Atlantic 10 Roundtable

Is this the year Dan Hurley gets a testimonial for his impressive rebuild at Rhode Island? Our panel of experts thinks he stands the best chance. (Photo courtesy of the New York Post)

The Atlantic 10 converges on Barclays Center once again Tuesday morning for its annual media day, held in Brooklyn for the fourth consecutive year, a prelude of sorts to the conference championship being contested inside the home of the Brooklyn Nets once again next March.

Reigning champion VCU may not be the popular choice to cut down the nets this year, but the Rams, with new head coach Will Wade at the controls after Shaka Smart left for Texas, remain very much in contention, as do a pair of last year's semifinalists in Rhode Island and Dayton, the latter of whom fought VCU to the wire in settling for a runner-up finish. Davidson, the regular season champion of a year ago, faces a steeper climb in their second season in the conference without Player of the Year Tyler Kalinoski, but most of last year's pieces are back for Bob McKillop and the Wildcats.

Before the preseason polls and all-conference honors are announced, we are proud to bring you a roundtable panel for the third year in a row, wherein our experts will try to help you make sense of the A-10 and give you a primer on who to watch for. Our Jaden Daly serves as moderator for the following six scribes, each of whom were kind enough to share their insights with us going into what should be another exciting basketball season:

• Dave Ascoli, Rhody Rampage (Twitter: @RhodyRampage)
• Dan Bonsall, Spider Bandwagon (Twitter: @SpiderBandwagon)
• Steve DiMiceli, The Point of Pittsburgh (Twitter: @SteveDiMiceli)
• Donnie Dwyer, The Sports Cycle (Twitter: @DonnieDwyerWICZ)
• Ray Floriani, College Chalktalk (Twitter: @rfloriani)
• Phil Kasiecki, Hoopville (Twitter: @PhilKasiecki)

Jaden Daly: We'll start off with this: Who do you see cutting down the nets in March?

Dave Ascoli: Call me crazy, but I'm still going with Dayton. Even if they end up losing Pierre for the year, I still think they have enough firepower to finish at the top of the league. Plus, they're damn near unbeatable at home.

Dan Bonsall: Rhode Island, this is a really talented, defensively sound, well coached team. They've gotten better each of the last couple years under Dan Hurley. Through in a favorable conference schedule, and they should be set up well to succeed in Brooklyn.

Steve DiMiceli: Rhode Island - The Rams have had the defense and the talent, they've just been lacking the experience. This is still a relatively young team, but they're top guns are battle tested.

Donnie Dwyer: Davidson looks the best regular season champ because they return a lot of scoring back and guards win you games when you score that many points a game. (6th in the country)

Ray Floriani: The pick here to cut down the nets in March is Dayton. The Flyers return virtually everyone. James Madison transfer Charles Cooke is eligible and should fit in for the departed Jordan Sibert. Dayton does not have a true low post threat at the ‘five’ but in today’s college landscape that is not a major liability. What Archie Miller’s group does have is the knowledge regarding how to win. That speaks volumes and with the talent on board, gives the Flyers the edge in a very competitive conference.

Phil Kasiecki: Rhode Island. Dan Hurley's tenure has all been leading up to this. The Rams have grown up, not only in terms of getting more wins, but winning bigger games and overcoming adversity to do so. This year's team has as much talent and experience as any in the conference, and their growth suggests they are ready to take the next step.

JD: In your opinion, which teams are going into the year as the most overrated and/or underrated?

DA: Most overrated: Davidson (yeah, I said it!) I think this year they'll prove to be somewhere in between the 12th place team they were expected to be last year and the first place team they ended up being. Also, Tyler Kalinoski is going to prove difficult to replace.

Most underrated: Saint Joseph's. Don't underestimate the young cast that is slowly building around DeAndre Bembry's former one-man band.

DB: Overrated: URI, and not just out of force of habit. They mess people up physically and will win a lot of rock fights in the league, but they benefit from not being in the A-10 South (GW, Richmond, VCU, Davidson) so the record may be a bit inflated come March. Also, there's a lot of new faces and chemistry/mix/roles will again be a question.

