With five games left in the A-10 regular season and with the conference tournament starting in three weeks, let's take a 30-second timeout and ruminate about the current season.
    --After three consecutive 20-loss seasons, the Patriots are 18-8 overall – with seven wins and counting more than last year – and 8-5 in conference, part of a three-way tie for fourth.
   Who saw that coming? Certainly not the A-10 coaches, whose preseason vote had the Patriots placing 12^th, where they finished last season.
   There are plenty of opportunities ahead to continue overachieving. Rhode Island, one of the fourth-place teams, comes to EagleBank Arena on Saturday. There are away games against A-10 co-leaders Dayton (Tuesday) and VCU (3/4) plus another shot at George Washington (2/26), which the Patriots have yet to beat in the A-10 Revolutionary Rivalry.
  In addition, there's a chance to win the school's first A-10 tourney game.
  Forget that a winning season overall is guaranteed. Now a 20-win season is in play as is a coveted double bye in the conference tournament with a top-four finish.
   --Marquise Moore leads the country in rebounding for guards and is a contender for A-10 Player of the Year. Otis Livingston II leads the A-10 in foul shooting and could be an All-Conference player. Jalen Jenkins leads the A-10 in field goal percentage and could earn All-Conference honors.
   Who saw that coming? Certainly not the A-10, which didn't have any Patriots listed on any of its myriad preseason honors teams.
   Moore may be the most unusual player in the country. He's a 6-2 guard who's strong enough to hunt bears with a stick. He averages 10.5 rebounds per game by gravitating to the basket, launching himself into the air against guys eight inches taller and somehow coming down with the ball, often starting a one-man fast break.
   If that's not entertaining enough, he gets to the basket with an array of moves, averaging 17.8 ppg, despite teams playing him to drive. He had been a non-threat beyond the arc until an 8-for-15 flurry on threes over the last four games.
   "He may be the most unique player I've ever seen," said Richmond coach Chris Mooney, who has an unusual player, 6-9 forward/center T.J. Cline, who is a strong POY candidate.
   Livingston is a tremendous complement to Moore. The 5-11 sophomore is a slick ball hander with three-point accuracy who also provides highlight reel plays in leading the fast break. He and Moore have combined for many pretty plays.
    Livingston is shooting 90.7% from the line with consecutive streaks of 34 and 23.
   Jenkins often gives up inches and pounds but not ground in the post. The 6-7, 246-pounder is shooting 62% from the field, getting most of his 11.9 ppg with nifty spins near the block. He can also hit 17 footers.
   He also has become an effective passer, often hitting Livingston, Moore or Justin Kier for pretty backdoor baskets.
--Dave Paulsen more than deserves all the speculation that he's a leading candidate for A-10 Coach of the Year honors. He and his staff have engineered an impressive and quick turnaround.
   Much as he did at Bucknell, Paulsen has installed a culture that emphasizes an enthusiastic, connected team. A year ago, Paulsen actually had the team practice bench behavior.
  During practices, he'd put the players on the bench and have them react to various scenarios occurring on the floor.
    In Tuesday's 93-70 win against Richmond, he had to shoo the team back onto the bench after they went wild following DeAndre Abram's spectacular, late-game dunk. The coach didn't want the enthusiasm to be perceived as gloating or poor sportsmanship.
  On the court, the team has become what Paulsen promised when he was hired. They're unselfish on offense and are becoming more skilled. They're relentless on defense and showing more versatility.
   After the Patriots beat Richmond Jan. 22 in their first meeting this season, 82-77, Mooney gave Paulsen a great compliment after a reporter noted that Paulsen's teams had beaten Richmond five consecutive times, twice at Bucknell and three at Mason:
   "Defensively they're extremely sound. So even though they play a tight defense that doesn't really give up any easy inside baskets, they also contest threes. So you can get lured into feeling a little more open on the perimeter than you really are.
   "Offensively, they've played with two big guys at Bucknell. They played with two big guys last year with Mason. This year they're playing with one big guy. They have a good understanding of how they're going to score. As much as they share the ball and do that well, the guys who do take the shots are the ones who are supposed to. He's a tremendous coach and obviously has Mason moving in a great direction very swiftly."
So far this has been an entertaining and bit of a surprising season. And it could get better.