Season in Review
The Atlantic 10 has long been considered right in that next tier of conferences behind the Power 6 (or 7 if you included the American), but it was down this season. The conference has gotten three bids ever year since 2007, and has had multiple bids since 2005, but it is in real danger of ending that streak this season, with only VCU establishing themselves as a tournament team thus far. They should be in no matter what happens at the Barclays Center, but that can't be said about any other team. Davidson and Dayton are their two biggest challengers, with both getting over 20 wins on the year, and don't count out Saint Bonaventure, who has come on very strong, preseason favorites George Mason and Saint Louis, or even Rhode Island, who has won four straight and features some very talented players. The tournament figures to be a ton of fun, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can knock off the Rams.
Bracket
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15952148/Screen_Shot_2019_03_10_at_6.53.10_PM.png)
Contenders
VCU (25-6, 16-2)
The Rams rose to prominence under Shaka Smart, but they have been consistently at the top of the A-10 even after he left. This season, they really bought in on the defensive end and it paid off in a big way. They are fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency in the entire country, and they lead the conference by a pretty wide margin of over 7. On the season, teams shoot just 38.2% against the Rams, sixth lowest in the nation, including just 27.4% from three, the second lowest in the country. They also still embrace the "Havoc" principles that Smart instituted, and they are top 25 in the nation, forcing a little over 8 steals a game. While they aren't the best shooting team, they are good at attacking the rim, and they have multiple very talented players offensively. They are the favorites after dominating the conference, and they haven't lost since January 23, winning 12 straight games, and it doesn't seem like that will change soon.
Davidson (23-8, 14-4)
The Wildcats lost star big man Payton Aldridge, but didn't miss a beat this season, finishing second in the conference. Led by the backcourt play of Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellin Grady, as well as the emergence of freshman Luka Brajkovic in the front court, Davidson is poised to compete for the A-10 Tournament title. They shot the ball the best of any team in conference play, making 37.3% of their threes, and coach Bob McKillop is known for running excellent offense. That has continued this season, as they finished second in adjusted offensive efficiency in the conference, and when you watch them play, you immediately fall in love with the spacing, ball and player movement, and the intricate schemes drawn up that often lead to great looks. While they aren't world beaters defensively, they are more than solid, and they defend the arc well, holding their opposition to making 32.7% of their threes. They have a good chance to knock off VCU, they were one of the two teams to beat the Rams, and with their top shelf offensive attack, it wouldn't be a shock.
Dayton (21-10, 13-5)
The Flyers are back this season. After making four straight tournament appearances under Archie Miller, including an Elite Eight run in 2014, they struggled last season under new head coach Anthony Grant. However, they were much netter this season, finishing 13-5 in the conference, good for third place. They have the best offensive in the conference, running some excellent action to get easy looks, especially in the paint. They shoot 59.3% on two point attempts, the third best mark in the country, and the Flyers also have the luxury of some of the top players in the conference like point guard Jalen Crutcher, who is second in the league in assists, and Obi Toppin, who I'll get to in a second. They absolutely have a shot at competing for the league title, having beaten Davidson and falling to VCU by just one point late. Look for them to appear in the latter stages of the tournament at the very least.
Sleeper Team
Saint Louis (19-12, 10-8)
The Bilikens were my preseason pick to win the conference, and while that hasn't panned out, they still have the pieces for a deep run. While freshman center Carte'are Gordon decided to transfer in the middle of the season, they still have a lot of talented players, and their top 7 can go up against pretty much anyone's in the conference. They are a tough defensive team, and that can create problems for other teams who struggle to deal with their slow pace and physical play. They also started off 5-0 in conference play, so the team can clearly win games in the Atlantic 10, and they took down Seton Hall in the non-con, so they have a shot to play spoiler and make a run.
Players to Watch
Marcus Evans
Stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 43.4/28.1/77.2
Evans followed his coach Mike Rhoades from Rice to VCU, and he had a good year in Richmond. He led the Rams in scoring, assists, and steals, and while he didn't put up the same numbers he did at Rice, he still had an excellent season. While he isn't a great shooter, he's an excellent slasher, able to blow by his man and finish at the rim. He is also excellent defensively, and he's a big reason why the Rams can play the style they do defensively. He comes into the tournament averaging 19.2 points over his last five games, and with VCU poised to make a run, Evans will no doubt be a factor.