Underrated: VCU. I feel people are giving them a bit of a pass after the Shaka and recruit exodus, but there's still a ton of talent in house. Will Wade should keep Havoc Havoc-y, especially with the new shot clock, and if he can bring in any kind of half court offense, they could easily find themselves still in the top four. Runner-up most underrated: Davidson, again.

SD: (overrated) Dayton - I just think this team with miss Jordan Sibert a little more than the average person might.

(underrated) GW - Fluky down year last season in my opinion. This is a deep team even if I don't see an identity. They will just play unceremonious, but efficient basketball that works for the players on the floor.

DD: Overrated will be VCU and Dayton, and underrated will be Richmond and George Washington. George Washington plays so well under Mike Lonergan because he always has great talent and perfect rotation. Richmond and Chris Mooney have been on the cusp of being really good and have a good mix of senior guards with young front court off the bench.

RF: Who is overrated? It is almost blasphemous, but the choice, in a very tough call, here is VCU. The Rams will be formidable, but in the conversation of conference contenders, the feeling here is there will be a period of adjustment. New coach Will Wade is familiar with the system, having served under Shaka Smart. Wade is not really going to change things up, but there will be a period where players will have to get used to the way things are going to be done under Wade. Again, VCU will be very good, but the feeling here is serious title contention is not in the cards this season.

PK: Most Overrated Team: VCU. This is not a reflection on how good they will be, or the job new head coach Will Wade will do with them. Rather, it will reflect how good they will be as opposed to how they will be perceived. They will be good, and at least in the NCAA Tournament conversation by the time March rolls around, but this team simply won't be as good as last season's team was, at least before the injury to Briante Weber changed everything.

Most Underrated Team: Richmond. It always seems to be the case, mainly because the Spiders aren't flashy and Chris Mooney is an understated guy, but it makes sense here, too. They lose Kendall Anthony but return a solid frontcourt led by Terry Allen and T.J Cline, along with solid helpers in ShawnDre' Jones and Trey Davis.

JD: Looking at the schedule, is there one game in particular that has "game of the year" potential more than some others?

DA: Either one of the two Dayton vs. Rhode Island games. Most people have them as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the conference this year, and they always seem to play each other close. (last year notwithstanding)

DB: VCU hosts URI on February 16th - two really good, competitive, physical teams meet for the only time. URI gets their regular season shot at the king. And if you want to be king... Also, those VCU/Richmond/Davidson games will go a long way towards deciding who gets a bye in Brooklyn.

SD: Rhode Island at Davidson - Two top teams battle late in the season with the No. 1 seed potentially on the line. 

DD: Rhode Island at Davidson on February 23rd in North Carolina, because it will be a matchup for who will finish in the top five of the conference this year, and these teams played each other tough last year. The Wildcats pulled out a 60-59 win on the road, and I am sure the Rams want revenge for that.

RF: Saturday, February 27: Rhode Island at Dayton. The two top contenders for the A-10 championship meet at Dayton Arena. The conference tournament is only a little over a week away, so this matchup might decide the regular season champion and provide that team with added momentum to take to Brooklyn.

PK: Rhode Island at Dayton on February 27. The conference could come down to this one with a week to go. You can't go wrong picking Davidson at VCU a few nights later (March 2).

JD: The ultimate measure of success lies here: How many A-10 teams will receive NCAA Tournament bids?

DA: I'm gonna say four. Dayton, Rhode Island, and two of the following four: Richmond, George Washington, VCU, and Davidson

DB: Even without an elite team like VCU the last few years, four feels right - URI, Davidson, VCU, UR (GW and Dayton are next in line as a fifth)

SD: Three

DD: Four, because I see the conference continuing to get better in the non-conference, but I think they will all beat up on each other again before the Atlantic 10 tournament and then we will see some upsets in Brooklyn come March.

RF: Five- Dayton, Rhode Island, VCU, Davidson and George Washington.

PK: Three, possibly four. Figure on Rhode Island, Dayton (especially if they manage without Dyshawn Pierre and then get him back) and VCU and/or Davidson. Dayton does take a hit without Pierre for the first semester, so they could be the odd team out in the event of just three as they'll have a tougher time getting the quality wins needed to look like an at-large team in March.

JD: If you can, how about some award predictions? Who do you have being named Player, Rookie, and Coach of the Year?

DA: Player: DeAndre Bembry (sorry, E.C.)

