Atlantic 10 Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19
1. George Mason Patriots
2017-18 season record: 16-17 (9-9)
Saint Louis will have to work out a few kinks early next season with so many roster changes. That won’t happen with the Patriots, who return everyone from last year’s roster (far different from losing five players the year prior via transfer).
Related Story. Why the Patriots are A-10 contenders in 2019. light
But just bringing back everyone isn’t enough to warrant a team a preseason favorite. George Mason happens to check just about every box needed to win a conference title. They have the star player needed to carry the team in Otis Livingston Jr., who averaged 17.3 ppg and 4.4 apg as a junior. Joining him in the backcourt are Jaire Grayer and Justin Kier, both who scored in double figures last year.
Unlike other teams, the Patriots can claim that they have balance, with rising sophomores Goanar Mar and Greg Calixte set to be more a part of the offense. Mar, in particular, could be the breakout candidate down low to form a devastating 1-2 punch with Livingston.
The biggest weakness for George Mason last year came on the defensive end, where they ranked near the bottom in almost every statistical category. So what better than to have a player who played on the best defensive units in NCAA Basketball?
Jarred Reuter played at Virginia in his first two seasons before transferring in sitting out a year for his new team. At 6’7 and 260-pounds, the former Cavalier becomes another post option and should provide instant help on the defensive front. If the Patriots improve on defense enough, that’ll add several wins in the right column.
Next. Top 5 rising A-10 freshmen for 2018-19. dark
George Mason might be the “favorite” but to me, they’re a soft favorite. That’s not a slight at them but rather about the overall strength of the A-10, where up to seven teams and fan bases can make a reasonable claim that they can win the regular season title. There might not be a top-25 team like Rhode Island like there was last year but the conference will still be entertaining as usual while scoring some non-conference upsets in the process.