Big-12 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 23, 2023 by David Griggs

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BIG-12 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Kansas
  2. Houston
  3. Texas
  4. Baylor
  5. TCU
  6. Kansas State
  7. Iowa State
  8. Texas Tech
  9. West Virgiia
  10. Oklahoma State
  11. Cincinnati
  12. Oklahoma
  13. BYU
  14. UCF

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG-12:

-LJ Cryer, SR, G – Houston
-Hunter Dickinson – SR, C – Kansas
-Dajuan Harris Jr. – JR, G – Kansas
-Emanuel Miller, SR, F – TCU
-Max Abmas – SR, G – Texas

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

The Big-12 has in recent years been both the strongest conference in terms of talent and the best conference in terms of how it was ideally set up for basketball. Ten teams with a true double-round-robin. With four new teams being added to the league, that format is gone forever, and most of the teams who joined actually appear to be making it weaker this year. So…

-Kansas is starting off the season ranked #1 in the nation and is the consensus favorite to win the Big-12. This is a team that is loaded with both talent and experience, they are a legit national title contender, and while they would not be my personal preseason #1, they are in my top-3. I certainly believe they are good enough to make a Final Four and even win it all. They were a 1-seed last year and while they lost in an upset in the Round of 32, they were still clearly one of the best teams in the nation and there is a lot coming back from that team. Gradey Dick is gone and that is a big loss, but the roster is stacked with talent, most notably Hunter Dickerson and Dajuan Harris Jr. who are potential NBA guys.

-Houston had a breakout season with an unbelievably talented roster last year. Granted, they have recently been to a Final Four, and while they only made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen last year they still spent the entire season highly ranked and in the national spotlight. They did lose multiple key players, but this program is now to a point to where it can just reload its talent, and that is what they have done this year. It will be a tough defensive team with some super-talented newcomers to go along with Jamal Shead/LJ Cryer. This is a team that should easily end up earning a protected seed and depending on how things fall could end up as a #1 seed again. It is also their first year in the Big 12 so the level of competition will be higher than what they’re used to throughout the season, but I think that if anything the stronger competition will strengthen both their team and their resume come March.

-Texas had to deal with some off the court issues when it came to their coaching staff, but Rodney Terry took over after Chris Beard was forced to resign, did a really good job, and earned the permanent job for this year. They are losing several key players, particularly Marcus Carr, but they have a loaded roster and the addition of Max Abmas, who was a standout player at Oral Roberts last year, gives them some firepower from the outside. The Horns look to be a solid top-25-caliber team and should walk into the NCAA Tournament.

-Baylor is having to reload. They are also coming off of what for them was a down year. They only made it as far as the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament after being a consistent top ten program for seemingly the previous four years. Keyonte George/Adam Flagler are gone, and those are two high-caliber players that are tough to replace, but RayJ Dennis transfers in from Toledo after averaging just under 20ppg for the Rockets last season, and Jalen Bridges also comes in from West Virginia. The Bears appear to have another strong recruiting class and we will likely once again see them in the rankings for most of the season.

-TCU has now been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and appears to be in position to get back there again. After not being on the basketball radar at all prior to the arrival of Coach Jamie Dixon, TCU has now become a nationally relevant program. They were inconsistent last season and went through a stretch in early February where they lost five out of six, but they ended up a solid 9-9 in Big 12 play and had multiple wins against ranked teams. Just two starters are back, but they do have some good looking players who are transferring in, including Avery Anderson III, who was a key player for Big-12 foe Oklahoma State a year ago, and Jameer Nelson Jr. from Delaware, who averaged over 20ppg, so I like the Horned Frogs quite a bit again this year.

-Kansas State was one of the biggest surprises in the nation last year as many had them pegged as the doormat of the Big-12. Jerome Tang did one of the best coaching jobs in the nation as the Wildcats finished the regular season in the top-25 and then advanced to the Elite Eight where they barely lost to Florida Atlantic. With just two starters back and several key players who need replacing, people seem to once again be overlooking Kansas State. I sure as hell would not! Tylor Perry transfers in from North Texas, who was an amazing player last season and is capable of being a big contributor at the Big 12 level. Ques Glover also comes in from Samford, and Arthur Kaluma comes in from Creighton. These are three guys who averaged double-figures a year ago, and who could really blossom at K-State this year.

