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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DAYTON, OH – NOVEMBER 30: Trey Landers #3 of the Dayton Flyers reacts in the second half of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at UD Arena on November 30, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. The Bulldogs won 65-58. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

3. Dayton Flyers (Tier-1)

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Flyers might just be the best team in the A10 on paper. Sure, Josh Cunningham and Jordan Davis are gone, but likely Player of the Year-candidate Obi Toppin, one of the league’s best Point Guards in Jalen Crutcher, and more than adequate role players in Trey Landers, Ryan Mikesell, and Dwayne Cohill will all be returning. Not only that, but sit-out transfers Ibi Watson (Michigan), Rodney Chatman (Chattanooga) and Jordy Tshimanga (Nebraska) will all be eligible and should provide quality minutes and perhaps even blossom into stars themselves.

Combine all of the aforementioned talent with a solid recruiting class, and, simply put, this team is loaded. Their success will just come down to how well Anthony Grant can integrate so many new pieces into one cohesive unit. It won’t be easy, but even if he fails to get them playing to their ceiling, it’s tough to imagine this team finishing anywhere outside of the top five. The departure of Obi Toppin to the NBA could possibly lead to that outcome, but I’d expect him to return for at least one more season to build his draft stock and compete for an A10 title.

The bottom line is that I have the Flyers in third for now, but no one should be surprised if this team wins the conference and even makes a run in the NCAA Tournament. They absolutely have that ceiling – I’m just not ready to count on it without first seeing how well all of their superior individual talents will gel.

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