A-10 Basketball: Way-Too-Early 2019-2020 Power Rankings

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 13: Maceo Jack #14 of the George Washington Colonials handles the ball against Carl Pierre #12 of the Massachusetts Minutemen in the second half during the first round of the 2019 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament at Barclays Center on March 13, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

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SYRACUSE, NY – DECEMBER 29: Kyle Lofton #0 of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies drives to the basket against Buddy Boeheim #35 and Jalen Carey #5 of the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome on December 29, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

5. Saint Bonaventure Bonnies (Tier-2)

As long as Mark Schmidt walks the sidelines in Olean, the Bonnies will find a way to be competitive. It doesn’t matter that they’ll be without Courtney Stockard and LaDarien Griffin, two of their most important players from this last campaign. Pundits learned that lesson after they projected this previous year to be a rebuilding one and for the Bonnies to be middle-of-the-pack at best. We all know the story – they earned a double-bye in the conference tourney and were a game (a shot, really) away from cutting down the nets.

Kyle Lofton, Dom Welch, and Osun Osunniyi made up the best Freshman core in the league last season, and they’ll all be returning and ready to improve in their second campaigns. One could point to a lack of real depth and experience as a reason the Bonnies won’t be competitive, but the same types of things were said when they lost Matt Mobley and Jaylen Adams to the pros. I’m not making that mistake again, especially since the talent at the top of the rotation will clearly be among the league’s best.

I don’t expect the Bonnies to get a double-bye (obviously, since I have them in fifth) or to reach the championship game again in Brooklyn, but I’m not going to count out those possibilities because they lost a couple of key guys. They still have Mark Schmidt, exciting talent, and one of the toughest home courts in the league. Bet the bank on at least a top-six finish.

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