Jon Axel Gudmundsson
Stats: 17.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 APG, 0.1 BPG, 46.5/35.7/82.4
I could've very easily talked about Gudmundsson's teammate, Kellan Grady, here, but I needed to talk about the Icelandic star. After a solid season last year, Gudmundsson broke out, leading the Wildcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, and ranking in the top 5 in the Atlantic 10 in the first three categories. While he isn't an explosive athlete or knockdown shooter, he just finds ways to score, and knows the offense as well as anyone. You certainly can't leave him open from behind the arc, as he makes a good amount of threes, and he's the type of player who will take over a game without anyone noticing. He posted a triple double against Rhode Island, with 20/10/10, and he will almost certainly make a big impact in Brooklyn.
Obi Toppin
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 67.3/50/71.8
The freshman came out of nowhere for the Flyers, and quickly became one of their best players. He's a high flyer, and with the numbers he's put up this season, it's just a matter of time before he's off to the NBA. Despite not starting for most of the season, Toppin still managed to put up big numbers, and he forced his way into the starting lineup near the end of conference play. If he keeps having games like his 25 points, 12 rebound one against St. Joe's, or his 26 point, 11 rebound performance against Rhode Island, then he will be a big story at the A-10 Tournament as Dayton looks to get to the tournament.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
G: Marcus Evans, VCU
F: Cyril Langevine, Rhode Island
F: Obi Toppin, Dayton
F: Charlie Brown Jr, St. Joe's
Second Team
G: Kellan Grady, Davidson
G: Jalen Crutcher, Dayton
G: Javon Bess, Saint Louis
F: Courtney Stockard, St. Bonaventure
F: Grant Golden, Richmond
My Pick: Davidson over VCU
I just really like the Wildcats. They won the tournament last season, and I think they repeat this year thanks to having two incredible scorers in Gudmundsson and Grady. They have proven that they have what it takes to beat VCU, and I just really like their chances for a reason I can't fully explain. Maybe I just really want to see a 2 big A-10, but I'm going with the Cats.
The Atlantic 10 has long been considered right in that next tier of conferences behind the Power 6 (or 7 if you included the American), but it was down this season. The conference has gotten three bids ever year since 2007, and has had multiple bids since 2005, but it is in real danger of ending that streak this season, with only VCU establishing themselves as a tournament team thus far. They should be in no matter what happens at the Barclays Center, but that can't be said about any other team. Davidson and Dayton are their two biggest challengers, with both getting over 20 wins on the year, and don't count out Saint Bonaventure, who has come on very strong, preseason favorites George Mason and Saint Louis, or even Rhode Island, who has won four straight and features some very talented players. The tournament figures to be a ton of fun, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can knock off the Rams.
Bracket
Contenders
VCU (25-6, 16-2)
The Rams rose to prominence under Shaka Smart, but they have been consistently at the top of the A-10 even after he left. This season, they really bought in on the defensive end and it paid off in a big way. They are fifth in adjusted defensive efficiency in the entire country, and they lead the conference by a pretty wide margin of over 7. On the season, teams shoot just 38.2% against the Rams, sixth lowest in the nation, including just 27.4% from three, the second lowest in the country. They also still embrace the "Havoc" principles that Smart instituted, and they are top 25 in the nation, forcing a little over 8 steals a game. While they aren't the best shooting team, they are good at attacking the rim, and they have multiple very talented players offensively. They are the favorites after dominating the conference, and they haven't lost since January 23, winning 12 straight games, and it doesn't seem like that will change soon.
Davidson (23-8, 14-4)
The Wildcats lost star big man Payton Aldridge, but didn't miss a beat this season, finishing second in the conference. Led by the backcourt play of Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Kellin Grady, as well as the emergence of freshman Luka Brajkovic in the front court, Davidson is poised to compete for the A-10 Tournament title. They shot the ball the best of any team in conference play, making 37.3% of their threes, and coach Bob McKillop is known for running excellent offense. That has continued this season, as they finished second in adjusted offensive efficiency in the conference, and when you watch them play, you immediately fall in love with the spacing, ball and player movement, and the intricate schemes drawn up that often lead to great looks. While they aren't world beaters defensively, they are more than solid, and they defend the arc well, holding their opposition to making 32.7% of their threes. They have a good chance to knock off VCU, they were one of the two teams to beat the Rams, and with their top shelf offensive attack, it wouldn't be a shock.
