The Atlantic 10 Conference was filled with a bunch of surprises last year, from the top to the very bottom. The result was VCU and Saint Louis co-champions of the regular season, and both made the NCAA Tournament, giving the league two bids. So far this offseason, both teams have made positive moves to stay competitive.
But are the Rams and Billikens still the favorites in the A-10 next year? And who else are early contenders to watch? Here’s the latest way-too-early power rankings for the conference.
14. St. Bonaventure Bonnies
2025-26 record: 17-17 (4-14)
Key losses
- Daryl Simmons (16.4 ppg and 2.8 apg)
- Frank Mitchell (16.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg)
- Cayden Charles (12.9 ppg and 6.6 rpg)
- Dasonte Bowen (10.9 ppg and 4.8 apg)
- Daniel Egbuniwe (8.2 ppg and 3.2 rpg)
Key players
- Ilia Ermakov (2.9 ppg and 1.2 apg)
- Joseph Grahovac (4.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg)
- Achille Lonati (2.5 ppg and 0.8 rpg)
- Ari Fulton (10.9 ppg and 6.2 rpg at NJIT)
- Ryan Kalambay (4.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg at Detroit Mercy)
The Mike Schmidt era is over at St. Bonaventure, with D-II head coach Mike MacDonald taking over. Right now, the roster has plenty of questions after losing just about everyone. While Grahovac could be a breakout player in his second year with the program, the Bonnies are likely going to go through lots of growing pains next year.
13. La Salle ExplorersÂ
2025-26 record: 9-23 (5-13)
Key lossesÂ
- Jaeden Marshall (12 ppg and 2.2 rpg)
- Josiah Harris (8.4 ppg and 3.1 apg)
- Ashton Walker (8.2 ppg and 3.1 apg)
Key players
- Rob Dockery (12.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg)
- Jerome Brewer (11.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg)
- Jaden Johnson (6.3 ppg and 4.1 apg)
- Kam Burton (7.9 ppg and 1.8 rpg at Stephen F. Austin)
- Anthony Finkley (5.4 ppg and 3.3 rpg at St. Joe’s)
Injuries decimated the Explorers' chances of competing last year. They do bring back a few of those pieces, with Dockery set to be the lead guard. But while the frontcourt should be physical and defend well, concerns about the offense still remain as they try to move up the Atlantic 10 ladder.
12. George Washington Revolutionaries
2025-26 record: 19-16 (8-10)
Key losses
- Rafael Castro (15.3 ppg and 9.1 rpg)
- Garrett Johnson (11.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg)
- Trey Autry (11 ppg and 3.5 rpg)
Key players
- Jean Araguren (8.2 ppg and 3.4 apg)
- Omari Witherspoon (7.5 ppg and 2.5 at Pittsburgh)
- Andrew Phillips (13.9 ppg and 4.6 rpg at Lafayette)
- Andrija Vukovic (5.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg at OK State)
- Felix Kossaras (4.6 ppg and 1.5 rpg at Colorado)
Seven of the top eight scorers from last year are gone, led by Castro’s departure. Guys like Dylan James and Malachi Arrington are solid bodies who can defend, though they aren’t the same kind of offensive threats as Castro was. Araguren returns as the lead guard, while Witherspoon is a capable combo guard who showed flashes as a freshman. Ultimately, scoring and defense could be a concern for GW after losing so many key pieces.
