Atlantic 10 Basketball: 3 sleeper teams that could contend in 2018-19

VCU Rams

There’s some skepticism surrounding the Rams this season, and it’s not entirely unfounded. They weren’t their usual caliber last year – though still a solid 9-9 in A10 play (good for a 5th place finish) – and that was with Justin Tillman and Jonathan Williams, both of whom graduated in May. With the A10 only getting more competitive, people are wondering how the Rams will be able to finish any higher in the final standings. On the surface, that does seem like a lot to ask, but when you really analyze this team, there’s a lot there to like.

For one thing, although Tillman and Williams are gone, the Rams have no shortage of returning talent. The most notable of all the guys coming back is De’Riante Jenkins – a 6’5″ guard that can flat out ball (13 points per game on 42% from deep last season). Don’t be surprised if he has a breakout campaign and becomes a top 10 scorer in the conference this season.

Another two players poised for increased production are big men Marcus Santos-Silva and Sean Mobley, both of whom saw limited playing time as a freshman last season, but still managed to average at least 3 points and 3 rebounds per game. Neither one will transform into Justin Tillman, but they’re efficient players who should be more than adequate down low. On the wings, Issac Vann, Malik Crowfield, and Mike’l Simms, who all averaged over 5 points per game, should only be better versions of themselves.

Besides the returning talent, there are two more reasons I like the Rams this season. One is that Coach Mike Rhoades isn’t new in Richmond anymore. Rarely do we see first-year coaches have success in the A10 – it’s just hard when players are used to playing a certain way they have to suddenly learn a new system. I don’t expect there to be nearly as many growing pains in year two of the Rhoades era now that everyone’s had a chance to gel and determine their roles.

The final reason I’m higher on the Rams than most is the amount of incoming talent in the backcourt with PJ Byrd, an electric freshman guard, and Marcus Evans, who averaged 20 points per game under Coach Rhoades at Rice, set to join the team. Byrd should be an immediate asset, at least offensively, and Evans could very well be the Rams’ best player.

I’m not saying the Rams will dominate by any means, and it’s fair to say that this team still won’t be the VCU that we’re used to dealing with. That’s almost certainly true. On the other hand, though, I think it’s naive to count them out with all the talent they have on the roster, especially in a wide-open A10. Don’t be surprised at all if this team has elbowed their way into the top 4 come conference tournament time.