Rookie: LaMarr Kimble, Saint Joseph's

Coach: Dan Hurley, Rhode Island

DB: POY: DeAndre Bembry might be the best talent/prospect, and he's a beast, but St. Joe's won't win enough for him to get the nod. Instead, Terry Allen, Richmond, beats out EC Matthews, URI; a homer pick, yes, but I think this Richmond team will give Allen the space and chance to put up silly numbers. His inside-outside balance is a nightmare for opponents. I think this team becomes his now in the absence of Kendall Anthony, and I think he thrives in that role.

ROY: I have no idea, I don't follow recruiting enough.
COY: **Vacated in honor of Shaka Smart leaving**

SD: EC Matthews / Mike Lonergan / LaMarr Kimble

DD: Player - Jack Gibbs from Davidson, because he will lead the program with his scoring and take over for last year's Player of the Year, Tyler Kalinoski. His 118 free throw attempts will speak volumes. 

Rookie - Jahshire Hardnett of Fordham -- No one knows this kid, but he will be an instant scoring machine for the young Rams. Lots of young guards with opportunities and he will work perfectly in Jeff Neubauer's system. 

Coach -- Jim Crews of Saint Louis -- People don't expect anything for the Billikens and he has four starters coming back who will be much improved, and he will find a way to creep into the top three before the conference tournament.

RF: POY - E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island

Rookie of the Year- Charles Cooke, Dayton

Coach of the Year- Mike Lonergan, George Washington

PK: Player of the Year: E.C. Matthews, Rhode Island

Rookie of the Year: Elliott Welmer, Saint Louis

Coach of the Year: Archie Miller, Dayton

JD: The A-10 welcomes three new coaches this season in Jeff Neubauer, (Fordham) Dave Paulsen, (George Mason) and Will Wade at VCU. Where do you gauge the job each will do with his new program?

DA: Wade is obviously coming into a much better situation than the other two, but I do like all three hires. Neubauer and Paulsen are going to have a rough go of it this year, but Wade should have his team in the NCAA Tournament conversation come March.

DB: Needless to say, (right?) Neubauer and Paulsen will take their lumps this year, while Wade will be fine. Of course, that's all on the strength of what's leftover. I like Paulsen at George Mason, and think he can turn that ship around. Wade will have plenty of talent and should keep recruiting/winning, but he certainly has the most pressure too. He wasn't at Chattanooga long enough to have all of his players in place either.

SD: Neubauer - It might take him some time to get his players in place but high tempo, turnover driven systems hide flaws.

Paulsen - If he works with what he has, he could have a decent year.
Wade - Seemingly, the right man for the job, but he now has the unenviable task of the replacing the Shaka Smart / Havoc brand on the recruiting trail. He should be ok in the short run, the question is where will the program be when it's unmistakably his in five years?

DD: Will Wade - Shouldn't be any issues because he knows the system and the players and the conference well. Expect them to create Havoc but not be as dominant with Shaka Smart gone.  

Jeff Neubauer - His roster is filled with experience and youth. If they believe in his system and his style of play, they should be a big surprise and play many close games in conference that will shake up the standings by February. But if the players aren't buying in, it will be a long season in the Bronx. Dave Paulsen -- It will be a change from the Patriot League and he should struggle in the conference season defending and scoring early on but I expect his staff to work really hard to not have a down season in year one.

RF: On paper, Will Wade has the best situation. A winning program, devout and passionate fan base, plus no shortage of talent. Wade also has the most pressure in the first year. He’s replacing the ever-popular and successful Shaka Smart. That passionate fan base is not going to settle for any slip in the win-loss ledger. The NIT will not be acceptable for the Ram faithful. At George Mason, there has been a tradition and just a decade ago, the Patriots were in the Final Four. Dave Paulsen has been entrusted with the task of making George Mason relevant in the A-10. He has the luxury of rebuilding without severe pressure. Same goes for Jeff Neubauer at Fordham. This is Fordham’s 21st year in conference and it has been a two-decade struggle on Rose Hill. Like Paulsen, there is a rebuilding task in Neubauer’s hands, and there will be the requisite early years devoid of pressure as both coaches put their stamp on their respective programs.

PK: It's interesting to consider the three new head coaches in the conference. Each is at a school that has a long-term question over it right now, though all are a bit different. Fordham has never really gotten on track as a member of the Atlantic 10, and Jeff Neubauer is the latest to try. George Mason was a stalwart CAA program but has struggled early in its Atlantic 10 existence, and Dave Paulsen will try to change that momentum. VCU has had plenty of success after a seemingly seamless move from the CAA, but now the question is if the success here can continue and then last under Will Wade (and whoever follows him later on) or if they came in at just the right time for instant success and then will level off a bit.

All three newcomers can coach. Neubauer worked for John Beilein and has won a couple of conference titles as a head coach, but he's at a very tough job. If they start winning, it won't come easily. Paulsen makes an interesting move coming from two top-notch academic schools to a very good one, but one where the academic requirements for admission aren't the same. He's proven he's a solid coach - and yet another who first made his mark in Division III - and with the recruiting base and tradition, George Mason is a place where he can win, though it might not happen this season. Wade is a relentless worker, knows the game well and is in familiar territory since he was an assistant at VCU, and he won at Chattanooga. Look for him to continue winning back in Richmond.

JD: Each year, there's always some team that jumps up from the middle of the pack. Who in the conference does it this season?

DA: I'll say St. Joe's again. Not sure why, but I'm liking them more than most this year.

DB: I would like to say Richmond, but that's probably biased and they did finish fourth last year. So I'll go with George Washington. Patricio Garino is one of the more less heralded players in the league, and if Yuta Watanabe can take step forward, this team has weapons.

SD: I don't think there is one, but St. Bonaventure feels like they have the best shot. 

RF: La Salle. Nearly upset Davidson in the conference quarterfinals last March. The Explorers have talent at the guard spot, but must find a way to offset the loss of Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack up front.

Duquesne- Jim Ferry’s club is improving and headed in the right direction. Improvement on the defensive end (74 ppg allowed, the worst in conference) can expedite that upward mobility. 

PK: St. Bonaventure. Mark Schmidt has done a nice job at a tough place to win. The Bonnies were a strong consideration for the most underrated team, too. With Jaylen Adams, Marcus Posley and Dion Wright, they have a strong core, and Denzel Gregg should be ready to step into a bigger role. Mark Schmidt does a terrific job with his staff at this school.

Also, to a lesser degree, Saint Joseph's. No one is talking about them, and after a pretty nondescript season last year, rightly so. But the Hawks return four starters, including Player of the Year candidate DeAndre Bembry, though they have questions about whether they can score better and their size.

JD: Time now for some word association, gentlemen. In as few words as possible, or hashtags if you so desire, describe each team in a nutshell.

DA: Davidson: McKillop power

Dayton: Question marks

Duquesne: Defense? Nah.

Fordham: Fordham

George Mason: Hewitt-free

George Washington: Steady

La Salle: Step back?

Rhode Island: It's time.

Richmond: Bubble

Saint Joseph's: Rising

Saint Louis: Young, but improving

St. Bonaventure: Sneaky

UMass: Bridge year

VCU: Smooth transition

SD: Davidson - Unrelenting

Dayton - Dayton basketball player __________ was suspended for the remainder of the season.

Duquesne - Imbalanced 

Fordham - Starting Over Again

George Mason - Reinventing 

George Washington - Sleeper

La Salle - Mandatory Red Shirt

UMass - Scrambling

Rhode Island - Favorite 

Richmond - Ok 

St Bonaventure Also Ok

St Joe's - Help Bembry!

VCU - Transition 

RF: Dayton: #Blackburnreview

Rhode Island: #defenseneverrests

Davidson: #Curryplayedhere

Duquesne: #Ferrytofirstdivision

Fordham: #RoseHillrebuild

George Mason: #InThompsonwetrust

George Washington : #Colonialuprising

La Salle: #transfersaccepted

UMass: #guardedoptimism

Richmond: #legitdarkhorse

St. Bonaventure: #HolySchmidt

Saint Joseph’s: #hopesonBembry

Saint Louis: #StLouisblues

VCU: #inhavocanddanceteamwetrust

PK: Davidson: Solid

Dayton: Tough

Duquesne: Improving

Fordham: Rebuilding

George Mason: New

George Washington: Deeper

La Salle: Intriguing

UMass: Potential

Rhode Island: Rising

Richmond: Steady

St. Bonaventure: Sleeper

Saint Joseph's: Questions

Saint Louis: Green

VCU: Unchanged

JD: And lastly, how about a shameless plug for the team(s) you cover regularly?

