Atlantic 10 Basketball: Breaking down each program’s 2018 recruiting class

St. Joseph’s Hawks

The Hawks would probably be pretty good even without any major freshman contributions this season. They’re bringing back some of last season’s most important pieces in guys like Taylor Funk and Lamarr Kimble, and will see the return of star forward Charlie Brown, who sat out last season because of a wrist injury. As a nice addition to their current depth, however, they also have two promising freshman set to join them.

Both Jared Bynum and Valdir Manuel are 3-star recruits, Bynum a point guard and Manuel a center, and both of them bring valuable skillsets to Coach Martelli’s table. The 5’10” Bynum is a human highlight reel on offense, and after Shavar Newkirk‘s graduation, I expect him to eventually (if not immediately) step in as the starting point guard and form a dynamic backcourt duo with Kimble.

The 6’8″ Manuel, who initially committed to Seaton Hall, was an absolute steal for Martelli’s staff. The Hawks aren’t thin by any means in the frontcourt with guys like Anthony Longpre, Taylor Funk (who plays the 3 and the 4), and Pierfrancesco Oliva returning, but Manuel may be the best overall athlete out of all of them. Even if he doesn’t get the nod to jump for the opening tip, I think his versatility and scoring prowess could push him into the starting 5 before long.

The bottom line for St. Joe’s is that they will have one of the most talented rosters in the A10 around Charlie Brown. If Martelli can get the role-players like Manuel and Bynum playing to their highest ceiling, I think that will put them into double-bye territory come A10 Tournament time.