4. St. Bonaventure Bonnies
2022-23 season record: 14-18 (8-10)
We’ve reached the point in the power rankings where teams are actually retaining most of their talent. One is St. Bonaventure, who brings back its top five scorers from this past season. That includes star guard Daryl Banks (15.4 ppg), forward Chad Venning, and guards Kyrell Luc and Moses Flowers.
Joining the Bonnies is Charles Pride, a quality scoring transfer from Bryant that has a 44-point game in his career at the NEC level. He’s a 6’4 guard but rebounds like a forward so could play the four-spot if needed. Coach Mark Schmidt does better when his teams are flying under the radar but if the Bonnies can score more consistently and not rely on Banks all the time, they can make a jump back to the double-bye range of the A-10.
3. St. Joe’s Hawks
2022-23 season record: 16-17 (8-10)
If I was simply ranking individual talents, the Hawks would be No. 1. Erik Reynolds (19.6 ppg) and both Cameron Brown and Lynn Greer are the best overall backcourt in the A-10 and could be one of the best in the country. And while losing Ekike Obinna hurts, forward Kacper Klacez is one of the better defensive frontcourt players around. Plus, a quality incoming recruiting class and 7’0 center Christ Essandoko adds to the overall talent pool.
The concern is whether or not Coach Billy Lange is the guy that can make Saint Joseph’s relevant again. To his credit, he’s managed to keep the roster together when three of them could’ve been power conference targets in the transfer portal. They’ll need a big defensive upgrade collective to consistently win but this time, the talent is there for them to succeed.