The Atlantic 10 Basketball team picked to be the favorite in recent seasons has finished tied for sixth or lower. The closest we have seen the Atlantic 10 preseason favorite finish close to the top was 2019-20. The Dayton Flyers were picked to finish third but won the conference with a 29-2 overall record led by Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher.
This season the St. Bonaventure Bonnies are the clear favorite to win the conference as they enter the season nationally ranked No. 23 and earned a top-ten ranking of the mid-major teams. Additionally, their entire starting lineup from last year will be returning. Although the Bonnies seem unstoppable, in college basketball, anything can happen, and the Bonnies might find some trouble down the road.
Will COVID-19 be as big of a factor this season? Will Coach Kyle Neptune lead Fordham in the right direction? Will VCU’s success carry into this season following Bones Hyland’s departure? Is UMass a top-eight team in the conference? There are still so many unanswered questions which only makes this season so much more exciting to watch.
We can expect to see several surprises out of the Atlantic 10 conference this season and exciting matchups throughout the season. With that, let’s break down each of the A-10 teams and where they rank going into the season.