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Five-minute season preview: The Atlantic 10
Yahoo Sports will break down the top 10 leagues for the upcoming college basketball season working backward from No. 10 to No. 1. Here’s a look at our No. 8 league, the Atlantic 10.
One year after a trio of teams claimed a share of the Atlantic 10 title, the battle for the league championship could again be a three-way race.
There’s Dayton, which returns four starters from last year’s co-league champs and adds a promising transfer. There’s Rhode Island, which also brings back last year’s core and welcomes back one of the conference’s best players from injury. And there’s VCU, which still boasts ample talent despite having to replace two of its top three scorers from its co-league title team.
If there’s a favorite among the three top contenders, it’s probably Dayton, which is seeking its fourth straight NCAA tournament bid. The Flyers are well-stocked at every position despite the graduation of second-leading scorer Dyshawn Pierre and the tragic offseason death of center Steve McElvene.
Defense was Dayton’s hallmark last season as the Flyers limited opponents to 40.5 percent shooting and were among the best in the nation at not surrendering second-chance opportunities. They might get even better defensively this season with the addition of 6-7 Bradley transfer Josh Cunningham, a sturdy post defender and outstanding rebounder who should take Pierre’s spot in the starting five.
Where Dayton hopes to improve is in its efficiency on offense — especially its 3-point shooting. The Flyers will lean on league player of the year candidate Charles Cooke, reliable senior point guard Scoochie Smith and undersized power forward Kendall Pollard, all three of whom are returning double-digit scorers.
Rhode Island had hoped to challenge for the Atlantic 10 title last season, but the year ended for the Rams with both its cornerstones sitting on the bench in sweatsuits. All-league guard E.C. Matthews tore his ACL in Rhode Island’s season opener and defensive standout Hassan Martin battled knee and ankle injuries all season before shutting things down in February.
Both are back and healthy, which means there’s once again optimism that this could be the year the Rams make their first NCAA tournament since 1999. Matthews headlines a deep, talented backcourt that also includes playmaking point guard Jarvis Garrett, two-way standout Jared Terrell and Indiana transfer Stanford Robinson. Martin will anchor the frontcourt alongside returning starter Kuran Iverson.
For VCU to be squarely in the Atlantic 10 title mix with Dayton and Rhode Island, perimeter scorers must emerge to replace Melvin Johnson and Korey Billbury.
One of the keys will be the continued blossoming of senior point guard JeQuan Lewis, who led the Atlantic 10 in assists during the regular season and averaged nearly 18 points in five postseason games last March. Ball-hawking Doug Brooks provides defense and energy, point guard Jonathan Williams can spell Lewis or play beside him and versatile 6-foot-5 freshman De’Riante Jenkins is the league’s most heralded recruit.
In the paint, VCU will be a force thanks to the bruising size and physicality of Mo Alie-Cox and the athleticism and energy of Justin Tillman. Worst-case scenario, that duo continues to be formidable defensively and a terror on the glass, netting the Rams second-chance points and extra possessions. Best-case scenario, Alie-Cox becomes a go-to threat on the low block and Tillman improves his outside shot enough that opponents at least have to respect it, creating driving lanes for himself and his teammates.
If the Atlantic 10 is going to earn more than three NCAA bids for the first time since 2014, someone else besides Dayton, Rhode Island and VCU must prove worthy of consideration.
Reigning NIT champion George Washington is a possibility if a late coaching change doesn’t derail the program’s momentum. Three starters are gone from last year’s team, but Tyler Cavanaugh is the league’s most dependable big man and transfers Jaren Sina (Seton Hall) and Patrick Steeves (Harvard) should make an impact on the perimeter.
Davidson could also challenge for an NCAA bid thanks to a high-octane offense built around dynamic scorer Jack Gibbs, who averaged 23.5 points per game last season and excelled shooting or making plays off the dribble. When opponents pay too much attention to Gibbs, versatile forward Peyton Aldridge is a threat inside and outside, Jordan Watkins is a 3-point threat and Nathan Ekwu cleans up the offensive glass.
Watch out for St. Bonaventure and Richmond too.
The Bonnies boast one of the league’s premier scorers in guard Jaylen Adams, but they’ll need forward Denzel Gregg and Central Connecticut State transfer Matt Mobley to help replace some of the production lost when Dion Wright and Marcus Posley graduated. The Spiders have a lethal one-two punch of T.J. Cline and ShawnDre’ Jones, but they were nowhere near good enough on defense last season.
