2023 | Preseason Preview | A10 Conference

[TuscanSota]

Hi everyone,

I'm putting together a series of articles to go over each conference -- what I expect from each team per conference using a ranking system I put together last night. The other BBA admin are welcome to join in with reviewing a conference; and to start, I'm going to go over the A10 Conference.

Without further ado, here are my preseason rankings for the A10:

 

15.  VCU | Ovr. Rank: 165 | Off. Rank: 164 | Def. Rank: 149

Of all the 2022 teams, VCU is expected to be at the bottom of the A10. They have talented players such as redshirt JR PG Cletus Silver, Jr SG Charles Liva, and Jr C Roy Delay to head the offense; but outside of those three players the Rams don't have a lot of options in terms of shooting caliber. It's going to be a rough time getting to the basket for VCU this season.

 

14.   Richmond | Ovr Rank: 164 | Off. Rank: 167 | Def. Rank | 125

The Spiders best talents are on the defensive end with Centers Jeffrey Schabacker and Patrick Parks; and between those two, Parks is their best shooting option. Jr PG Norbert Snyder appears to be a good all-around talent, but is below-average when it comes to protecting the basket. The most-likely playmaker for the Spiders appears to be Sophomore SG Jeffrey Brownlow, a mid-range shooter and decent talent for the Spiders; but other than these players the Spiders will have trouble keeping up with the remaining A10 teams.

 

13.  LaSalle | Over. Rank: 153 | Off. Rank: 118 | Def. Rank: 164

The Explorers have the opposite problem of Richmond: They have better scorers, but will have trouble protecting the rim. Sr. Center Jeremy White is an all-around shooter from inside the paint to the 3pt. Line; and looks to be one of LaSalle's only options for protecting hte rim. The other is Jr PF Fabio Martinez, who can get you a rebound, if he can hold onto the ball. Fun-fact: The explorers have no SGs or SFs on their roster.

12. UMass | Ovr. Rank: 152 | Off. Rank: 113 | Def. Rank: 162

The best way I can describe the Minutemen this season: Expect a lot of mid-range shooting. This is their biggest strength outside of their Perimeter defense. The tandem of Jrs with SF Timothy Torkelson, PF Jeremy Strange, and C Randall Olmset will certainly drive the minutemen to the basket; they are also their best defensive players. They do have a duo of Sophomore centers in terms of rebounding capability; but neither have the same mid-range level of talent their Jrs have. It should be an exciting season for the Minutemen with plenty of opportunities to upset conference opponents.

11. Fordham | Ovr. Rank: 149 | Off. Rank: 145 | Def. Rank: 141

Our 2nd Rams team on the list, and one that appears to be fairly balanced between offense and defense. Sr. Center Robert Spiegel is their best player all-around, and will be their go-to player not only for rebounding, but all defensie capabilities. He's above average in the paint, but has help around him in terms of Sr PG Thomas worthington for shooting at the 3pt line. This Rams team will be making drives to the basket, but it's hard to pinpoint other strengths for this team. They should be leaning hard into Spiegel as their primary playmaker this season.

10.  George Washington | Ovr. Rank: 148 | Off. Rank: 151 | Def. Rank: 122

 

George Washington has perhaps one of the best centers in the conference in Sr Steven Oxford. Excellent at driving to the basket, and is capable of getting in opposing players faces and blocking shots. The talent around Oxford is at best, average. The Revolutionaries have a two-pair of PGs Hanh Lee and Sergio Mares hat make excellent shooting options outside the paint; outside of these three players, there's not a lot of scoring options for the Revolutionaries.

9.  SLU Billikens | Ovr.Rank: 145 | Off. Rank: 102 | Def. Rank: 159

The Billikens are held back from a better ranking due to their defense; and the telling reason is that their likely best defensive starter is Sr. Center Jung Vellanki. Excellent in rebounding and interior defense; other than him, the most likely defenders are players who may not get a lot of minutes.  The Billikens should excell at mid-range shooting with players like Jr. SG Horace Colvin and Jr. PF Jose Lee; if luck is on their side when defending the Rim, the Billikens have a better chance of miving higher.

 

8.  Loyola-Chicago | Ovr. Rank: 144 | Off. Rank: 81 | Def. Rank: 171

The Ramblers are a more extreme version of the Billikens, but are not the only team like this on the list. The Ramblers will be led by starting senior PF John Walczak -- an excellent rebounder and known for his dunking capabilities -- and senior SF Gary Smith -- known for his defensive guarding and lay-ups. Expect the Ramblers to rely on these two for shot proportio with Jr. PGs Kevin Bailey and Adam Tessmer getting some mid-range opportunities. The depth for Loyola on defense isn't pretty, so one could expect the Ramblers to take their chance with a higher-pace offense.