Dayton (21-10, 13-5)
The Flyers are back this season. After making four straight tournament appearances under Archie Miller, including an Elite Eight run in 2014, they struggled last season under new head coach Anthony Grant. However, they were much netter this season, finishing 13-5 in the conference, good for third place. They have the best offensive in the conference, running some excellent action to get easy looks, especially in the paint. They shoot 59.3% on two point attempts, the third best mark in the country, and the Flyers also have the luxury of some of the top players in the conference like point guard Jalen Crutcher, who is second in the league in assists, and Obi Toppin, who I'll get to in a second. They absolutely have a shot at competing for the league title, having beaten Davidson and falling to VCU by just one point late. Look for them to appear in the latter stages of the tournament at the very least.
Sleeper Team
Saint Louis (19-12, 10-8)
The Bilikens were my preseason pick to win the conference, and while that hasn't panned out, they still have the pieces for a deep run. While freshman center Carte'are Gordon decided to transfer in the middle of the season, they still have a lot of talented players, and their top 7 can go up against pretty much anyone's in the conference. They are a tough defensive team, and that can create problems for other teams who struggle to deal with their slow pace and physical play. They also started off 5-0 in conference play, so the team can clearly win games in the Atlantic 10, and they took down Seton Hall in the non-con, so they have a shot to play spoiler and make a run.
Players to Watch
Marcus Evans
Stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 43.4/28.1/77.2
Evans followed his coach Mike Rhoades from Rice to VCU, and he had a good year in Richmond. He led the Rams in scoring, assists, and steals, and while he didn't put up the same numbers he did at Rice, he still had an excellent season. While he isn't a great shooter, he's an excellent slasher, able to blow by his man and finish at the rim. He is also excellent defensively, and he's a big reason why the Rams can play the style they do defensively. He comes into the tournament averaging 19.2 points over his last five games, and with VCU poised to make a run, Evans will no doubt be a factor.
Jon Axel Gudmundsson
Stats: 17.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 APG, 0.1 BPG, 46.5/35.7/82.4
I could've very easily talked about Gudmundsson's teammate, Kellan Grady, here, but I needed to talk about the Icelandic star. After a solid season last year, Gudmundsson broke out, leading the Wildcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, and ranking in the top 5 in the Atlantic 10 in the first three categories. While he isn't an explosive athlete or knockdown shooter, he just finds ways to score, and knows the offense as well as anyone. You certainly can't leave him open from behind the arc, as he makes a good amount of threes, and he's the type of player who will take over a game without anyone noticing. He posted a triple double against Rhode Island, with 20/10/10, and he will almost certainly make a big impact in Brooklyn.
Stats: 14.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 67.3/50/71.8
The freshman came out of nowhere for the Flyers, and quickly became one of their best players. He's a high flyer, and with the numbers he's put up this season, it's just a matter of time before he's off to the NBA. Despite not starting for most of the season, Toppin still managed to put up big numbers, and he forced his way into the starting lineup near the end of conference play. If he keeps having games like his 25 points, 12 rebound one against St. Joe's, or his 26 point, 11 rebound performance against Rhode Island, then he will be a big story at the A-10 Tournament as Dayton looks to get to the tournament.
My All Conference Teams
First Team
G: Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
G: Marcus Evans, VCU
F: Cyril Langevine, Rhode Island
F: Obi Toppin, Dayton
F: Charlie Brown Jr, St. Joe's
Second Team
G: Kellan Grady, Davidson
G: Jalen Crutcher, Dayton
G: Javon Bess, Saint Louis
F: Courtney Stockard, St. Bonaventure
F: Grant Golden, Richmond
My Pick: Davidson over VCU
I just really like the Wildcats. They won the tournament last season, and I think they repeat this year thanks to having two incredible scorers in Gudmundsson and Grady. They have proven that they have what it takes to beat VCU, and I just really like their chances for a reason I can't fully explain. Maybe I just really want to see a 2 big A-10, but I'm going with the Cats.
Comments
Post a Comment