11. Duquesne Dukes
2025-26 record: 18-15 (9-9)
Key losses
- Tarence Guinyard (16.6 ppg and 4.7 apg)
- Jimmie Williams (15.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg)
- Alex Williams (9.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg)
- David Dixon (8.2 ppg and 5.5 rpg)
Key players
- Jake DiMichele (3.8 ppg and 1.1 rpg)
- Brandon Hall (3.3 ppg and 1.3 rpg)
- Josh Smith (16.2 ppg and 2.1 apg at West Georgia)
- Yoav Berman (12.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg at Queens)
- Izaiah Pasha (2.0 ppg and 0.7 apg at Virginia Tech)
- Ege Demir (2.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg at Oregon)
The top eight scores from last year are gone for the Dukes, and they haven’t been able to replace most of the production. Berman and Smith, two of the top players from the ASUN, will have to take over as lead guards while Pasha, a former CAA Rookie of the Year winner at Delaware, looks to bounce back after a down year at Virginia Tech. Demir, who played behind Nathan Bittle at Oregon, has a chance to be a breakout performer.Â
10. Richmond Spiders
2025-26 record: 15-17 (5-13)
Key losses
- AJ Lopez (13.4 ppg and 2.2 rpg)
- Will Johnston (9.7 ppg and 3.0 rpg)
- Michael Walz (7.9 ppg and 6.4 rpg)
Key players
- Aiden Argabright (10.8 ppg and 2.0 apg)
- Derin Saran (11.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg at UC Irvine)
- Jamie Kaiser (9.5 ppg and 4.3 rpg at Butler)
- Dominick Stewart (6.6 ppg and 2.2 rpg at Penn State)
- Amon Dorries (16.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg at Bucknell)
Argabright was one of the top freshmen in the A-10 and is set up to be the focal point of the offense next year. Dorries looks to be the next lead big man in an offensive system that needs him to succeed. Kaiser and Stewart are the x-factors, as they can be solid role players, but if they’re breakout players, Richmond can escape the bottom tier.Â
9. Rhode Island Rams
2025-26 record: 16-16 (7-11)
Key losses
- Tyler Cochran (15.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg)Â
- Myles Corey (9.3 ppg and 1.7 apg)
- Keeyan Itejere (7.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg)
Key players
- Jonah Hinton (12.6 ppg and 2.1 apg)
- Jahmere Tripp (12 ppg and 4.3 rpg)
- Mouhamed Sow (6.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 5 games)
- Dylan Williamson (14.6 ppg and 3.4 apg at Towson)
- Matas Deniusas (12.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg at UT-Martin)
Returning both Hinton and Tripp is big for the Rams, along with the addition of Williams, a capable lead guard candidate from the CAA. But losing Cochran, the Defensive Player of the Year, and Itejere is devastating to Rhode Island’s defense. While the offense should be fine, the defensive concerns with Rhode Island are clear.Â
8. Loyola Chicago Ramblers
2025-26 record: 9-24 (4-14)
Key losses
- Miles Rubin (11.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg)
- Xavier Amos (11.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg)
- Kayde Dotson (10.5 ppg and 2.0 apg)
Key players
- Nic Anderson (5.1 ppg and 2.4 rpg)
- Donald Hand (12.4 ppg and 4.4 rpg at Boston College)
- Dayan Nessah (15.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg at Cleveland State)
- Eddie Ricks III (7.1 ppg and 5.6 rpg at James Madison)
- Ryan Agarwal (5.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg at Stanford)
The Ramblers aren’t going to be as bad as last year, with a completely rebuilt roster. The collective size will be able to help replace Rubin inside, with Hand being a proven high-major scorer, but coming off shooting just 33% from the field (22% 3PT). If he ends up being the lead guard for Loyola but isn’t overly efficient, their ceiling won’t be very high.
7. Davidson Wildcats
2025-26 record: 20-14 (10-8)
Key losses
- Roberts Blums (12.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg)
- Parker Friedrichsen (10.8 ppg and 2.5 rpg)
Key players
- Josh Scovens (11.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg)
- Sam Brown (8.0 ppg and 2.2 apg)
- Nick Coval (6.4 ppg and 1.6 apg)
- Ian Platteeuw (4.1 ppg and 3.8 rpg)
- Nick Janowski (16.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg at St. Thomas)
The Wildcats bring back three starters from a 20-win team, with Scovens and Brown set to get even larger roles next year. Janowski was one of the top scorers in the Summit League and played alongside Nolan Minnesale, one of the top mid-major players in the country. So there’s a real chance that he can step in and be a focal point of Davidson’s offense to keep them in the top half of the standings.Â
6. Fordham Rams
2025-26 record: 17-15 (8-10)
Key losses
- Dejour Reaves (17.9 ppg and 3.6 apg)
- Christian Henry (10.7 ppg and 5.1 apg)
- Marcus Greene (4.7 ppg and 0.9 rpg)
Key players
- Rikus Schulte (10.7 ppg and 9.1 rpg)
- Jack Whitbourn (8.4 ppg and 8.4 rpg in 11 games)
- Abass Bodjia (7.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg)
- Akira Jacobs (7.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg)
- Amir Lindsey (17.9 ppg and 4.9 apg at Albany)
- Lateef Patrick Jr. (15.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg at Stephen F. Austin)
The Rams were highly competitive in Coach Mike Magpayo’s first year with the program. And they return essentially its entire frontcourt, led by Schulte. Lindsey and Patrick are the two big names joining the program in the backcourt, and if either can emerge as all-league players, Fordham has a chance to be a surprise threat in the Atlantic 10.