 

7.  Dayton | Ovr. Rank: 129 | Off. Rank: 116 | Def. Rank: 117

The Flyers are the first A10 team to be above the 140s rank-wise, and their roster is certainly more balanced than most of the other teams below them in the rankings. The likely starting-five is a group of Jrs and Srs: PG Rosalio Rivas, Brian Hartmann, James Mcclusky, Jamie Webb, and Stephen Linton. Almost every player listed can drive to the basket, and at least three of these players will be making constant boards. Where at least three players can excel at one attribute, there are other players in this rotation that make up for the deficiencies their teammates have. Meaning, The players likely rebounding will not be great at guarding the perimeter, but their other starters will make up for that. Dayton is very balanced, and has Cinderella potential if coached properly. I would not be surprised to see the Flyers in the running for the A10 Conference Tournament.

 

6.  Rhode Island| Ovr. Rank: 88 | Off. Rank: 99 | Def. Rank: 81

Rhode Island shares similar qualities to Dayton but has surprisingly better depth. Almost everyone on the Rams roster excels in handling the ball and most can routinely pick up boards both on offense and defense. Expect the Rams to prioritize evenly in all proprotions of shooting: Relying on PG Jeffrey Durante with mid-range shots and passing the ball, and Jr SF Jason Newman with lay-ups and steals. The Rams may be experimenting with using their younger talent for 3pt. Shooting, as new players Fr SG Benton Gooch and Fr PG Robert Weise were seen practicing in the off-season competing in 3pt. competitions. The Rams are my second wild-card this season; and like Dayton, if coached right, one can expect great things.

 

5.  Saint Joseph's | Ovr. Rank: 75 | Off. Rank: 38 | Def. Rank: 124

The Joes' are a motley of a team in that you will expect many 3pt shots, while lowering your expectations with protecting the rim. Expect conference opponents to crash the boards against St. Josephs, with the Joes' constantly making the perimeter and taking several good shots. This team features a trio of PGs all capable of pulling off an upset: Sr PG Nigel Piper, Jr PG Joseph Hataway, and Jr PG Jeffrey Force

 

4.  Duquesne | Ovr. Rank: 62 | Off. Rank: 43 | Def. Rank: 94

The third best offense in the A10, and one in which almost any starting player can make a shot. Sr. Center Matthew Rossitto is the one expected to make the most minutes, especially considering his all-around talent on the defensive side of the ball. The best shoooter for this group is another center, Sr Paul Rodrigue, who's mastered the pick-and-roll for the Duquesnse offense and is known for dunking on unexpecting opponents. If the Deacons are coached well, they are in the running for the A10 tournament.

3.  St. Bonaventure | Ovr. Rank: 54 | Off. Rank: 78 | Def. Rank: 50

The 2nd best defense in the A10, the Bonnies are led not by veterans but by redshirt Sophomores. Center Billy Morgan, PF Angel Weaver, and SF Everett Ryan are the most likely playmakers alongside sophmore SG Charles Pontius in the rotation; each player is well all-around and have developed into main-stays for the Bonnies. St. Bonaventure will be known for their ball-handling and causing turnovers, while simultaneously taking opponents to the basket by both lay-ups and 3pt shots.

2.  Davidson | Ovr. Rank: 53 | Off. Rank: 26 | Def. Rank: 119

The Wildcats are a team designed to be fast-paced on the court, quickly guarding the perimeter and taking shots from just about anywhere. This team has depth at almost every level: Davidson brought in a load of talent expected to earn minutes, and almost everyone is capable of taking a shot from any part of the court. You have Sr C James Hail who is above average on offensive shooting capability, but will be one of the Wildcats most reliant defenders with rebounds -- Sr C Jason Breaux will be expected to take heavy responsibility with defending the perimeter and the paint. The Wildcats do not have the best defense, but this team is scary in that almost any player can pick up a board from the rim, and almost anyone can make a shot. This team is capable of making the Sweet 16, they just need the right coaching to get there.

1.  George Mason | Ovr. Rank: 43 | Off. Rank: 85 | Def. Rank: 22

Where Davidson leans heavily on offense, the Patriots are the exact opposite. This team holds the best defense in the A10, and with good reason: Sr C Kirk Lawson is the team captain, is an excellent rebounder, and is known for smothering conference opponents in the paint. The Patriots have capable players making mid-range and inside shots; but their bread-and-butter is their perimeter capability. If they can slow down teams, the Patriots should win the A10 with ease.

[smackemz]

I'm going to need Cletus Silver to step it up and get VCU to the promise land.