With conference play set to begin Friday, the Atlantic 10’s expected banner-carrying teams haven’t played quite as well as they’d hoped entering the season, and some of the projected bottom squads have been better than expected.
That could create a pretty wide-open conference season. The following is a look at the 14 teams in order of the preseason poll.
Record: 9-3
Notes: The Flyers can’t catch a break in the frontcourt. After the tragic offseason death of Steve McElvene, the NCAA declared Kostas Antetokounmpo ineligible and Bradley transfer Josh Cunningham is out three months after ankle surgery.
After missing the first six games, senior Kendall Pollard has given the Flyers a jolt averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Senior Charles Cooke (19.2 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game) is a conference player of the year candidate and Scoochie Smith (13.3 ppg, 3.8 apg) is one of the top point guards outside the Power Five. Dayton is vulnerable against bigger teams, but there aren’t enough of those in the A-10 to keep the Flyers from contending.
The Flyers are at UMass on Jan. 11.
Record: 8-4
Notes: This was supposed to be the year that Danny Hurley’s rebuilding project bore fruit.
The Rams, who were plagued by injuries last year, had a full roster and were ranked nationally in the preseason. But they’ve come back to the pack, missing some opportunities to enhance their NCAA Tournament resume. They Atlantic 10 play needing a strong performance to ensure a bid.
E.C. Matthews, who missed all of last year, is back and averaging 14.8 points.
But big man Hassan Martin, who missed chunks of time last year, has been sidelined with a torn quad muscle. He’s expected back eventually, but the Rams aren’t the same without him on both ends of the floor.
If it’s healthy, URI is still among the favorites to win the league. But in recent years that’s been an awfully big if.
UMass is at Rhode Island on Jan. 15. The Rams are in Amherst on Feb. 7.
Record: 9-3
Notes: The Rams head to conference play with a good record and a three-game winning streak, but lack signature wins.
Junior forward Justin Tillman has improved averaging 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. He has benefited from opponents placing added attention on senior center Mo Alie-Cox (10.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 blocks per game), whose defensive presence alone makes him a formidable opponent.
JeQuan Lewis (15.3 ppg, 4.1 apg) is among the conference’s most reliable guards and a terrific 3-point shooter (42.7 percent).
VCU still has one of the conference’s best home-court advantages and should be in the mix for a bye in the first round of the A-10 Tournament.
VCU hosts UMass on Jan. 7.
Record: 6-4
Notes: Junior point guard Jack Gibbs might be the conference’s best overall player. Averaging 22.7 points, and 4.4 assists, he’s as valuable to the Wildcats as any player in the conference.
Junior Peyton Aldridge has increased his scoring average to 22.1 ppg this year, but outside those two, the Wildcats haven’t had enough consistent or reliable production on offense.
Defensively coach Bob McKillop’s team has held opponents to 38.7 percent shooting.
Davidson is at UMass on Feb. 18
Record: 8-4
Notes: Central Connecticut transfer Matt Mobley (20.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) has been exactly what St. Bonaventure hoped for when he came aboard.
He’s been the ideal running partner for junior guard Jaylen Adams, whose 23.0 points and 6.6 assists per game both lead the league. The Bonnies lead the conference at 83.4 points per game.
Junior college transfer Courtney Stockard was expected to make an instant impact and perhaps be that third perimeter scorer for the Bonnies, but he’s out for the year with a foot injury.
Denzel Gregg (12.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg) is one of the conference’s most underrated big men.
St. Bonaventure is at UMass, Friday, while the Minutemen travel to Olean, New York, on March 4.
Record: 6-6
Notes: If the Spiders were playing better, T.J. Cline would be a player of the year candidate. The versatile big man leads the team with 18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
ShawnDre’ Jones has played like a likely all-conference guard with 16.8 points and 3.6 assists per game.
Beating Richmond has to happen in the paint as Spider foes have shot just 29.8 from 3-point range.
UR has struggled on the glass and has been outrebounded by 5.5 per game.
The Spiders are at UMass March 4.
Record: 6-4
Notes: Coach John Giannini has added another wave of transfers as five of the top six players in his rotation began college elsewhere.
