Atlantic 10 Basketball: Biggest cases to make for 2022-23 season

The Case For …Davonte Gaines On The All-Conference Team

The George Mason forward was the A-10’s elite glue guy last season but didn’t receive any preseason accolades for the upcoming year.  Gaines‘ first season with the Patriots was reminiscent of Jalen Adaway’s initial year with St. Bonaventure, providing excellent rebounding (8.1 per game) and strong defense while easing has way into a bigger offensive role.

While the man known as “Ticket” was exciting to watch last year, especially attacking the glass, this year he should make a jump on offense that will make him really worth the price of admission.  Gaines was one of the best corner three shooters in the conference last year, finishing at 40.2% from deep, but during a late-season cold streak, the rest of his offensive game disappeared and he was only attempting two shots a game from inside the arc.

That will jump up with Gaines needing to handle some of the scoring load left behind by the graduating D’Shawn Schwartz. More shot attempts will only benefit Gaines as his burst and leaping ability allows him to get to the rim in a flash and finish through traffic with ease.

Add in a pair of new point guards, New Mexico transfer Saquan Singleton and freshman Devin Dinkins, and Gaines will find the ball coming his way in the corner far more often.  He’s already a massive contributor around the court but a bump in scoring for Davonte Gaines on an improving George Mason team will lead to him receiving his due this year.

The Case For …Kaleb Washington Making A Significant Impact

Throughout the off-season, freshman guard Mike Sharavjamts has received plenty of hype and attention as a new addition to Dayton’s rotation, and rightfully so, given his status as a four-star Top 100 recruit.  But despite being similarly ranked last year (#101 per Rivals), sophomore forward Kaleb Washington seems to have largely been forgotten.  Washington barely saw the court in what turned out to be a developmental year but he did play significant minutes in the NIT, where he was comfortable with the speed of the game and his quickness and athleticism shined through.

At 6’7″, Washington brings positional versatility and will be the best athlete on the Flyers’ bench this year.  His end-of-the-season appearances indicate that he could make a contribution in all phases of the game, including strengthening Dayton’s already great defense.  That all-around skill set will help him fit around his established teammates and Coach Anthony Grant praised his ability to make an impact around the court at media day:

“He’s got a versatile skill set for a guy his size, in terms of his ball handling ability, his passing ability and I think his size and athleticism allow him to be another defense weapon for us if we can get him to understand how to take advantage of what he’s been blessed with.”

Pre-season injuries to Malachi Smith and Kobe Brea could open up minutes early in the season so Washington will absolutely have a chance to prove himself in November, and when the biggest games roll around in March, he will be a crucial piece of the bench for Dayton.

*Update: Washington has been suspended by the team for an unclear amount of time. If he returns in November, everything above still stands. If not, look for another athletic forward in Zimi Nwokeji to get those early minutes as he tries to get back to the level of his incredibly promising 2021 season.