The offseason rolls on, as does the evaluation of the current rosters for the 2025-2026 season. Through those evaluations, we can draw many conclusions about how well or poorly a team will perform this season based on their offseason acquisitions. It has allowed me to provide an offseason grade to all of the teams I have evaluated so far.
Last week, I provided the offseason grades for the Big East conference. This week, let's dive into another conference with rabid fan bases and premier talent. The Atlantic 10 conference boasts some of the best fan bases in all of college sports, and outside of the last decade, it was one of the premier conferences in the country. The league has some of the most historic teams in the country and usually sends multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament.
The Atlantic 10 isn’t a mid-major conference that is just happy to be in the NCAA Tournament either. The league usually performs well when playing in the event. The league consistently produces players drafted, and numerous Atlantic 10 players are currently on NBA rosters. The league is continually improving and is poised to have multiple teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season.
To clarify a few things, an A grade doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be great. It just means that the team had an offseason that allowed them to meet their needs. Just like an F rating doesn’t necessarily mean the team will be bad, just that they didn’t do an excellent job of fixing the holes in their roster or getting better. Who had the best offseason in the Atlantic 10?
Davidson Wildcats
Davidson did have a winning season last year for the first time under head coach Matt McKillop. The talent that appeared to be returning was elite, enough for the Wildcats to be considered one of the top contenders in the league in the preseason. Unfortunately, Davidson lost a significant amount of talent in the transfer portal, and the roster is now a shell of its former self. As a result, the Wildcats appear more like a .500 team than a league favorite.
Even with a worse roster, at least on paper, the Wildcats have two guys who have an extremely high ceiling. RJ Greer is a top freshman who is poised to have a significant impact on Davidson this year. Finally, Parker Friedrichsen is a transfer from Wake Forest who can shoot and has an Atlantic 10 Player of the Year ceiling. Josh Scovens is a transfer from Army who is an elite scorer. The depth is still an issue for me.
Overall Grade: C
Dayton Flyers
The Dayton program has consistently been the one team to attract top-notch talent every year in the Atlantic 10. The Flyers have lost a significant number of players to the transfer portal over the last two offseasons. Still, coach Grant has done a fantastic job of rebuilding the roster and mitigating the losses incurred through the portal. Expectations will be in place again in 2025-2026.
Coach Grant filled the roster with a wealth of shooting talent and players who have led their teams in scoring at some point in their careers. Jordan Derkack had a tough season last year at Rutgers, but was the NEC Player of the Year two seasons ago. De’Shayne Montgomery is an elite scorer who can score from all three levels. Bryce Heard has a high ceiling and was a highly recruited player coming out of high school two seasons ago.
Overall Grade: A
Duquesne Dukes
The first year under Dru Joyce gave us all a glimpse of how Coach Joyce envisioned the team playing. Duquesne played slow and had one of the best defenses in the country, The Dukes had athletes all over the floor and had players who offered a lot of positional flexibility but didn’t have much height and playing the style that coach Joyce wants to play, size is going to be beneficial and will only help them win games. They added a lot of height in the transfer portal.
Duquesne did lose its top scorer and point guard to the transfer portal. The Dukes do have Maximus Edwards returning and added a talented, efficient scoring freshman guard in Arness Lawson. John Hugley IV is one of the oldest players in college basketball and is the best offensive player for the Dukes. Coach Joyce will be able to put Hugley in a lot of different sets, and he will likely score. Hugley IV has had success at the Power Five level throughout his entire career before arriving in the Atlantic 10.
Overall Grade: A
Fordham Rams
Keith Urgo is out, and Mike Magpayo is in, and that will be good for the Rams and all the fans in Rose Hill. Magpayo plays fast and has his teams shoot a lot of threes; that style is easy to recruit to. Fordham is in the Bronx; they already have a ton of talent in their backyard, and if Magpayo starts winning, the Rams could be the next Atlantic 10 team to start a turnaround.
Fordham built the roster using all transfers, which has had mixed results over the years. Jace Howard is a transfer from Michigan, boasting a high offensive ceiling and likely the most talented offensive player for the Rams. He should be a top-level all-conference player under Magpayo. Louis Lesmond has extensive experience from Harvard and is a skilled three-point shooter.
Overall Grade: C
George Mason Patriots
Tony Skinn is well on his way to bringing the Patriots back to the level they were under Jim Larranaga, and right now, he is on pace to be better. George Mason won a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season and has a lot of momentum heading into the 2025-2026 season. They open as one of the favorites because coach Skinn is elite at recruiting to his efficient offense and smothering defense style. The Patriots have a wealth of talent and have built a significant amount of depth through the transfer portal.
Coach Skinn outrecruited Georgetown and Maryland for 4-star freshman Emmanuel Kanga. He will make a tremendous impact on both sides of the floor. Kory Mincy and Riley Allenspach are both elite scorers. Dola Adebayo plays great post defense and will likely be a fan favorite among George Mason fans. Coach Skinn can play 10 guys with this roster.
