Toyminator's 2003-2004 Atlantic 10 Conference Preview

After a few lackluster years, the Atlantic Ten bounced back nicely last season and had a solid campaign. Dayton, Xavier and St. Joseph's all received invitations to the Big Dance, while Temple, Richmond and Rhode Island went on to play in the NIT. The fact that none of the teams (except Temple) did much once they got to the postseason, and that St. Bonaventure embarrassed themselves during that same time, should not dampen what was accomplished last season. What should be emphasized was the fact that half the teams in the conference played in postseason tournaments, which really shows how much the conference as a whole improved last season. This season should be even better when you consider that most teams return a majority of its starters, including such big names as Jameer Nelson, Romain Sato and Marques Green.

Xavier has been the most consistent team for years now, and should continue to be competitive this season. However, with the loss of All-American David West down low, the Musketeers lose a powerful inside presence along with a nationally recognized name. With West playing in the NBA now, the spotlight will shift to St. Joseph's, where PG Jameer Nelson will be on everyone's All-American team and will team with another West (Delonte) to form the nation's top backcourt. Just as Xavier was a staple in the Top 25 last season, so will St. Joseph's this season. Despite their star power, neither of these two teams won the conference championship last season. That belonged to Dayton, who won their first A-10 championship with some great team play down the stretch. The Flyers have most of their team back, so look for them to make another run at the conference title this season.

Lastly, there are a few teams that should also have solid seasons as well. Rhode Island was the biggest surprise in the country last season, so they won't catch people off guard anymore. They return a solid backcourt, along with a number of rising youngsters, which should help them duplicate last season's success. Also keep an eye on both Richmond and Lasalle, as they return a number of quality players that could propel them to postseason play. All in all, the Atlantic Ten should have another solid campaign!

ON THE RISE: Rhode Island
Hurricane Harrick tends to leave basketball programs in shambles, and this one was probably hit worst of all. So you've got to give Coach Baron tons of credit for turning this program around in only two years. The Rams went from 8 to 20 wins by clamping down on defense, hustling on offense, and instilling team confidence. There's still not that much talent on this team, but if they keeping winning, more players will give this program a look. That bodes well for the future!

IN DECLINE: UMass
It wasn't long ago when Amherst was the home to players like Marcus Camby, Lou Roe and Carmelo Travieso . Nowadays, you can't name any of the Minutemen on the court. The recruiting trail has been cold the past few years, so the talent level on the court has really plummeted. Without much talent, Coach Lappas must rely on preparation, strategy and motivation to win games. Unfortunately, he's not too familiar with any of that! This proud program is quickly becoming UMess!

1. ST. JOSEPH'S

Strengths: Best backcourt in the country. Excellent team defense. Good 3-pt shooting team. Limit their turnovers. Lots of experience.
Weakness: Inept frontcourt - little inside scoring or rebounding.
Outlook: Two years ago, the Hawks were supposed to be good but weren't. Last season, they weren't supposed to be good but were. This season, they're favored to win the conference, so will they? Yes! Their backcourt can take over games, which allows their young frontcourt to continue to improve. Throw in a wily coach and you've got the team to beat in the A-10!

2. TEMPLE

Strengths: Strong team defense that forces many turnovers. Take care of the ball well.
Weakness: Questionable PG. Horrible shooting team. Poor rebounding team. Little depth.
Outlook: Predictably, the Owls will struggle early on against tough competition, but then come on strong against the rest of the conference. However, as the years go on, this program seems to be weakening bit by bit as Coach Chaney edges closer to retirement.

3. RHODE ISLAND

Strengths: Aggressive team defense that forces many turnovers. Very deep & experienced team.
Weakness: Poor shooting team. Big hole at PG.
Outlook: The Rams were a pleasant surprise last season, and Coach Baron deserves credit for resurrecting this program so quickly. If the PG position becomes stable, this team could overtake Temple and make a run at postseason play.

4. ST. BONAVENTURE

Strengths: Strong backcourt. Good shooting team. Team quickness.
Weakness: Horrible team defense. Weak frontcourt. Little inside scoring or rebounding. Little depth.
Outlook: The Bonnies were having a decent season before the whole Jamil Terrell affair. Luckily, outstanding PG Marques Green is back, ensuring the Bonnies won't be stuck at the bottom of this crappy division again!

5. UMASS

Strengths: Solid, yet passive team defense.
Weakness: Pitiful offense. Poor shooting & rebounding team. Poor ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: Steve Lappas is the king of mediocrity. Everywhere he's gone, his teams have been average at best. Well this season, things are going to change here at UMass...the Minutemen are going to suck! Hey, at least they kept their nickname!

6. FORDHAM

Strengths: Young, deep backcourt.
Weakness: Everything else you can think of!
Outlook: The loss of Bob Hill as coach is probably a good thing. His heart wasn't into Fordham basketball (and some would say his brain wasn't either). With him gone and a few decent players returning, the Rams should win more than two games...but not many more!

1. XAVIER

Strengths: Good shooting & rebounding team. Solid team defense. Good ball handling & distribution. Loads of experience.
Weakness: Questionable bench. Loss of West inside.
Outlook: The loss of West drops this team down a notch, but player's like Sato, Finn and Myles will keep the W's coming. Look for this team to flirt with the Top 25 and be a lock for yet another NCAA Tournament bid.

2. DAYTON

Strengths: Good shooting & rebounding team. Solid team defense. Good ball handling & distribution. Plenty of experience.
Weakness: Big hole at SF. Little depth, especially in the frontcourt.
Outlook: The Flyers had a solid season a year ago and return most of their top players, so expectations will be high. However, if their young wings don't provide some needed offense, they will have a hard time unseating Xavier at the top of this division.

3. RICHMOND

Strengths: Excellent team defense that forces many turnovers. Balanced offense. Very deep & experienced.
Weakness: Poor rebounding team. Too dependant on perimeter scoring.
Outlook: The loss of Coach Beilein hurt more than expected as the Spiders were a bit disappointing last season. However, the return of Reggie Brown and the arrival of Daon Merritt should give them a boost. If the frontcourt can step it up, this team should bounce back nicely!

4. LASALLE

Strengths: Explosive backcourt. Decent perimeter defense. Good FT shooting team.
Weakness: Poor shooting & rebounding team. Poor ball handling & distribution.
Outlook: Last season's freshmen were inconsistent, but showed great promise and should get most of the minutes this season. If the rest of the team can come in and provide some quality play, then the Explorers will be much more competitive.

5. GEORGE WASHINGTON

Strengths: Good rebounding team. Balanced scoring.
Weakness: Commit way too many turnovers. Poor perimeter defense. Very inexperienced.
Outlook: Coach Hobbs has collected some decent, young talent here so it's only a matter of time before this team starts moving up the standings.

6. DUQUESNE

Strengths: Decent shooting team. Plenty of experience.
Weakness: Poor team defense. Weak frontcourt - poor rebounding team. Horrible ball handling & distribution. Not much off the bench.
Outlook: Despite their best efforts, this program seems to be stuck in neutral. Getting subpar transfers probably won't help them get out of the basement anytime soon.

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Last updated on 10/20/03 by toyminator@prodigy.net