The Atlantic 10, really 15, has a chance to increase their foothold in the world of college basketball. While 2022-23 is just another year for many, the conference as a whole has added massive value in their programs. Can high profile coaches and tournament success make them a desired destination?
MIP Projected Season Standings:
| 1. St Louis | 9. Rhode Island |
| 2. Dayton | 10. St. Bonaventure |
| 3. VCU | 11. Fordham |
| 4. Richmond | 12. George Washington |
| 5. Loyola Chicago | 13. La Salle |
| 6. George Mason | 14. St. Joseph’s |
| 7. Davidson | 15. Duquesne |
| 8. UMass | Post Season Champion: Dayton |
15. Duquesne
The Dukes lost seventeen straight to cap off their 2021-22 season and it is hard to imagine the team putting together a much better year. Even though they were able to improve their offensive fire power in the transfer market, by acquiring two mid-major transfers in Tevin Brewer (FIU) and Dae Dae Grant (Miami-OH), it isn’t a complete fix.
Breaking down their inefficient, stagnant and all around poor offensive structure goes much farther than adding two transfers to the mix. The team was at the bottom of the barrel in the most important offensive efficiency categories and that takes much longer than a year to fix. Expect the Dukes to be better than last year but still struggle to find their footing on the offensive end.
MIP Player to Watch: Dae Dae Grant
14. St. Joseph’s
This is yet another season that the Hawks will struggle to stay out of the basement of the Atlantic 10. A roster that was almost completely turned over from their 12th place finish last year, the Hawks have way too many questions and no answers in sight. As Billy Lange continues to struggle on the court and on the recruiting trail it is hard to imagine this team making any type of positive impact this year.
Immense pressure will sit on role players to step up and fill the void of Jordan Hall and Taylor Funk but outside of the guard position this team is going to be a mixed bag game to game. St. Joe’s hoped to get over the hump in the Lange era but it seems that won’t be happening anytime soon.
MIP Player to Watch: Erik Reynolds
13. La Salle
The Explorers are looking to find a true reset button with a coaching legend at the helm. A program that decided to hire alum Fran Dunphy to head the team and resuscitate the fleeting program is a tall task even for him.
While his record and mentorship will help bring in more impactful recruits, the season looms with four of their five starters transferring to different schools. Dunphy has picked and plugged the roster to be competitive but the team is going to need to find chemistry and cohesion fast to win games in the A10. The two biggest questions will be who can take a leap out of the backcourt and if their front court is strong enough to compete with the conference schedule. If they can get positives from both this group may surprise people.
MIP Player to Watch: Josh Nickelberry
12. George Washington
George Washington is a range team that could rise or falter based on the performance of their supporting cast. While they aren’t built to be a top eight team in their current form, they did surprise people last year and stayed relatively untouched in the transfer window. Outside of Sean Miller and Rhode Island flipping Brayon Freeman the team is built almost identically to last year.
James Bishop is the unabashed leader of this team and is going to have to continue to step up to an elite level to make the group competitive this year. A true test of how valuable keeping a team together can be, GW is a team to monitor if they can get hot and stay hot during conference play.
MIP Player to Watch: Ricky Lindo Jr.
11. Fordham
Fordham as a team is structured to make a positive impact within the conference however, they will lost momentum due to the departure of Kyle Neptune. Because Neptune was tagged as the successor to Villanova coaching legend Jay Wright, the Rams have suffered the most.
Keith Urgo, an assistant on Neptune’s staff was elevated to the full time head coaching position but has some work to do. Khalid Moore from Georgia Tech will help soften the blow of their losses defensively but it will be a matter of if the team can fill the gaps from their other departures. Losing their leading scorer, Antonio Daye Jr. , to the transfer portal and Chuba Ohams to the pros is a hard place to be for a first year head coach.
MIP Player to Watch: Darius Quisenberry
10. St. Bonaventure
The Bonnies were gutted by the portal the team lost all five of their starters and basically built their rotation from scratch via duct tape and glue. Taking in transfers from St. Peter’s, Hartford and Holy Cross the group is going to look and feel completely different than the powerhouse Bonnie teams we have seen in recent years.
However, the experience coming from St. Peter’s in Daryl Banks and the rest of the transfers coming in all had success at their low level programs so is it out of the question to think the Bonnies could push toward the top eight? We don’t think so. Mark Schmidt has continued to put this program in the best possible position against all odds. Even though he has seen a step back on paper doesn’t mean the group is going to be a bottom four team and they could even find themselves cracking the top eight if the group can quickly gain chemistry. Expect this team to make their statement for the year during the first two weeks of the season.
MIP Player to Watch: Moses Flowers
9. Rhode Island
Archie Miller returns to the Atlantic 10 after a failed run at Indiana. A coach that is familiar with the league and has already picked up a value transfer, poaching Brayon Freeman, who will be heavily featured in their game plans is going to keep Rhode Island competitive. However, Miller will need more than one offseason to bring the program to Dayton level success.
The pillars of their rotation have left the program and it will be what is left that has to step up and show out. A group that is hit or miss should hang around the lower middle of the conference regardless of the jump their current roster makes. The ceiling of the team will be decided by their identity, rotation and the how well they adapt to Miller’s system.
MIP Player to Watch: Ishmael Leggett
8. UMass
The Minutemen haven’t been the best group in the Atlantic 10, since the John Calipari era. A team that has been looking for consistency since the 90’s may finally have a coach that can bring prominence back to a once powerful group. Frank Martin brings the passion, desire and basketball acumen you need to build a program and has already been hard at work in the transfer portal molding his roster.
Adding both starter level talent in Rahsool Diggins and Wildens Leveque while also bolstering the rotation with Matt Cross and Gianni Thompson will provide the necessary depth to challenge any group in the top eight. Noah Fernandes returns for his third season with UMass and should be the driving force to help build chemistry with the new group.
MIP Player to Watch: TJ Weeks
7. Davidson
From father to son the touch has been passed at the head coaching position and the first year of any new era comes with many questions. It is hard to imagine that Matt McKillop will have the same success as his father from the start, especially after losing three of the four most important players from the team last year.
With Foster Loyer back for the Wildcats the group will have a steady hand at point guard to keep the offense moving and if Connor Kochera can find his freshman year efficiency he should make a significant impact in the Davidson offense. A possible two man show will only carry the group so far and in an ideal situation rotation players step up. Regardless, this feels like their ceiling.
MIP Player to Watch: Connor Kochera
6. George Mason
George Mason has a similar returning formula to the two top teams in their conference but was plagued by streaky play last year. Josh Oduro should be considered the best big man in the conference and by adding impact transfer Victor Bailey Jr. the group has solidified their rotation help outside of the returning “big three”.
If the team can find consistency and a proper ball handler to keep the offense moving they should have no problem rising up the conference standings however that is going to be a big if. A team to monitor as their ceiling is an at large bid, while their floor is the middle of the pack.
MIP Player to Watch: Davonte Gaines
5. Loyola Chicago
A new comer to the conference Loyola Chicago opens the door of new opportunity for the school and basketball program. With a new conference comes notoriety to acquire higher value transfers and recruits but also brings pressures to succeed.
In a bit of a reset year, three of the top four scorers from last season have departed and while the were able to acquire transfers to fill the rotation the expectations this season are lower than previous years. It will be up to Valentine to rise to the occasion and keep the team competitive on a nightly basis.
MIP Player to Watch: Braden Norris
4. Richmond
Chris Mooney has put together the 2022-23 Spider’s squad with duct tape and glue. The team was set for a rebuilding year after the loss of their impact player Jacob Gilyard, an all time spider, yet Mooney found a way to make them competitive again.
Adding three mid level transfers to plug the holes and address the issues within their existing rotation the team has the depth to compete every night. How far the group goes will be firmly placed on the shoulders of their returning star Tyler Burton. If Burton can take another leap in his development this group has a chance to remain in the top four but if he falters they will also fall. The looming question coming out of camp will be their point guard play. If they can’t find a steady hand within their group to command the offense it is going to be hard to find any flow on a game to game basis.
MIP Player to Watch: Tyler Burton
3. VCU
The Rams have a chance to play spoiler in the top three this year after retooling around Ace Baldwin, Jayden Nunn and Jamir Watkins . With an array of transfers and new recruits including Zeb Jackson, Brandon Johns Jr., David Shriver and Fats Billups the team has added the necessary depth to compete.
The group will have to find answers on the offensive end to push Dayton and St Louis but their defense alone should put them in the top three. A team to monitor heading into March, the group could steal an at large bid or the conference tournament title if they get hot. Their success will hinge on the impact of their freshman and transfers ability to find chemistry within the system.
MIP Player to Watch: Jamir Watkins
2. Dayton
A very impressive number two team in the conference, the Flyers have the best chance to unseat the Bilikens and take over first place. The youngest roster in college basketball returns this year without a scratch on their starting lineup from the previous season.
The program will be relying heavily on their rotation to take a step forward and solidify a bid in the tournament either from cutting down the nets for the A10 or though an at large bid. Dayton finds themselves at two because of their reliance on the leap the entire group has to make this season.
MIP Player to Watch: DaRon Holmes
1. St. Louis
The Bilikens have placed themselves in a position to take the regular season title and then some this year. A mixture of depth and star power that will matchup well against any team in the NCAA, this group has a chance to overtake Dayton as the team to beat in the A10.
The only question this year will be the health of Javonte Perkins coming off his mid season ACL injury. Yet, with the success rate increasing in regards to ACL’s he should have no problem returning to form. Adding impact transfer Javon Pickett will also help solidify this group and give them a chance to prove themselves this year.
MIP Player to Watch: Javon Pickett