Syracuse refugee B.J. Johnson leads the Explorers in points (20.2) and rebounds (16.2), while Jordan Price (19.5 ppg) gives the Explorers two top 10 scorers in the conference.
La Salle games are the highest scoring in the A-10 as the Explorers play at a high tempo. They’re second in the league in scoring at 84.2 ppg but allow a league-worst 83.2.
UMass is at La Salle, Feb. 1 and the teams play in Amherst on Feb. 26.
Record: 8-5
Notes: With the sudden dismissal of coach Mike Lonergan before the season, there was considerable uncertainty about the Colonials. Interim coach Maurice Joseph’s squad started 3-3, but has come together since going 5-2.
Senior big man Tyler Cavanaugh is in the A-10 Player of the Year conversation averaging 16.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
GW has been the league’s No. 2 rebounding team, out-boarding foes by 6.7 per game. But the Colonials have struggled handling the ball with an average of 14.6 turnovers per game.
UMass is at George Washington on Feb. 23.
Record: 6-5
Notes: Replacing first-round draft pick DeAndre Bembry and all-conference forward Isaiah Miles has, not surprisingly, been hard.
Four of the Hawks’ five losses have come against big conference opponents, which should have them steeled for a potential improvement in conference play.
Shavar Newkirk has taken on a large chunk of the scoring load at 21.2 ppg, while sophomore guard Lamarr Kimble (15.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.5 apg) might be one of the most complete players in the conference and a candidate for most improved.
The Hawks visit the Mullins Center on Jan. 18, while the Minutemen travel to Hawk Hill, Feb. 11.
Record: 9-3
Notes: The Minutemen have to prove some things before their strong start is validated:
Can UMass win when it isn’t shooting 3-pointers well?
Can it win on the road?
Will the freshmen raise their games against the rigors of conference play?
Will Rashaan Holloway be a reliable, hard-to-match-up-against weapon?
Record: 6-7
Notes: Given how well freshman guard Joseph Chartouny played last year there was reason to hope that the Rams would take a step forward this season, especially with the arrival of graduate transfer Javontae Hawkins, who followed coach Jeff Neubauer from Eastern Kentucky.
Before beating lowly Central Connecticut on Wednesday, Fordham had dropped six straight games.
Hawkins (13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) has been good leading the Rams, while Chartouny has been solid at 11.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game.
But while Fordham has kept its pace slow, it hasn’t defended well enough to capitalize, allowing opponents to shoot 48.0 percent. Rebounding has been a problem as well as the Rams are minus-9.6 boards per game.
Fordham is at UMass on Jan. 21.
Record: 10-3
Notes: Are the Patriots the most improved team in the Atlantic 10 or the product of a light schedule? That’ll be determined in short order as they’ll open conference play with VCU and UMass, and travel to St. Bonaventure and St. Joe’s.
Marquise Moore has raised his scoring over six points per game to 18.1 and is averaging 11.1 rebounds despite being just 6-foot-2.
His board work has helped Mason lead the A-10 in rebounding margin so far at plus-10.5 per game.
UMass is at GMU on Jan. 4 and hosts the Patriots on Jan. 28.
Record: 7-6
Notes: The Dukes head into league play on a three-game winning streak as coach Jim Ferry’s band of rookies and transfers has shown some promise at times.
Freshmen Mike Lewis II (11.8 ppg) and Isiaha Mike (10.2 ppg 5.7 rpg) figure to be the foundation of this team for the foreseeable future, while Nebraska transfer Tarin Smith (11.6 ppg, 3.5 apg), a sophomore guard, and Emile Blackman (10.2 ppg), a fifth-year transfer from Niagara, have produced out of the gate.
UMass is at Duquesne, Feb. 15.
Record: 4-8
Notes: With a thin roster, not especially equipped to play Travis Ford’s up-tempo system, the Billikens are struggling.
Sophomore Jermaine Bishop has been their best player so far averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 assists.
Good times are ahead. SLU has a strong class sewn up for next year but this figures to be a tough run.
UMass is at Saint Louis on Jan. 25.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage