Atlantic 10 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 12: A general view of the Barclay Center prior to the start of the 2020 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament - Second Round on March 12, 2020 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. Tournament games will be played without fans amid growing concerns of the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

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Atlantic 10 Basketball Rhode Island Rams center Makhi Mitchell David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 8 – UMass Minuteman

UMass lost arguably the best transfer in all of college basketball this offseason in Tre Mitchell. The 2020 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year transferred to Texas.

The Minutemen look to have improved their roster to make up for Mitchell’s departure. They added Rich Kelly from the transfer portal, who previously played with Boston College. Last season, he averaged 11 points, 2.4 assists, and shot 42.7 percent on the floor.

UMass also brings back key players Noah Fernandes to exceed the Minutemen’s backcourt and TJ Weeks, who averaged 9.7 points and shot 37 percent. We can also expect Preston Santos to have a breakout season. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged only 4.6 points; however, he shot 57.1 percent.

We can expect this to be a make-or-break season for the Minutemen. If UMass can not meet standards, Coach Matt McCall might find himself on the hot seat towards the end of the season.

No. 7 – Rhode Island Rams

The Rhode Island Rams come into the Atlantic 10 preseason ranked seventh; however, their roster is underrated. They have the potential to finish top five in the conference if they maintain healthy throughout the season.

Last season, the Rams dealt with several injuries to their best players, including Fatts Russell, Allen Betrand, and Makhi Mitchell. Mitchell was ruled out after seven games that allowed his brother Makhel to take on a more significant role.

Last year, they also faced schedule challenges with several of their opponents canceling games due to COVID-19 and positive cases. For example, Providence College canceled its annual in-state rivalry with Rhode Island, which upset many fans. Additionally, an empty Ryan Center at home games did not help the Rams succeed last season.

Although the Rams lost their star player in Fatts Russell, Coach David Cox will have a lot of key pieces this season that fans have to be excited about. The Rams have one of the best frontcourts in the Atlantic 10 with Malik Martin, Antwan Walker, Makhi, and Makhel Mitchell.

The Rams are also strong at the guard position with Jeremy Sheppard, Ish El-Amin, and Ishmael Leggett. We can expect Sheppard and El-Amin to start but, Leggett’s performance off the bench can not go unnoticed. Leggett had an impactful freshman campaign last season as he averaged 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and shot 46.4 percent. I believe that Leggett is a strong candidate this season for Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year.

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