-TJ Otzelberger enters his second year at Iowa State, and after a successful debut last year where they made the NCAA Tournament he is tasked with a rebuilding job this year. Just one starter is back, and while they do have some good-looking transfers coming in who could play big roles for the Cyclones this year, I see them struggling against most of the teams in the top half of this league.

-Texas Tech struggled in league play a year ago going just 5-13 in the Big-12. As much as they struggled, they were still pretty good. It is just that the league was exceptionally tough and every game someone has to lose. Grant McCasland takes over as head coach, who did a fantastic job at North Texas, and he is tasked with rebuilding the roster. He has gone into the portal to go after experienced players who can contribute right away. Five players come in with four years’ experience, and while all of them were key players at D1 programs, and some at P5 programs, they will only be there for one year. Having said that, if they can gel then I think Texas Tech will be an improved team this year.

-West Virginia is just not in good shape. Former coach Bob Huggins faced multiple off-court issues during the offseason that I am not going to get into. He will not be returning and most of the key players from a year ago will not be either. Josh Eilert takes over as head coach and he has his work cut out for him as he tries to rebuild WVU into a nationally relevant program. As of now, I am not entirely convinced it is going to happen any time soon.

-Oklahoma State had a modest season last year where they finished with 20 wins and played in the NIT. Mike Boynton is a good coach, and they do have a really impressive looking recruiting class coming in, but I think they are a year or so away from being able to build this into an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

-Cincinnati just has not been good since Mick Cronin left for UCLA. They won 23 games last season and made the NIT, which was a huge improvement from the previous couple of seasons, and I do like Wes Miller as a coach and feel he will get things going. Having said that, they are new to the Big 12 this year and when I look at their current team it looks like they are going to struggle. Two guys they were relying on are 4-4-4 transfers, and the chances of them being eligible to play this year are slim, which means they just do not have the talent/depth to compete with the majority of teams in the league.

-Oklahoma struggled last year in Porter Moser’s second season and many are wondering if the Sooners’ program is going in the right direction. While I think landing inside the bubble this year is unlikely for the Sooners, I am a little surprised to see them picked this low. They got two quality guards out of the transfer portal in Le’Tre Darthard (Utah Valley) and Javian McCollum (Siena) so the cupboard is not totally bare. Two starters are also back from last year’s team so I think they’ll do a little bit better than where they are being picked.

-BYU is another team that is new to the league, and given how low they are picked to finish they do not appear to have the respect of their new conference mates. BYU is coming off what was a down year for them, but four starters are back. It is a program that has a tendency to improve as their players become more experienced, and their home court is one of the toughest places to play in the country so they will almost assuredly finish higher than this. Aly Khalifa, who was a solid player at Charlotte last year, also transfers in. I…do not get it: next to last?? Hell, I was thinking this was at worst an NIT team, and if everything comes together they could make a run at making the NCAA Tournament.

-UCF is also new to the Big 12, and if they were still in the American I would say they are rebuilding and will likely struggle this year. Now that they are in the Big 12, I am going to say that they are rebuilding and will likely be dominated this year. I like this program and I think Johnny Dawkins has done a good job as head coach. The long term potential is promising. The short term potential for this season is…well…not.

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Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 22, 2023 by David Griggs

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MAAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Rider
  2. Iona
  3. Canisius
  4. Siena
  5. Quinnipiac
  6. Fairfield
  7. Mount Saint Mary’s
  8. Marist
  9. Niagara
  10. Saint Peter’s
  11. Manhattan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 1ST TEAM:

-Osborn Shema – SR, F – Iona
-Dakota Leffew – SR, G – Mount Saint Mary’s
-Matt Balanc – SR, G – Quinnipiac
-Mervin James -SR, F – Rider
-Allen Powell – SR, G – Rider

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 2ND TEAM:

-Tahj Staveskie – SO, G – Canisius
-Caleb Fields – SR, G – Fairfield
-Isaiah Brickner – SO, G -Marist
-Paul Otieno – SR, F – Quinnipiac
-Michael Eley – SO, G – Siena

