8. Davidson Wildcats (9-3)
Even without 21 ppg scorer and leading rebounder Peyton Aldridge, Davidson seems to be just fine – when healthy. The Wildcats started off 8-1 to start the season, including a win over Wichita State and a sweep over Northeastern. The lone loss came to Purdue, who at the time was ranked.
Davidson is jumpstarted by the duo of Kellan Grady (19.4 ppg) and junior Jon Axel Gudmundsson (18.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, and 4.6 apg). Both all All-Atlantic Ten players who each have had their moments in the team’s wins this season.
The Wildcats also have been helped by surprising performances by redshirt Luke Frampton and true freshman big man Luka Brajkovic. He’s the third leading scorer and top rebounder at 12.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg, providing the needed balance for Davidson to be a top-tier A-10 team this year.
But Grady may be the most important player on the roster, evident by how the team has performed without him due to injury. The Wildcats have recently lost to both Temple and Wake Forest in narrow defeats, which could hurt their at-large chances down the road. He’s also not likely to play at UNC this Saturday.
Davidson can boast that they have two of the top five players in the A-10, with a better than expected supporting cast. As long as Grady is healthy once conference play arrives, the Wildcats should be the team to beat in the league.