Toyminator's 2000-2001 Atlantic 10 Conference Preview

Last season, the A-10 saw its best chance in years for a Final Four team get shot down when Temple lost to Seton Hall. No such team exists this season, but it should result in a much more competitive league. Dayton got some good Tournament experience last season, and should be the league's top team this season. Look out for sophomore Brooks Hall, who could have a breakout season and give the Flyers the league's most potent scoring combination with the ever-steady Tony Stanley. Temple lost a lot of talent, but still has the league's best backcourt and good size underneath. They should challenge the Flyers, along with Xavier. The Musketeers have a deep & experienced team with a number of players who could light it up on a given night. As usual, they should very entertaining to watch!

Those 3 teams should make the NCAA tournament, but one more team may also sneak in if they ever play with some consistency! UMass may have its most talented team in years, but that may not be enough as long as Bruiser Flint is still coaching them! I'm truly shocked he's still hanging around Amherst after years of mediocrity. This season, he even got some good luck when senior Monty Mack was awarded another season of eligibility (Temple's Quincy Wadley also will be back). Mack will be the favorite to win A-10 Player of the Year, and a group of talented newcomers may get the Minutemen back in the Tournament, but we'll have to see.

As for the rest of the league, Virginia Tech has moved on to the Big East, so bottom-dwellers such as, Duquesne & Rhode Island, will have one less chance to pick up a win. GW should be entertaining with gunner Val Brown strokin' it ever 10 seconds, but watch out for Fordham, who could be the conference's sleeper team and may shock a few teams this season!

ON THE RISE: Fordham
Coach Bob Hill isn't wasting any time making the Rams into a solid basketball team. He lured some of the country's top frontcount players (others didn't make it academically) to the Bronx, which is no easy task. Combined with a talented backcourt, this team could be quite imposing to many A-10 teams. If the troubles of last season are put behind them, the Rams could make a surprise run at the NCAA Tournament this season already!

IN DECLINE: Rhode Island
No surprise here. The other Rams have gone completely south after the loss of Lamar Odom and Jim Harrick. A once promising future is now a distant memory, as a bunch of undisciplined hoopsters try to pump up their own stats instead of adding to the team's win column. Coach DeGregorio has assembled some good talent, but it may not be the right kind to work with his system. Something has to change soon, so stay tuned!

1. DAYTON

Strengths: Solid backcourt, who limits their turnovers. Good outside scoring team. Good FT & 3-pt shooting team. Tough at home.
Weakness: Questionable inside scoring & rebounding team. Inexperienced bench.
Outlook: The loss of a few key bench players could cost them a good run in the NCAA Tournament, but they should still win the A-10. If the new big guys make an impact, then that may make it even a little easier!

2. TEMPLE

Strengths: Excellent backcourt, who knows how to score and handle the ball. Solid team defense. Good rebounding team.
Weakness: Lack of inside scoring. Poor FT shooting team. Not very deep.
Outlook: Even without Pepe, the backcourt is in good hands and will lead this team. How far it goes in the Tournament rests on the improvement of juniors Lyde & Wesby.

3. XAVIER

Strengths: Deep, solid backcourt. Good offensive team. Good rebounding team. Force many turnovers. Good FT shooting team.
Weakness: Swiss cheese defense. Very sloppy with the ball, resulting in many turnovers.
Outlook: David West came out of nowhere to become the X-men's leader and best player. He & senior Maurice McAfee should help the new guys settle into their roles (especially at SG). Team looks solid, but has disappointed the past two seasons. Will it be 3?

4. UMASS

Strengths: Solid backcourt, led by Mack. Good team defense. Lots of depth & experience.
Weakness: Poor shooting & rebounding team. And don't get me started about the coaching!
Outlook: Deep, talented, experienced. Will that be enough to make the Big Dance? That depends if Coach Flint has actually learned anything about coaching yet. My guess...he's learned just enough to at least be on the Bubble come March.

5. GEORGE WASHINGTON

Strengths: Explosive offense. Solid backcourt. Good ball-handling team.
Weakness: Horrible defense. Horrible 3-pt shooting team. Horrible rebounding team. Little inside scoring.
Outlook: If Sir Valiant can control his itchy finger and get the ball to some of the other talented Colonials, then they'll be even tougher to stop. But in the end, this team has to do a better job of stopping teams from scoring before they can contend for the conference title.

6. FORDHAM

Strengths: Big, deep frontcourt. Solid backcourt. Good FT & 3-pt shooting team. Solid coaching.
Weakness: Poor team defense. Inexperienced frontcourt. Too many turnovers.
Outlook: If the backcourt can play nice, and the new guys are as good as advertised, then this team should see postseason play!

7. ST. JOSEPH'S

Strengths: Good experience. Decent offensive team. Good FT shooting team.
Weakness: Weak team defense that doesn't create many turnovers. Poor rebounding team. PG.
Outlook: Continue their slow improvement. If they can beat up on the conference weaklings, they may reach the postseason.

8. LASALLE

Strengths: Excellent 1-2 punch in Butler & Thomas. Good experience.
Weakness: Poor shooting & rebounding team. Very unbalanced scoring. Passive team defense. PG.
Outlook: The loss of Carr leaves the backcourt unstable. Could really struggle at times, but can score in bunches. From here on down, the rest of the teams are pretty bad, but the Explorers seem to be the best of the worst!

9. ST. BONAVENTURE

Strengths: Solid team defense that forces many turnovers. Decent backcourt.
Weakness: Question marks at PG & PF. Ball handling & distribution. Lack of a scorer. Little depth.
Outlook: A talented starting 5, with a questionable bench. If they can find some consistency on offense, they may surprise.

10. RHODE ISLAND

Strengths: Quick, talented, deep backcourt.
Weakness: No inside game, especially with the stiffs at C. Horrible rebounding & shooting team. Weak team defense. Poor teamwork.
Outlook: Despite their erratic play, the backcourt should lead the Rams to a few victories but not many more.

11. DUQUESNE

Strengths: Smith is the man! Good depth, too.
Weakness: Just can't shoot straight! Poor team defense, rebounding & ball-handling.
Outlook: I'm picking them here because that's where they usually end up, but they've got "some" talent to possibly move up this season!

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Last updated on 9/28/00 by toyminator@prodigy.net