PHILADELPHIA (03/10/03) - Saint Joseph's jumped back into the Top 25 this week, moving into the Associated Press poll at #25. The Hawks, which posted a 22-5 regular season record, were previously ranked #25 by the AP on February 10. SJU fell out of the poll the following week following a loss at Dayton. The Hawks, the #1 seed in the East Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference, will open play in the A-10 Championships this Thursday evening (7:00 p.m./CN8/WPEN 950 AM)against La Salle, the #4 seed from the West Division. The Explorers defeated Fordham, 76-72, on Monday night in an A-10 Championship opening round game. It will mark the fourth time in the last five years that Saint Joseph's opening opponent in the A-10 Tournament is city-rival La Salle. SJU had won three of the previous four meetings and defeated the Explorers earlier in the season at The Palestra. SJU joining the Top 25 marks the first time in the 27-year history of the Atlantic 10 Conference taht three teams will enter the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship ranked in the Associated Press top 25. Xavier is ranked #10 and Dayton is #22. It is also the first time since Nov. 16, 1998 that at least three Atlantic 10 teams were in the top 25. In that poll, Temple (#7), Xavier (#16), Massachusetts (#23), and Rhode Island (#25) were all ranked.