DA: I'll save the "Party Like It's 1999" jokes and references, because I'm sure you'll see and hear them all year. But if all goes according to plan, the Rhode Island Rams will be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since... yeah, you get it. Rhody returns four excellent starters including potential first teamers E.C. Matthews and Hassan Martin, as well as up-and-coming sophomores Jarvis Garrett and Jared Terrell. Add potential superstar transfer Kuran Iverson and a host of other newcomers (grad transfer Four McGlynn, freshmen Nicola Akele and Christion Thompson) and this is a team that's going to excel this season. Cue up Prince.

DB: This will be a really interesting season for the Spiders. It's probably the most talented roster than the 2011 Sweet Sixteen team, and expectations are high. It's also the thinnest backcourt Chris Mooney has had since taking over. The strength and scoring will come from inside - Allen primarily, and then TJ Cline and Marshall Wood. There's experience all over the floor, and that bodes really well for this team on the defensive end. They'll have size to match up with people inside, unlike in the past, and with only one sub-six-foot guard, will present a different look at the top of the zone-like defense. Redshirt freshman Khwan Fore will look to step into the back court and contribute, and serve as a resident rocket in sneakers.

SD: A handful of writers and bloggers stuck their neck out for Duquesne heading into that last season. I wouldn't expect to see a repeat of that in year four under Jim Ferry. The Dukes season hinges on three question marks:

1) Can Micah Mason play at the level he did to end 2014-15 over a full season?

2) Can they even become a decent defensive team?

3) Who on the current roster will lead the rebouding efforts?

If all three of these things happen, Duquesne has enough talent and depth on offense to finish in the top 100 RPI. If they get two they should return to the middle of the A-10. If one or none happens, we're looking at another disappointing season on the Bluff where they will fall short of even mediocrity. The Dukes will need to accomplish a lot to avoid this.

DD: What do I expect from Fordham this season? I expect Fordham to either turn the tables and win 15 games or fight for 10 wins and hope the new talent builds and gets better every single game. I think Jeff Neubauer has brought a ton of energy and I expect the Bronx to be packed with screaming fans for big games in December and January. 

RF: Shameless plug on St. Bonaventure: There were losses in Youssou Ndoye and Andell Cumberbatch but not the man on the bench. Mark Schmidt led the Bonnies to 18 wins and has gained the respect of his coaching peers as one getting the most out of the available talent. Schmidt appeals to the overlooked and under recruited to come to Bonavenure and prove the experts wrong. In senior Marcus Posley he has a talent (winning games over VCU and Davidson) who will not sneak up on anyone. Still, Bonnie hopes boil down to out of conference victories and in conference, the normal formula- win at home, ‘steal’ a few on the road. 

PK: Shameless Plug for Davidson: New conference, same results. That's what happened last year, as the Wildcats made the jump from the Southern Conference without a hitch, winning the regular season title. They lose the Player of the Year in Tyler Kalinoski, but they have everyone else back, an interesting situation. In their case, though, they should be fine. This team was well-balanced last year and should be again this year, and we all know Bob McKillop can coach. Look for this team to be in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid again this season.

Shameless Plug for UMass: Derek Kellogg has rebuilt the program and has it on solid footing now. While last year didn't include another trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Minutemen got better as the season went on as young talent grew up. This year's team is heavy on returning guards and light on returning forwards, and given how important guards are in college basketball and the way Kellogg wants his teams playing, that may work out better than last year. One thing they will need to do is shoot better, as they shot less than 30 percent from long range last year and had no one shoot better than 33.7 percent from deep - not even a player who went 1-2 on the season.

Shameless Plug for Saint Louis: Last year figured to be a rebuilding year for the Billikens after a veteran team won big the year before, and that's exactly what happened. This year, they will still be pretty green, as they will have just one senior alongside nine freshmen and sophomores, so growing pains are likely, especially since all but two players started a game last season. Jim Crews will probably still be figuring out combinations with this group. Elliott Welmer should help them right away up front, as he can play inside and out.