5. Saint Joe’s Hawks
2025-26 record: 24-12 (13-5)
Key losses
- Derek Simpson (13.8 ppg and 5.2 apg)
- Dasear Haskins (11.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg)
- Justice Ajogbor (6.5 ppg and 4.9 rpg)
Key players
- Jaiden Glover-Toscano (15.7 ppg and 4.8 rpg)
- Austin Williford (7.8 ppg and 4.7 rpg)
- Khaafiq Myers (5.1 ppg and 2.3 apg)
- Logan Carey (9.7 ppg and 2.4 apg at Maine)
- Sean Logan (3.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg at Davidson)
Coach Steve Donahue’s miracle first/interim campaign worked wonders with the Hawks. And his reward? Bringing back the top returning scorer in the A-10 in Glover-Toscano, coming off a breakout campaign. Wiliford, who excelled as a freshman, is set for a larger role, while Logan is a solid interior forward familiar with the league. The loss of Ajogbor is big when it comes to interior defense, but there shouldn’t be too much of a drop-off.
4. Dayton Flyers
2025-26 record: 25-12 (12-6)
Key losses
- Javon Bennett (15.8 ppg and 2.9 apg)
- De’Shayne Montgomery (13.4 ppg and 4.0 rpg)
- Jordan Derkack (9.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg)
Key players
- Amael L’Etang (11.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg)
- Jaiun Simon (5.6 ppg and 3.3 rpg)
- Travis Perry (5.3 ppg and 1.6 rpg at Ole Miss)
- Grant Randall (11.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg at Quinnipiac)
- Jalen Haynes (14.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg in 2024-25 at George Mason)
- Aiden Derkack (4-star guard prospect)
The Flyers have a great case for having the best frontcourt in the A-10, thanks to L’Etang’s return and the addition of Haynes, an all-league proven player at this level who missed all of last season with an injury. The backcourt is the question, as it has to replace Bennett as the lead guard. Perry, Derkack, and former Marquette guard Zaide Lowery will all get opportunities, but someone will need to step up for them to be a contender.
3. George MasonÂ
2025-26 record: 23-10 (11-7)
Key losses
- Kory Mincy (14.3 ppg and 2.9 apg)
- Riley Allenspach (13.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg)
- Jahari Long (12.2 ppg and 4.0 apg)
- Fatt Hill (10.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg)
Key players
- Brayden O’Connor (9.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 2024-25)
- Emmanuel Kanga (4.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg)
- Baraka Okojie (19.7 ppg and 5.3 apg at Mercer)
- Elijah Jones (13.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg at UTEP)
- Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (5.0 ppg and 2.2 rpg at Bulter)
The Patriots have the opposite issue as Dayton, as the backcourt duo of O’Connor and Okojie, who started his career at GMU, should be one of the top ones in the conference. But the frontcourt has the open questions, with Kanga being a quality interior defender but not a top scorer. If Jones (39% 3PT) can fill Allenspach’s role as the stretch forward, George Mason should remain as a contender.
2. VCU Rams
2025-26 record: 28-8 (15-3)
Key losses
- Terrence Hill (15 ppg and 2.8 apg)
- Jadrian Tracey (9.6 ppg and 2.8 rpg)
- Barry Evans (7.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg)
Key players
- Lazar Djokovic (13.2 ppg and 5.2 rpg)
- Brandon Jennings (8.5 ppg and 3.6 rpg)
- Nyk Lewis (8.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg)
- Blake Harper (7.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg at Creighton)
- Torey Alston (13.1 ppg and 7.9 rpg at Middle Tennessee)
The Rams bring back a ton of talent, including Djokovic, a clear candidate for A-10 POY. Guards Jennings and Lewis are a quality backcourt duo, while Harper, a former MEAC Player of the Year at Howard, is another double-digit scoring candidate in the rotation. But losing leading scorer Hill, combined with the versatile forwards of Tracey and Evans, won’t be easy to replace.Â
1. Saint Louis Billikens
2025-26 record: 29-6 (15-3)
Key lossesÂ
- Robbie Avila (12.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg)
- Dion Brown (11.3 ppg and 5.4 rpg)
Key players
- Trey Green (10.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg)
- Amari McCotty (10.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg)
- Kellan Thames (9.7 ppg and 4.7 rpg)
- Ishan Sharma (9.1 ppg and 2.7 rpg)
- Elijah Strong (10 ppg and 2.3 rpg at South Carolina)
- Alon Michaeli (7.1 ppg and 3.9 rpg at Colorado)
Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Avila is one of the best all-around players in the country, and replacing him will take multiple frontcourt players. But Michaeli and Strong are good forward additions, combined with the bevy of guards coming back. Sharma and Green are two of the best pure shooters in the nation, and while the offense will look different without Avila, it still should be arguably the best in the conference next season.
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