MEDIA DAP RESEASON ALL-MAAC 3RD TEAM:

-Xzavier Long – JR, F – Canisius
-Alexis Yetna – SR, F – Fairfield
-Joel Brown – SR, G – Iona
-Idan Tretout – SR, G – Iona
-Corey Washington – SO, F – Saint Peter’s

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Rider won just 16 games a year ago, and while they were the 2nd place team in the MAAC, they were a full four games behind Iona and were as far ahead of 9th place as they were behind 1st place. I do think they will be a conference frontrunner, but I am a little surprised that the love for them is as seemingly unanimous as it is. Three veteran starters are back including Mervin James/Allen Powell, who were both double-digit scorers a year ago. They also have what appear to be some quality JUCO players transferring in, so they do have some pretty good pieces and the expectations should be high.

-The Rick Pitino era at Iona has ended and just one starter is back from a year ago, so the Gaels are tasked with turning other both their coaching staff and their roster. Here is the thing, though: Tobin Anderson takes over, and he is a very good coach who proved last year at Fairleigh Dickinson that he is capable of getting it done as the head man at a D1 program. The roster is very transfer-heavy (as you would expect) but some of these guys are proven players. Idan Tretout was a key player for Harvard last year, and they have some strong-looking JUCO players and freshmen coming in as well. I know they lost a lot, and it looks like they have an entirely new team this year, but the Gaels are my pick to win this league again. They were a constant frontrunner before Rick Pitino arrived and they have a good/proven coach stepping in to replace him.

-Canisius in 3rd place…but I am just not seeing it. They were good down the stretch and three starters are back, but they won just 9 D1 games a year ago, and while I believe experience can lead to success I just do not see them making this big of a jump. But…what the hell do I know? Tahj Staveskie is a really good guard and he will be one of the key contributors for the Golden Griffins this year.

-I seemingly always like Siena coming into the season and I once again like them this year. They were a streaky team a year ago, and they picked a bad time to go on a bad streak at the end of the season as they lost their last six games, but with three starters back and some key transfers coming in, I think they experience will pay off and the Saints will perform with more consistency this year. One thing that did hurt them is that several of their younger players who would have been contributors this year jumped into the portal, but Siena got some decent players in the portal themselves and I believe they are set up to be successful. Then again, I seemingly always believe that.

-Quinnipiac won 20 games a year ago and went on some streaks during the season that really made them jump out. They got off to a 7-0 start, and if I am not mistaken actually garnered a few votes (albeit VERY few) in some of the top-25 polls. They also had a stretch in the first half of conference play where they won seven of eight and appeared to be a contender, but then fell apart in the second half of conference play. With three starters back and an experienced Tom Pecora taking over as head coach, I would like to think that the Bobcats can be a bit of a dark horse and surprise some people this year. They appear to have a reasonable amount of talent in the frontcourt/backcourt and a reasonable amount of depth, so maybe we can see them make some noise this year.

-Fairfield had a rather unspectacular season last year and was just plain bad down the stretch. Three starters are back, but they have to replace their top player. They do have some notable transfers coming in, but it is looking like it is going to be tough for them to finish in the top half of the standings.

-Mount Saint Mary’s is another team that was underwhelming a year ago and is now tasked with replacing some of their key players who opted to transfer out. Dakota Leffew should give them some strength at the guard position, but he needs help from his supporting cast if the Mountaineers are going to have any success this season.

-After not looking all that good at all during any point of the season and finishing in last place, Marist made it all the way to the conference tournament championship game before losing rather handily to Iona. Three starters are back, and we should see them finish higher than…well…last, and I think they may have it in them to finish a little higher than where they are being picked, but I do not think they are at a point where I would expect them to finish in the top half of the conference.

-Niagara is experiencing a roster overhaul after some of their better players jumped into the portal, and while they finished .500 a year ago, which is at least respectable, what is left does not seem to be the makings of a team that can finish in the top half of the league this year.

