No. 2 – Saint Louis Bilikens
The Saint Louis Billikens did not finish as they had expected to last season, which was at the top of the conference. Coach Travis Ford has enough solid pieces to work with to potentially achieve that goal this season.
Although Saint Louis lost two dominant pieces in Hasahn French and Jordan Goodwin, their star talent currently on the roster does not go unnoticed. Yuri Collins, Fred Thatch Jr., and Gibson Jimerson all return to the rotation. They also used the transfer portal to land big names such as Francis Okoro (Oregon) and Jordan Nesbitt (Memphis).
The player that the Billikens were planning on leaning on this season was Javonte Perkins. Perkins averaged 17.1 points which were the most on the team last season. With Javonte Perkins missing the season with a torn ACL, the Billikens will look to someone else to get the scoring done.
Yuri Collins and Fred Thatch Jr. will continue to develop into stars; however, I believe Rashad Williams will also display signs of success. The Oakland transfer averaged 13.8 points last season while scoring in double-figures sixteen times. Williams had eight games with 20 or more points. Williams led the nation in three-point attempts with 277. The 6-foot-2 guard was also fifth in the country in made three-pointers with 94.
We can expect Saint Louis to thrive and prove to the country why they belong in the NCAA March Madness tournament this season.
No. 1 – St. Bonaventure Bonnies
It is pretty obvious who the clear-cut favorite to win the conference is this season. The St. Bonaventure Bonnies on paper are just way too good not to be considered a favorite. Coach Mark Schmidt is returning all five of his starters from last season. They come into the season ranked 23rd in the nation by the AP poll.
The two guys to talk about from the Bonnies are Osun Osunniyi and Kyle Lofton. This dynamic duo is unstoppable. Both are in the conversation for the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award this season. Lofton and Osunniyi are two of the most consistent players in the conference. Last season, Lofton scored in double-figures 17 times in the 21 appearances he made. He averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 38.4 minutes per game.
Osunniyi earned the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year award last season and certainly has what it takes to do it again. He anchored one of the top ten defenses in the nation in 2021. Osunniyi also became the first player in program history to have 60 blocks and 50 assists in the same season.
Although the talent provided by Lofton and Osunniyi is outstanding, we can’t forget about the supporting cast around them. Jalen Adaway enters his senior year after ranking second on the team last year in shooting percentage. He ranked 10th in the conference after shooting 51.5 percent from the floor. Dominick Welch led the team in three-pointers last season and ranked seventh in the Atlantic 10 with 51 and shooting 39 percent from beyond the arch.
The depth that runs up and down this roster is, without a doubt, some of the best in the country. Coach Schmidt will have so many options to go to in close-game situations, which puts the Bonnies at an advantage. If everyone stays healthy and exceeds expectations, we can expect St. Bonaventure to hoist up the Atlantic 10 trophy for the second consecutive season.