ATLANTIC 10 PROJECTIONS
1. Dayton
2. Rhode Island
3. VCU
4. George Washington
5. Davidson
6. St. Bonaventure
7. Richmond
8. La Salle
9. Fordham
10. UMass
11. St. Joseph’s
12. Duquesne
13. George Mason
14. Saint Louis
FIRST-TEAM ALL-ATLANTIC 10
G Jack Gibbs, Sr., Davidson
G E.C. Matthews, Jr., Rhode Island
G Jaylen Adams, Jr., St. Bonaventure
G Charles Cooke, Sr., Dayton
F Tyler Cavanaugh, Sr., George Washington
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jack Gibbs, Davidson
MAKING A LIST:
Best shooter: Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure. One third of the Atlantic 10’s most feared scoring trio last season, Adams averaged 17.9 points per game, shot a scorching 43.8 percent from behind the arc and sank 87.3 percent of his free throws. With Marcus Posley and Dion Wright both having graduated, Adams will have to shoulder an even greater load this season — and deal with the double and triple teams that come with it.
Best playmaker: Joseph Chartouny, Fordham. One of the biggest reasons long-struggling Fordham won 17 games and ascended in the Atlantic 10 standings last season was an unheralded freshman point guard from Quebec. Chartouny won Atlantic 10 rookie of the year honors after averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 assists while committing only 2.9 turnovers per game. He scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 games, perhaps a sign of things to come this season.
Best defender: Hassan Martin, Rhode Island. Hampered by knee and ankle injuries that ultimately ended his season in late February, Martin still captured Atlantic 10 defensive player of the year honors despite a down year by his standards. Martin averaged 12.0 points, 5.6 boards and a league-high 2.5 blocks last season. Expect the 6-foot-7 forward’s shot-blocking and rebounding totals to increase as a senior if he’s healthy this year.
Top NBA prospect: E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island. There’s no can’t-miss NBA prospect in the Atlantic 10 this season, but Matthews might have the best chance of sneaking into the second round next June if he can prove to scouts his surgically repaired knee is fully healed. The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior averaged 16.9 points per game as a sophomore and also showed promise as a defender and playmaker for his teammates.
Best backcourt: Rhode Island. What was already a potent backcourt last season gets much stronger with the return of Matthews and the addition of Indiana transfer Stanford Robinson. Matthews should be the go-to guy if healthy. Point guard Jarvis Garrett can both score and get others involved. Jared Terrell is a sharpshooter and strong defender. And Robinson projects as an excellent role player who does a lot of the dirty work well.
Best frontcourt: George Washington. The centerpiece of George Washington’s frontcourt is the league’s most dependable big man. Six-foot-9 Tyler Cavanaugh scored in double figures in all 38 games last season, averaging 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds while also providing solid interior defense. There’s a good chance Cavanaugh will be joined in George Washington’s starting frontcourt by a freshman. Six-foot-9 Kevin Marfo should be productive right away and is billed as a potential star.
Coach on the rise: Will Wade, VCU. From Dayton’s Archie Miller, to Rhode Island’s Danny Hurley, to Wade, the Atlantic 10 is loaded with coveted young coaches. The baby-faced Wade looks young enough to be a VCU player, but the 33-year-old has proven to be a worthy successor to Shaka Smart. He won 25 games in his debut season, pushed Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament’s round of 32 and recruited well enough to suggest VCU will remain an Atlantic 10 contender for years to come.
Coach on the hot seat: Jim Ferry, Duquesne. With Micah Mason and Derrick Colter in their final year, last season seemed to be a good chance for Duquesne to make a leap in the standings. Instead the long-struggling Dukes faded late in the year and finished 6-10 in league play, leading some to question if Ferry will be able to lead his program to its first NCAA bid since 1977. There’s reason for Duquesne to be patient with Ferry, however, from his winning track record at LIU Brooklyn, to his recruiting efforts, to his consistently strong player development. Transfers give Duquesne a chance to match or exceed last season’s results.
FACTS AND FIGURES
New coaches: Travis Ford, St. Louis; Maurice Joseph, George Washington
Regular-season winner last season: Dayton, VCU, St. Bonaventure
Tourney winner last season: Saint Joseph’s
League RPI rank in each of past 3 seasons: 2015-16: 7th, 2014-15: 7th, 2013-14: 6th
NCAA bids the past three seasons: 12 (VCU 3, Dayton 3, St. Joseph’s 2, Saint Louis, UMass, George Washington, Davidson)
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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!
