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A way too early preview of the 2009-10 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball season: 4th-1st place
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I know that this past college basketball season hasn’t even been over for two months yet, but its never too early to start looking ahead at the future. As the late signing period has closed, this is a good time to get a gauge of the rosters that college basketball teams will field next season. Of course there will be a few exceptions, notably some transfers, as well as whether some players will hire an agent for the NBA Draft. While those possibilities will be lightly considered, the majority of the predictions will be based on the players we know will be playing for their respective schools next season.
4. La Salle- The Explorers were one of four teams with a 9-7 conference record in the Atlantic 10 last season. It would be a surprise if La Salle does not improve on that record in the upcoming season. While the Explorers lose out on role players Paul Johnson and Brad Cohen, coach John Giannini has brought in his most highly-touted recruit during his tenure at La Salle in Aaric Murray. Murray is a consensus top-100 recruit nationally, as a 6’11, 265 lb. center, who has only played a couple seasons of organized basketball. With scoring guard Rodney Green returning for his senior season combining with a talent like Murray, the Explorers have a chance to have the best inside-out balance on the offensive end in the conference. With a program changing player like Murray getting the chance to play alongside a seasoned scorer such as Green, the Explorers will have a chance to make the leap into the Atlantic 10’s elite this coming season.
3. Richmond- The Spiders overcame losing center Dan Geriot in the summer with a torn ACL by having their second straight 9-7 season in conference play. Richmond was also invited to the second annual College Basketball Invitational, where they won two games before being bounced by UTEP. The Spiders return their three biggest contributors from last season’s team. The backcourt tandem of Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez combined for 32 points per game last season. Anderson may be the best point guard in the conference, while Gonzalvez is a very good shooting guard, and a great fit in coach Dan Mooney’s Princeton style offense. Justin Harper also made strides as a sophomore, as he came close to averaging double-digits in scoring while adding nearly five rebounds a game. Bringing Dan Geriot back into the fold will also be an enormous boost for the Spiders, as he has all Atlantic-10 potential as a center. The Spiders bring in two backcourt players in Darien Brothers and Greg Robbins. Both players fit the Princeton offense well and will provide backcourt depth for Mooney’s squad. After receiving a contract extension, big things are expected from Mooney this year at Richmond. With the conference having a bit of a changing of the guard towards the top, there is no reason to believe that Richmond will not threaten to be a part of that change.
2. Xavier- Coming off of another Atlantic-10 regular season championship, as well as being within a couple minutes of a trip to the Elite Eight, it has been a challenging off-season for the Musketeers. Coach Sean Miller took the head coaching job at Arizona, leaving Chris Mack as Xavier’s new coach. Xavier will lose C.J. Anderson and B.J Raymond due to graduation, while Derrick Brown has not decided whether to hire an agent and stay in the NBA Draft or come back to school for his senior season. However, Xavier does return several key players, including Jason Love, Dante Jackson, Terrell Holloway, and Kenny Frease. Also, the Musketeers will gain the services of Indiana transfer guard Jordan Crawford, who should provide a huge boost to the roster. One lingering concern is the fact that the team currently has no new incoming recruits signed, which may limit the depth Xavier has compared to last season.
1. Dayton- A team that went under the radar nationally for much of the year, Dayton won 27 games last season, including a win over West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers will look to take one more step and win a regular season title in the Atlantic 10 this season. The pieces are certainly in place, as the only regular contributor that the Flyers lose is Charles Little. Little was a steady player as a power forward, but the Flyers are a relatively deep squad which will be predicated on defense. The one recruit brought in by Brian Gregory, who earned himself a contract extension after another solid season, is Matt Kavanaugh, a 6’9 forward/center. It is likely that he will be able to contribute right away as a member of the rotation. If there was ever a year for Dayton to knock Xavier off of their perch, its this season.
So there you have it, an early look at the Atlantic 10 from top to bottom. Of course things will change as time goes on, and I will have some more in-depth previews for Saint Joseph's, as well as some of the other teams in the conference, along with final a final predicted order of finish in the conference as we get into October and early November.
