The whole landscape of college basketball has changed with the addition and/or elimination of teams to most of the major conferences. The Atlantic 10 is no exception; as it now boasts 14 teams, including the Saint Louis University Billikens, who have entered this new conference along with some old rivals from Conference USA. While many pundits believe there is no truly elite team in the A-10, there are very few doormats on the Billikens’ conference schedule. The league is loaded with returning talent; 80 percent of the league’s scoring and 12 of 15 all-conference performers return this season.
Charlotte- They performed well below expectations at the season’s outset, but now that conference play has begun, coach Bobby Lutz has his 49ers playing up to expectations. Two-time All-Conference USA selection Curtis Withers looks to take his relentless defense and rugged offensive game to the A-10. Withers, a senior, started for the Gold Medal USA team at the Junior World Championships last summer. In addition to Withers, the 49ers have had very strong guard play from Oklahoma transfer D’Angelo Alexander and sophomore Leemire Goldwire. Both have already garnered Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honors this season.
Dayton- After many years of not only Atlantic 10, but NCAA tournament success, coach Brian Gregory will lead a much younger team this season. Known for their blue-collar style of play, the Flyers will be led by sophomore guard Brian Roberts this year. The team survived a challenging non-conference slate that included Northern Iowa, DePaul and in-state rival Cincinnati twice, with a record above .500. And despite an 0-2 start in conference play, do not expect the Flyers to be cellar-dwellers in the A-10.
Duquesne- Following an 8-22 season plagued by injuries, it has been another rough year thus far for head coach Danny Nee’s Dukes. The team is off to a 2-12 start and has failed to be competitive, losing all but two games by more than double figures. The lone bright spot for the team has been the resilient play of fifth-year senior guard Bryant McAllister, who is second in the conference in scoring, averaging nearly 19 points a game, and is fourth in the league in assists.
Fordham- Senior guard Jermaine Anderson has been a torrid marksman this year for the Rams, shooting over 50 percent from behind the three-point line while averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game. He is joined by sophomore forward Bryant Anderson, forming one of the better inside-outside combinations in the league. After a 1-6 start, the team has rebounded to win five out of eight. The team finished 13-16 last year and was chosen by the coaches and media to finish eighth in the conference.
George Washington- The Colonials enter as the prohibitive favorites in the conference race. After flirting with the NBA, Mike Hall and Pops Mensah-Bonsu return for their senior seasons. However, thus far it has been junior Danilo “J.R.” Pinnock leading the team in scoring. Last season Pinnock was the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year. GW has been ranked as high as 12 in the polls this year, and already has a win over Maryland. Solely based on talent, this team is to go deep into the NCAA tournament, following their first-round exit last year.
Massachusetts- First-year coach Travis Ford patrols the sidelines of the Minutemen this year after leading the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to the NCAA Tournament. The Minutemen are off to an 8-5 start, 2-0 in the Atlantic 10-the best start for a team since coach John Calipari left the school for the NBA. The team is led by four juniors, among them center Rashaun Freeman, who leads the team in points per game (16.3, eighth in the A-10) and rebounds (8.8, third in the A-10).
La Salle- The Explorers return Co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Steven Smith and are a dark-horse in the conference race. Smith, a 6’9″ senior, is averaging 20 points and nine boards a game and has been projected as a first-round NBA draft pick. After a 10-19 finish last year, the team returns four starters, including their top three scorers, in addition to a stellar freshman class. Quite frankly, the Explorers will go as far as Smith takes them.
Rhode Island- The Rhode Island program has undergone a vast transformation the past five seasons under coach Jim Baron. After Jim Harrick led an exciting team to the elite eight and recruited talents like Lamar Odom, he left the team amid a bevy of recruiting violations and corruption.
The wounds now healed, Baron leads a solid squad without the big-name stars or off-the-court trouble that marked Harrick’s reign. Led by senior guard Dwan Robinson, the team has started 7-6 and, like most of the A-10 teams, has yet to find its niche.
Richmond- Chris Mooney’s squad has been inconsistent in its 8-7 start and has yet to have a star player emerge. However, the team has been extremely tough on the defensive end; only one of its opponents has scored 70 points or more. The Spiders are a rangy, athletic team-their top eight players are all 6’5″ or taller. But someone like senior forward Jermaine Bucknor will have to pick up his game offensively for the Spiders to put up enough points to win on a consistent basis.
St. Bonaventure- The Bonnies have struggled so far, failing to win any of their four conference games, losing seven of eight overall. Seniors Ahmad Smith, Paul Williams, and Patrick Lottin do most of the offensive damage for the team. Williams, a 6’10” center, is shooting over 56 percent this season.
St. Joseph’s- The Hawks are off to an uncharacteristic 1-3 start in conference play. The team has lacked a consistent inside presence since Dwayne Jones departed from school early for the NBA. Only a couple years removed from a historic two-loss season, this year’s team does not have the NBA-type talent that previous St. Joe’s teams possessed. However, coach Phil Martelli, who coached Team USA last summer in the Junior World Championships, will keep his team in every game. Despite their recent struggles the Hawks have defeated Kansas and almost upset Gonzaga earlier this season.
St. Louis- An afterthought in the A-10 race, the Bills were picked to finish second-to-last by the media and coaches. The team has proved its doubters wrong, playing inspired ball under Brad Soderberg. Ian Vouyoukas has proved to be one of the best big-men in the conference, following his stint with team Greece at the Junior World Championships. The team has played its usual stingy defense and has had strong guard play from most notably Danny Brown and two phenomenal freshmen, Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell.
Temple- Coaching icon John Chaney returns for his 24th season at Temple. His squad returns its top nine players, including potential All-American candidate Mardy Collins. The 6’6″ Collins is as complete a player as there is in the nation. He led the Owls in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals and is a projected NBA first-rounder. Although they are off to an inauspicious 0-2 conference start, expect the Owls, who were 16-14 last year, to be a serious contender in the championship race.
Xavier- This group of Musketeers will not be carried by stars like David West, Romain Sato or Lionel Chalmers, but will field a more balanced attack.
Second-year coach Sean Miller is off to a 10-2 start and will expect nothing less than an A-10 championship from his squad. Forwards Brian Thornton and Justin Doellman and guard Stanley Burrell score in double figures just about every night, and senior point-man Dedrick Finn is the steady hand that runs the offense.