-Saint Peter’s was in the Elite Eight just two years ago. It is not often you see a team from an Under the Radar conference in the Elite Eight, but it is even less common to see that team picked to finish just 10th in that same UTR conference just two years later. Having said that, I think the Peacocks are going to do better than 10th this year. Three starters are back including Corey Washington, who deservedly received some preseason all-conference honors. They have also rebuilt their roster what what appear to be some standout JUCO players who could step in and contribute. I think this team can finish in the middle of the pack, and if everything comes together perhaps even do a little better than that. To pick them 10th seems way too low. In contrast…

-Manhattan is picked last. That does NOT seem like it is way too low. My goodness the wheels have fallen off the car! Along with the doors, the windshield, and the engine. Much needs to be done to rebuild this program back into a conference frontrunner and new Coach John Gallagher has his work cut out for him.

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Missouri Valley Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 22, 2023 by David Griggs

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MISSOURI VALLEY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Drake
  2. Northern Iowa
  3. Bradley
  4. Indiana State
  5. Belmont
  6. Missouri State
  7. Murray State
  8. Illinois State
  9. Southern Illinois
  10. UIC
  11. Evansville
  12. Valparaiso

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 1ST TEAM:

-Bowen Born – JR, G – Northern Iowa
-Donovan Clay – SR, G/F – Missouri State
-Tucker DeVries – JR, G/F – Drake
-Malevy Leons – SR, F – Bradley
-Cade Tyson – SO, G/F – Belmont

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 2ND TEAM:

-Tytan Anderson – JR, G/F – Northern Iowa
-Robbie Avila – SO, C – Indiana State
-Darnell Brodie – SR, F – Drake
-Julian Larry – JR, G – Indiana State
-Rob Perry – SR, G – Murray State
-Kenny Strawbridge Jr. – SR, G – Evansville

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MVC 3RD TEAM:

-Darius Burford – SR, G – Illinois State
-Duke Deen – SR, G – Bradley
-Xavier Johnson – SR, G – Southern Illinois
-Chance Moore – JR, G – Missouri State
-Isaiah Swope – JR, G – Indiana State

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-Drake had a good year last year. It is hard to say that a team that won 27 games underachieved, but…I kind of think they did! This was a team that, at the start of the year, I thought we would see in the top-25 and solidly inside the bubble by the end of the year, and while they had a good year and did make the NCAA Tournament it felt like it should have been even better. Expectations are high again this year, and if history is any indicator this will be a very good defensive team with very balanced scoring. Only two starters are back but one of them is Tucker DeVries, who averaged 19ppg last year and was the best player in the conference. They have two transfers who should be big contributors this year (Ethan Roberts from Army/Atin Wright from Cal State Northridge), and this once again looks like a team that can not just finish at or near the top of The Valley, but who can make some noise on a national level as well.

-I am a little surprised to see Northern Iowa picked this high. Don’t get me wrong: I actually AGREE with having them this high! I am just surprised that a team that finished just 14-18 last year would have high expectations this year. But, this is a good team! Four starters are back, and while they completely crash landed in the second half of conference play going (1-7 in their final eight games), injuries had a lot to do with that, and when they were healthy they were one of the better teams in the conference. Bowen Born is a phenomenal guard, and Trey Campbell/Michael Duax, who both started as freshmen last year, are both experienced and should improve quite a bit this year. UNI was going to be my dark horse, but I guess you cannot call a team that was picked to finish 2nd a dark horse. I also really like Ben Jacobson as a coach and think he can help lead them to an outstanding season.

-Bradley was last year’s first-place team, which was a mild surprise (at least to me), but Coach Brian Wardle had what was perhaps his best season since taking over the Braves, and with three starters back from that team they appear to be in position to have another big year this year. They lost to Drake in the conference championship game so they missed out on the NCAA Tournament last year, but it was still an outstanding season overall. Depth could be a bit of an issue for them this year, but the three returning starters give them experience and talent in both the frontcourt and the backcourt.

-Outside of a horrible stretch early on in conference play where they lost four straight games, Indiana State had a very good season last year. The 23 total wins was a huge improvement from anything they had done recently, and while just two starters are back, the expectations are now higher as Coach Matthew Graves enters his third season with The Trees. They did get four players out of the transfer portal who should be able to step up and contribute. While I do not think they are a contender to win the league, another 20+ win season is not out of the question.

-Belmont had a decent year in their first year in the MVC last year winning 21 total games and finishing in a 3rd place tie in the conference. This is a team that can definitely hold its own, but with just two starters back saying they will compete for a spot at or near the top of the standings may be a bit of a stretch. They do have some decent looking freshmen coming in, and that could pay off in future years, but this year I would look for them to finish in the middle.

-Missouri State’s season was sort of ‘meh’ when you looked at it as a whole, but they played pretty well in the last few weeks and with three starters back they could be a bit of a dark horse this year if they are able to start off playing the way they ended last year. Injuries also plagued the Bears a year ago, so if they can stay healthy then they should see more wins this year. I kind of like the Bears! I do not think they will win the league, but I think they will exceed their preseason expectations and surprise some people.

-Two years ago Murray State won 31 games, finished the regular season ranked in the top-25, and advanced to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament after earning a #7 seed. Last year they digressed quite a bit, but considering how much their roster and coaching staff turned over they were still a respectable 17-15 on the year and finished above .500 in the conference. They have a good looking core of players returning including Rob Perry, who is one of the better guards in the conference. They also have some transfers coming in who should be able to give them some quality minutes. While the Racers are not poised to have the success they experienced two years ago, I do think we will see them be better than they were a year ago.

-Illinois State has had four straight losing seasons, and it is not looking like the expectations are all that high this year either. Three starters are back including Darius Burford, who gives them some experience out on the perimeter, but for a team that won just 11 D1 games a year ago and did not look all that good down the stretch, it is easy to think that this year will be yet another long season for the Redbirds.

-Southern Illinois did lose their top two players, and those were two REALLY good players, but the other three starters are back so I am a little surprised to see them picked this low. I do not think they will be as good as they were a year ago, but I do not think they will finish as low as 9th either. Xavier Johnson is a good PG who can both slash and shoot well from the outside. Depth will likely be an issue, but this is a team that has at least a few pieces and should be able to hold their own with the bottom half of the conference.

-UIC has three starters back, but this was not a good team a year ago, and they do not appear to be that much better this year. Projecting them to finish 10th seems about right: I do not see them finishing any higher.

-Evansville returns four starters!! That is the good news. The bad news is that they won just five total games a year ago, and while we may see some improvement simply based on their experience, they are probably going to end up finishing much closer to the bottom of the league than the top.

-Valparaiso seems to be steadily getting worse and worse as each season goes by, and with no starters back from a year ago and with a lot of young and inexperienced players on the roster this year, we could see that steady decline continue. Roger Powell takes over as head coach this year and he has his work cut out for him.

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Big South Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 20, 2023 by David Griggs

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BIG SOUTH MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. UNC Asheville
  2. Radford
  3. Winthrop
  4. Gardner-Webb
  5. Longwood
  6. USC Upstate
  7. High Point
  8. Charleston Southern
  9. Presbyterian

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL BIG SOUTH 1ST TEAM:

-Drew Pember – SR, F – UNC Asheville
-Kelton Talford – SR, F – Winthrop
-DQ Nicholas – SR, G – Gardner-Webb
-DaQuan Smith – SR, G – Radford
-Bryan Antoine – SR, G – Radford

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL BIG SOUTH 2ND TEAM:

-Kasen Harrison – SR, G – Winthrop
-Justin Bailey – SO, G – USC Upstate
-Taje’ Kelly – JR, F – Charleston Southern
-Trae Broadnax – JR, G/F – USC Upstate
-Sin’Cere McMahon – SR, G – Winthrop

COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:

-UNC Asheville blew through this league a year ago going 16-2 in the regular season and then won the conference tournament. They have four starters are back and are the clear favorites to not just win the league again but to run away with it again. Drew Pember is the best player in the conference and is a P5-level forward who averaged over 20ppg last season. The combination of him and the rest of the experience they are returning makes this not just a dangerous team in the Big South, but a team that is perhaps capable of becoming a very dangerous match-up in the NCAA Tournament.

-Radford has three starters back and will have a very strong backcourt this year. I can see them having their way with most of the teams in the league that are nit located in Asheville, NC, and finishing near the top of the standings. DaQuan Smith/Brian Antoine give the Highlanders a ton of talent and experience out on the perimeter.

-For a long time Winthrop was the class of this league, and with four starters back from a team that was 10-8 in league play a year ago and that had stretches during the season where they played really well there are reasons to be optimistic again this year. Mark Prosser is a pretty solid coach and given time he can build this program back up. The starters they have returning and the depth they now seem to have will make them a better team this year.

-Gardner-Webb is another team with a strong backcourt in DQ Nicholas/Julien Soumaoro. They were good in stretches last year but were bad in more stretches. Hopefully their experience will result in a little more consistency this year.

-After struggling as a program for seemingly most of their D1 existence, Longwood has now had back-to-back 20+ win seasons and has gone from being a regular doormat to finishing near the top of the standings. They do have an experienced backcourt, but other than that they do seem to be heading into a transitional type of year. Having said that, they have some impressive looking freshmen coming in, and if they can get them and some the other returners to contribute they could end up exceeding expectations…again!

-USC Upstate has shown improvement over the last two years, and with three starters back that trend could continue into this year, but they did struggle with turnovers and heir best player transferred out. Finishing in the top half of the league could prove to be a challenge.

-Alan Huss takes over as head coach at High Point and the team is rebooting. It has been a while since they have had a winning season, and with just one starter back (Abdoulaye Thiam, who is a good player), but they appear to be adding some quality transfers and could end up making a little more noise than expected.

-Charleston Southern has one of the greatest arenas in all of D1: The Buccaneer Fieldhouse seats just 881 people but it is amazing!! Unfortunately, the team is not. They have finished outside the top-300 in most of the major metrics for the last four years and appear to be set to have another season where they land outside the top-300.

-Presbyterian won just one conference game last year and just five games total, and while they may end up being a little better they probably will not be significantly better.

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The Hoops HD Report: SEC Conference Preview

Posted on October 19, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

CLICK HERE for our Big-12 Conference Preview Video Podcast

A full panel takes a look at what appears to be a somewhat wide open and very deep SEC Conference. We feel that Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Kentucky all have a shot at winning the league, especially if Tennessee can become fully healthy. Kentucky has a lot of young talent, but the question is whether or not it will gel as the year goes on. Mississippi State returns all of their starters from a team that made the NCAA Tournament last year and many feel they can be a top 25 team. We discuss Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida and assess what we think their chances are of making The Dance. Check it out as we debate and discuss all the teams in the league, and we close with everyone making fun of David Griggs for calling Florida’s coach by the wrong name.

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

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Atlantic 10 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 19, 2023 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of Hoops HD’s Continued and Extensive Preseason Content

ATLANTIC 10 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Dayton
  2. VCU
  3. Saint Bonaventure
  4. Duquesne
  5. Saint Joseph’s
  6. Saint Louis
  7. Fordham
  8. Loyola Chicago
  9. George Washington
  10. George Mason
  11. Richmond
  12. Davidson
  13. UMass
  14. Rhode Island
  15. La Salle

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 1ST TEAM:

-DaRon Holmes II – JR, F – Dayton
-Dae Dae Grant – SR, G – Duquesne
-James Bishop IV – SR, G – George Washington
-Daryl Banks III – SR, G – Saint Bonaventure
-Erik Reynolds II – FR, G – Saint Joseph’s
-Gibson Jimerson – JR, G – Saint Louis

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 2ND TEAM:

-Malachi Smith – JR, G – Dayton
-Jimmy Clarke III – SR, G – Duquesne
-Maximus Edwards – SO, G – George Washington
-Khalil Brantley – JR, G – La Salle
-Philip Alston – SR, F – Loyola Chicago
-Max Shulga – SR, G – VCU

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-A-10 3RD TEAM:

-Ronald Polite III – SR, G – George Mason
-Matt Cross – SR, F – UMass
-Neal Quinn – SR, C – Richmond
-Chad Venning – JR, F – Saint Bonaventure
-Cameron Brown – SR, G – Saint Joseph’s
-Sean Bairstow – SR, G/F – VCU

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

As a whole, the Atlantic 10 is a league that should be better than what it is. It has some quality programs and is rich with what I think is a lot of unique traditions/cultures. Saint Bonaventure is a unique place with a great fanbase and a great venue, Davidson has great fans and some rich history, VCU is the same way, Richmond is fun to watch, Dayton has some of the most rabid and passionate fans in the entire country and saying that is NOT hyperbole, Saint Louis is a great program, there is a Philly Big 5 presence in the conference, Rhode Island has had some success in recent years and also has a rabid fanbase. It is a great league! Or, at least, it should be. So…why is it not better?? Why does it seem like in recent seasons it has collectively underperformed, and at the same time why do college basketball fans not have more appreciation for it? Last year, we at Hoops HD actually relegated this league to being Under the Radar…and it was well deserved. Not one team ended up inside the bubble and the only team they got into the NCAA tournament was the conference tournament winner.

-Dayton is once again the preseason favorite. While they had a decent year last year, it was not a good year and certainly not a year where they ended up being a top-25-caliber team that was capable of making the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament like we were expecting. They were just 12-6 in the A-10, 22-12 overall (which is decent, but not good, especially given their schedule) and were not even close to the NIT. I do not know why they were not better: they certainly should have been. Just two starters are back from a recruiting class that garnered them national attention when it first enrolled at the school a couple of years back, but one of them is DaRon Holmes II, a fantastic frontcourt player who averaged over 18ppg/8rpg. Enoch Cheeks, who was a standout guard at Robert Morris last year, has transferred in and should give them some strength in the backcourt, so there are a few pieces. They do appear to be good enough to win the league. The question is whether or not they (or anyone else in this conference) is good enough to make it to the NCAA Tournament without the automatic bid.

-After a 27-win season last year where VCU finished in first place and then went on to win the conference tournament before falling to Saint Mary’s in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament, Mike Rhoades left to take the job at Penn State and all of his starters either transferred or graduated. It is odd to see a team that lost that much be picked to finish as high as 2nd in the preseason poll. Ryan Odom, who did an outstanding job at both UMBC/Utah State, takes over as head coach, and he has done an amazing job building the roster. Max Shulga/Sean Bairstow were two standout players on Utah State’s NCAA Tournament team last year, and they have some quality freshmen and other P5 level transfers joining a completely revamped roster. It is hard to say exactly how this team will play together until we actually see them play, but I am impressed with the roster that they were able to build.

-Saint Bonaventure had what most considered a disappointing season last year, and they certainly were not impressive in the stretch run at the end of the season. All five starters are back including Daryl Banks III, who is an outstanding guard, and with that experience we should see some improvement. Mark Schmidt is a really good coach but his program has declined somewhat. Two years ago we were expecting a top-25-caliber team and they ended up in the NIT, and last year they were just 14-18 overall, so the pressure may be on a little bit for the Bonnies to produce this year.

-Duquesne is picked to finish 4th in the league: I cannot remember them ever being picked to finish this high…but it is warranted! The Dukes won 20 games last year after winning just 6 the year before, and Dae Dae Grant returns as one of the best guards in the A-10. Two other starters are back as well including Tre Clark, who I would best describe as a frontcourt player with range. Picking Duquesne 4th just feels odd largely because it is Duquesne, but I am going to go even crazier: this Duquesne team can WIN THIS LEAGUE!!!! They are good on both the offensive/defensive ends, and while depth may be an issue they appear to have enough of it to where they can at least have guys come in and contribute quality minutes. Keith Dambrot is an outstanding coach who took over an impossible situation when he accepted the Duquesne job, and this is a year where they really could win a conference title.

-The days when Saint Joseph’s was an NCAA Tournament regular under Phil Martelli, and even rising to the #1 ranking at one point, almost now feels like it happened in another lifetime. Over the past five years they have ranged between between mediocre and awful. That being said, while I do not feel this is an NCAA Tournament or even NIT team this year, I do think we will see some improvement. All five starters from a year ago are back, and they will have a really good backcourt with both Erik Reynolds II/Cameron Brown. As far as the paint goes…yeah, they are a little thin so that will be an issue, but this program has slowly improved in each of the last two seasons and we should see that continue this year.

-We are used to seeing Saint Louis win 20+ games a year and finish at or near the top of the standings, but with just one starter back from a year ago it looks to be a rebuilding year for Coach Travis Ford and company. They do have a couple of double-digit-scoring D1 transfers (Mike Meadows from Portland/Tim Dalger from Tulsa), so those two should be able to contribute and help keep the Billikens in the top half of the standings, but winning 20+ and being a conference frontrunner is unlikely this year.

-In a year where the A-10 was a collective disappointment last year, one of the great stories from last season was Fordham. A school with no recent basketball success or culture other than being a running punchline had a breakout year, won 25 games, finished 2nd in the conference standings, and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Coach Keith Urgo did the best coaching job out of anyone in the conference and it really was not even close. He and three of his starters are back, so I am a little puzzled to see them picked so low. They are losing their two biggest stars/two leading scorers, but they also add two D1 transfers in Japhet Medor (UTSA) and Josh Rivera (Lafayette) who were standout players and double-digit scorers. Granted, the caliber of play where those two guys are coming from was not at the level of the A-10 but these are guys that can contribute. I do not expect the Rams to be as good as they were a year ago, but I do expect them to be better than where they are currently being picked to finish.

-Loyola Chicago entered the A-10 with a lot of excitement and expectations given their recent NCAA Tournament success. Last year, they were just 4-14 in league play and finished in last place. It was a massive decline from back-to-back seasons where they were a solid top-40ish team. All five starters are back…but is that a good thing? They do appear to have some quality pieces, and I do think they will be better than they were a year ago. However, since they were literally last last year, that is not saying much.

-George Washington has been very mediocre for the last five or so seasons, and once again appears to have the makings of another mediocre year. Chris Caputo is in his second year as head coach, and they do appear to have a really strong backcourt with James Bishop/Maximus Edwards, so if they can get some guys to step up in the frontcourt then we could see this team exceed expectations and surprise some people.

-Kim English departed George Mason to take the head job at Providence and he took some of their better players with him, so Tony Skinn (the hero from the George Mason Final Four run) takes over as a first-time head coach, and he is tasked with rebuilding…well…everything. Ronald Polite is their top returner, and he does have a supporting cast that is transfer-heavy, but wins may be kind of hard to come by this year.

-I have always been a fan of Richmond, always liked Chris Mooney as a head coach, and always expect them to be better than they are. This year…I give up. Not even I think they will be any good. Just one starter is back, and while this always seems to be a disciplined team that moves the ball well and makes cuts to the basket, I can understand why the expectations are not higher. They do add some quality transfers, most notably Jordan King (who was a standout player at East Tennessee State), and if they can take to Mooney’s system then this team could end up being better than expected. I mean…they are tough to play against! They can end up finishing a lot higher than where they’re being picked! And…oh crap, I am doing it again!! I have a soft spot for the Spiders. I just love how they play. Win or lose, they are always destination viewing for me whenever they do play.

-With the exception of a 27-win season back in 2021-2022, Davidson just hasn’t been themselves lately, and it does not look like they are going to get back to the top this year. Matt McKillop enters his second year as head coach after taking over for his father who had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. Just two starters are back from a team that was just .500 on the season a year ago and the roster is looking pretty thin.

-If you have followed Hoops HD for a while then you know that we all love Angry Frank!! Frank Martin is an outstanding coach with an amusingly and cartoonishly-bad temper who is entering his second year at UMass, and while I do think he will turn this program into a conference contender it is hard to see a whole lot of potential this year. Just one starter is back from a team that went 6-12 in conference play, but the addition of Josh Cohen (who is transferring in from Saint Francis) should give them at least one standout player. When you look at the rest of the roster, though, not much jumps out. It will likely be a long season for the Minutemen.

-Archie Miller is a pretty good coach and Rhode Island is a program that has experienced a fair amount of success in the not so distant past, so it is kind of crazy to see them in such rough shape. They won just nine games last year, they have no starters back from that team, and the roster that they do have doesn’t seem to be capable of bringing them a whole lot of success.

-La Salle is a program that is routinely outside the top-200 of most of the metrics and from all accounts they appear to be heading there again. They do have a pretty solid player in Khalil Brantley, but not much else.

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