Comment: In an effort to become more competitive with Big 5 rivals Temple and Villanova, St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli decided the Hawks will host those opponents on the Hill next season instead of at the Palestra. We'll find out here whether that helps the Hawks become more competitive in the Holy War after losing 11 of 14 to Villanova.

More conference previews from the Dagger:

ACC: Lessons from the pros keep North Carolina humble and hungry, ACC projections and storylines to watch, Ex-Wake Forest star Ish Smith scouts the league, Ranking the 15 best non-league ACC games, Q&A with Florida State junior Michael Snaer

Ranking the 15 best non-league A-10 games

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/A-10-Preview-Ranking-the-15-best-non-conference?urn=ncaab-wp4661

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Collins coaxed out of retirement, concern over Peyton grows

Early on Wednesday, the Colts lured�octogenarian�Kerry Collins out of retirement, presumably with a Mercury Grand Marquis and a bottle of Centrum Silver, signing the well-traveled 38-year-old to a one-year deal.

Owners who took Tony Dungy's "Unless he's dead" words to heart and drafted Peyton Manning are absolutely (expletive) a brick.

For weeks, No. 18's Week 1 availability has been shrouded in mystery. Via Twitter and on the Colts' Week 2 preseason broadcast, team owner Jim Irsay hinted Manning, who is slowly recovering from offseason neck surgery, would not be ready. Earlier that same day, the four-time MVP said he was "hopeful" about suiting up in Houston. According to Adam Schefter, however, Indy's "braintrust" may be right. The Ironman's streak of consecutive starts may soon end at 208.

The move to sign Collins sent strong ripples through the fantasy community. After hearing the news, Mr. Commercial's large pool of supporters immediately expressed concern about the situation via Twitter, bombarding the Noise's account with questions: How far will he drop in drafts? Should I avoid him altogether? What about the values of the players around him?

Because fanatics, in general, walk on eggshells, Manning, already being drafted at a reduced price, may wind up on the clearance rack. His current ADP according to Mock Draft Central sits at 28.30, down over five-percent from two weeks ago. Expect it to drop further, possibly into the 40s in standard drafts. In Tuesday's Friends and Family draft, Chet Gresham of Razzball fame grabbed Manning with the fourth pick in Round 4 of a 14-team PPR league (No. 46 overall).

Subsequently, those directly associated with him (e.g. Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, etc.) have seen a similar drop-off. Yours truly snagged Wayne with the last pick in Round 2 (No. 28) of F&F, a tremendous value considering the format. However, since Collins only has 18 days to absorb the offense, the Colts' vertical attack may struggle initially in the event their rock is on the sidelines wearing Wranglers.

For those that have yet to draft, the panic over Peyton presents an opportunity. Undoubtedly, it's a buyers market. Yes, he may miss a game or two, but in the grand scheme of things, it's a tiny fraction of the season. Due to the incredible depth at QB this year, savvy owners who do choose to buy on the bear have numerous stopgap options with favorable early season schedules. Who are they? Here are four late-round insurance policies Peyton purchasers should keep in mind in the later rounds:

Kevin Kolb, Ari (170.8 ADP) ? Carolina, at Washington
Kyle Orton, Den (194.2 ADP) ? Oakland, Cincinnati
Matt Cassel, KC (145.8 ADP) ? Buffalo, at Detroit
Colt McCoy, Cle (204.9 ADP) ? Cincinnati, at Indianapolis

With just over two weeks until the start of the regular season, Peyton's prognosis could easily change. But for those willing to roll the dice in Rounds 3-4, installing a contingency plan is a wise move.

Bring the noise on Twitter. Follow Brad @YahooNoise.

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Image courtesy of the AP

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/Collins-coaxed-out-of-retirement-concern-over-P?urn=fantasy-wp7245

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