Atlantic 10 Basketball: 2022 offseason grades for each team

Rhode Island Rams – Grade: B

New head coach Archie Miller is swinging for the fences with his batch of newcomers, all of whom were four-star recruits at higher levels. Brayon Freeman averaged double figures as a freshman at GW so he can score at the A-10 level. And Anthony Harris is a four-star point guard from UNC. Brandon Weston is a 6’5 wing from Seton Hall, while Alex Tchikou was a top-50 forward from Alabama who could become the next elite interior defender.

With the whole roster turnover, it’s hard to say how Coach Miller will do in year 1. But if these newcomers can take over and have a big impact, this team could be in the top half of the conference early on and get the program off the ground running.

Richmond Spiders – B+

The Spiders were going to lose a ton of talent this offseason after the super-senior core is gone. However, the leading scorer and star forward Tyler Burton came back to them on the NBA Draft deadline day, giving them a realistic path to another top-4 finish. He’s joined in the frontcourt by 7’0 center transfer Neal Quinn, who has a similar game as Grant Golden. And 6’7 forward Jason Roche is an elite three-point shooter and floor spacer for the team.

What prevents Richmond from climbing up towards an “A” is a proven ball-handler and point guard. They do have a few returning guards, including Andre Gustavson, that could have an impact with more minutes but there’s still an open question on if they’ll be good enough.