Is there a new favorite in the Atlantic 10?

There are at least two teams with claims to unseat Dayton as the expected champion of the conference.

Charlotte has not been the perennial Atlantic 10 contender it was expected to be when it joined the conference, but this year looks like the year.

Other than a 42-point loss to Duke - which is not the easiest thing to ignore - the 49ers have been very good, highlighted by their 87-65 win on Saturday over ranked Louisville.

Point guard DiJuan Harris has led a collection of newcomers that has come together quickly for Charlotte.

Boston College transfer Shamari Spears has been terrific with 19.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his first season eligible to play for the 49ers, while junior college transfer Derrio Green and rookies Chris Braswell, a 6-foot-8 big man, and guard Shamarr Bowden all have star potential.

Charlotte (6-1) has four straight winnable games before closing its nonconference slate with games against Georgia Tech and Tennessee. If the 49ers can avoid upsets and play well against A-10 competition, they could challenge for the league title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Richmond is on the rise as well with back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and Missouri. Freed from the slow-down style of years past, the Spiders look capable of contending at the top of the A-10.

Richmond has three tough road games left in its nonconference schedule - at South Carolina, Florida and Wake Forest. A win or two and a strong league record could make an NCAA at-large bid possible.

GAMES OF THE WEEK: The Atlantic 10 has plenty of opportunities this week for signature wins with five games against top-25 teams.

Duquesne at West Virginia, 7 p.m., Wednesday - The Dukes nearly upset Pitt, but the Mountaineers figure to be much tougher.

Villanova at Saint Joseph's, 9 p.m., Wednesday - A big week for the Hawks starts with the Philadelphia Holy War at The Palestra.

La Salle at Kansas, 2 p.m., Saturday - The Explorers get a crack at the No. 1 team in the nation.

Villanova at Temple, 3 p.m., Sunday, - The Owls' defense is good enough to keep them in the game.

Xavier vs. Bob Huggins' former employers - The Musketeers travel to Kansas State, at 9 p.m. Tuesday and to Cincinnati in the Crosstown Shootout at 7 p.m. Sunday.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Braswell averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds in Charlotte's two wins last week to earn A-10 rookie of the week honors.

STREAKING: Dayton's 89-71 win over Lehigh on Saturday was its 23rd straight home victory dating back to March 8, 2008.

Rhode Island's 86-82 win over Providence was its 17th straight nonconference victory at home.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports.