Yahoo Sports 
Atlantic 10 preview: As VCU ascends, much of the league rebuilds
Yahoo Sports will break down the top 10 leagues for the upcoming college hoops season working backward from No. 10 to No. 1. Here's a look at our No. 9 league, the Atlantic 10.
For a league that waved goodbye to longtime stalwarts Xavier and Temple and name-brand newcomer Butler before last season, the Atlantic 10 didn't take nearly as big a fall as many expected.
Six Atlantic 10 teams made the NCAA tournament and Dayton advanced all the way to the Elite Eight as the Atlantic 10 finished sixth in conference RPI — ahead of the more heralded SEC and American Athletic Conference.
It's possible the Atlantic 10 maintains that level again this season, but it won't be easy considering the talent exodus the league endured this offseason. Twelve of the 15 players who made one of the Atlantic 10's three all-league teams last season are gone and two-time defending league champ Saint Louis is likely headed for a rebuilding season after graduating all five starters.
The program most likely to benefit from the roster turnover of its peers is VCU, which brings back six of its top eight scorers from an NCAA tournament team and adds the league's most highly rated recruiting class. The Rams should have ample motivation this season too after their 26-season ended in heartbreaking fashion last March when they blew a four-point final-minute lead in an opening-round overtime loss to 12th-seeded Stephen F. Austin.
VCU's strength this season should be a deep, multi-talented backcourt. Point guard Briante Weber is built for the Rams' full-court trapping pressure, using his long arms, quick feet and ball-hawking instinct to rack up an incredible 121 steals per game last season. Leading scorer Treveon Graham is a nightmare to keep out of the lane, while fellow wings Melvin Johnson and Jordan Burgess excel from the perimeter. And point guard JeQuan Lewis should also see ample playing time with his ability to change speeds and leave defenders flat-footed.
The graduation of Juvonte Reddic is a significant loss in the frontcourt, but the Rams are well-equipped to replace him on the defensive end. Shot-blocking specialist Mo Allie-Cox should step into the role of rim protector, inspiring a "Mo says No!" chant from the VCU faithful whenever he rejects an opponent. But he wasn't much of a back-to-the-basket scorer last season, which could be an issue since the Rams lack anyone else with that skill set.
Should VCU fail to live up to expectations, there are a handful of contenders who should be hot on the Rams' heels.
The return of forward Dyshawn Pierre and guard Jordan Sibert gives Dayton a chance to build on last year's Elite Eight run despite the loss of three starters and its top reserve. UMass also could be a threat if athletic center Cady Lalanne builds on last year's breakout season and guards Jabarie Hinds and Derrick Gordon combine to compensate for the loss of all-conference point guard Chaz Williams.
But the biggest threat to VCU may come from a George Washington program that ended a seven-year NCAA tournament drought last March and has no intention of being a one-hit wonder. Four experienced juniors return from a balanced, defensive-oriented team that won 24 games last season and went 14-1 at home.
From Rhode Island, to Richmond, to La Salle, to Saint Joseph's, there are a handful of potential surprise teams capable of cracking the top four and entering the NCAA tournament discussion.
One of those dark horses emerging would help the A-10 immensely as it tries to build on its success from last season. The league wants to be a threat to send at least four or five teams to the NCAA tournament every season, but so many defections make that a challenge this year.
MAKING A LIST
Best shooter: Micah Mason, Duquesne. A series of health scares gave way to an encouraging sophomore season for Mason. The 6-foot-2 transfer from Drake led the nation in 3-point shooting last season, burying an absurd 56 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Mason credits his shooting stroke to all the hours he spent as a kid shooting on the hoop in his backyard.
Best playmaker: Joe McDonald, George Washington. With Chaz Williams, Jordair Jett and Charlon Kloof all having graduated this past spring, the candidates for this title are slim. The best of an unproven crop is McDonald, who averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 assists and 2.2 turnovers last season in his second year as a starter. McDonald is a steadying presence at the point, consistently finding open teammates, knocking down threes and playing solid defense.
Best defender: Briante Weber, VCU. The combination of VCU's swarming pressure defense and Weber's long arms and keen instincts has given opposing guards fits in recent years. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged a ridiculous 3.9 steals per game as a junior, far and away the best in the nation. He will start at point guard for the Rams again this season after serving a brief suspension to open the season.
Top NBA prospect: Deandre Bembry, Saint Joseph's. From Jameer Nelson, to Delonte West, to Langston Galloway, they've had some great players at Saint Joseph's in recent years. Bembry could be mentioned among them by the time he leaves. The 6-foot-6 small forward was named the Atlantic 10's co-freshman of the year after averaging 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds last season on a senior-dominated team.
Best backcourt: VCU. Why are the Rams the A-10 favorites entering the season? They have unmatched depth and star power on the perimeter. Weber is a menace in the open floor on offense and one of the nation's elite perimeter defenders. Six-foot-6 senior Treveon Graham is VCU's leading scorer and maybe the best all-around player in the conference. Melvin Johnson and Jordan Burgess are both dangerous outside shooters, while JeQuan Lewis is a gifted ball handler, distributor and scorer.
Best frontcourt: La Salle. Only two years ago La Salle made the Sweet 16 because of a multi-talented perimeter corps. Now the Explorers will rely on their frontcourt. Neither 6-foot-8 Jerrell Wright nor 6-foot-11 Steve Zack will ever be the most gifted players on the floor, but both are productive big men and hard workers. The crafty Wright averaged 13.3 points per game last season, while Zack blossomed into a double-double threat last season.
Best recruiting class: VCU. Even with as much veteran talent as VCU returns, it will be hard to keep the Rams' freshmen off the floor. Terry Larrier, Rivals.com's No. 43 recruit, is an athletic 6-foot-7 wing whose scoring ability and aggression on both ends of the floor should help him crack the rotation. Power forward Mike Gilmore, nephew of Artis Gilmore, is also a potential immediate contributor.
Coach on the rise: Archie Miller, Dayton. Long overshadowed by older brother Sean, Archie emerged as a coaching star in his own right last March when he led a balanced Dayton team to NCAA tournament wins over Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford. That Elite Eight run sparked interest from a handful of power-conference suitors this past spring, but Miller spurned them all to remain with a Dayton program that returns two starters and several key reserves from last year.
Coach on the hot seat: Paul Hewitt, George Mason. When Hewitt arrived at George Mason three years ago, he was confident he'd thrive at the mid-major power. "There's only one thing left for me to do in college basketball, and that's try to win a national championship," he said in Oct. 2011. "I feel like we can do that here." Not only has Hewitt not achieved that goal so far, he also hasn't even made the NCAA tournament. The Patriots went 11-20 in their first season in the Atlantic 10 last year and return just 44.1 percent of their scoring, not a good sign for a coach who may be shown the door if he doesn't show progress this season.
FACTS AND FIGURES
New coaches: none
Regular-season winner last season: Saint Louis
Tourney winner last season: St. Joseph's
League RPI rank in each of past 3 seasons: 2013-14: 6th, 2012-13: 7th, 2011-12: 7th
NCAA bids the past three seasons: 15 (Saint Louis 3, VCU 2, Temple 2, UMass, Butler, La Salle, Xavier, St. Bonaventure, St. Joseph's, George Washington, Dayton)
- - - - - - -
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