Overall Grade: A+
George Washington Revolutionaries
The Revs advanced to the College Basketball Crown last season, marking a significant step forward for the program under head coach Chris Caputo. Caputo has done a great job evaluating and developing talent to the extent that all of his top players are leaving for other schools through the transfer portal. That leaves George Washington to start over almost every season.
Caputo hit a home run in the transfer portal this year and has a lot of guys who can do a lot on both ends of the floor. Jean Aranguren is one of the top point guards in the Atlantic 10 and is expected to lead the Revolutionaries in scoring. Luke Hunger is a load underneath the basket and should thrive after his transfer from Northwestern. Bubu Benjamin is one of the better two-way players in mid-major ranks and offers a ton of positional flexibility. Caputo has a solid class for a team trending in the right direction.
Overall Grade: B
La Salle Explorers
It is the first season for head coach Darris Nichols in Philadelphia. This season may be a challenge, given that the majority of the roster has departed and the team will be brand new. Nichols is a good coach and will be able to recruit good players to Philadelphia, but the first few seasons may be a struggle.
Coach Nichols assembled the roster quickly, and it is full of low-major transfers who are transferring up a level. The players all have experience and have had varying degrees of success at their old schools. Jerome Brewer from McNeese and Marcus Randolph from Saint Peter’s are the best players in the class. There isn’t much depth, and the overall talent is lacking compared to the rest of the league. The Explorers are in a full-on rebuild.
Overall Grade: D
Loyola Ramblers
The Ramblers, outside of Dayton, are one of the few true mid-major programs that consistently bring in quality talent every year. If you don’t believe that, just look at where the players the Ramblers have lost in the transfer portal have ended up. They are losing players to Kansas and acquiring players from NCAA Tournament teams and Power Five schools.
Coach Drew Valentine brought in a top-notch class full of high-quality transfers and two fantastic freshmen, led by 4-star Chuck Love III. Love is the son of a coach and chose Loyola over Illinois and Missouri. Joshua Ola-Joseph and Deywilk Tavarez lead the transfer class. Ola-Joseph is an elite rebounder and finisher around the rim. Tavarez is a great shooter and can put up points quickly.
Overall Grade: A+
Rhode Island Rams
The Rams have struggled to put it all together under head coach Archie Miller, but Rhode Island is coming off its first winning season under Miller, and the hope is that the Rams are trending up. Rhode Island lost a significant amount of talent from the team a season ago. The good eligible players have transferred, and the others have graduated. That leaves the roster with some question marks heading into the season.
The transfer class is a mixed bag, but it does have a star in the ranks in Tyler Cochran from Minnesota. Cochran averaged 15 points last season for Minnesota and will easily lead Rhode Island in scoring. The rest of the commitments have some serviceable role players who should make an impact. The impact is to be determined. The Rams lost more than they gained in the offseason.
Overall Grade: C-
Richmond Spiders
The 2024-2025 season did not go according to plan for the Spiders or coach Chris Mooney. Richmond won 10 games a year after making the NCAA Tournament. The roster was not nearly good enough, and depth was a huge problem. Many of the players underachieved, and injuries derailed the season. Many of the players are returning from last year and have not entered the transfer portal. That is already a big win for Coach Mooney.
The goal was clear for Richmond: go out and acquire more scoring and improve the depth. Coach Mooney completed that goal and got two players who can score and are fantastic shooters. Jaden Daughtry from Indiana State shot 40% from deep last year. The other star transfer, Will Johnston, has been playing college basketball for a long time and will shoot around 36% from deep. If the returning players step up their level of play, it could be a good year in Richmond.
Overall Grade: A
Saint Louis Billikens
Josh Schertz was hired at Saint Louis to turn the team into an Atlantic 10 powerhouse, and he will likely do just that. The Billikens finished in the middle of the pack last year, with a roster constructed quickly by Coach Schertz in the offseason. Heading into the 2025-2026 season, Saint Louis has a solid core of returning players and has bolstered it significantly with the addition of freshman commits and transfers from the transfer portal.
Saint Louis loves players who offer positional flexibility and enjoy shooting threes. Jax Kerr is the incoming freshman to watch for. He is the ceiling of an elite scorer and elite shot blocker. Reminds me a lot of Robbie Avila.
Paul Otieno is a double-double machine and one of the best rebounders in the country. Otieno leads the transfer class along with elite shooters Brady Dunlap from St. John’s and Dion Brown from Boston College. Saint Louis is an excellent team on paper this season.
Overall Grade: A+
Saint Joseph’s Hawks
The Hawks made the NIT last year, but then promptly lost their best player to the transfer portal. They also saw their big man get drafted by the Phoenix Suns 31st overall. Saint Joseph’s has never had a problem getting talent in Philadelphia. They are one of the most historic programs in the sport and are arguably the best program in Philadelphia. That fact isn't lost on the players in the transfer portal, and it allowed head coach Billy Lange to secure some high-quality transfers.
The problem with the Hawks' class is that they are unproven and inexperienced. Deuce Jones from La Salle had the best year of all the transfers. Jones is only entering his sophomore year. Jaiden Glover is the player with the highest ceiling, but he didn’t play much at St. John’s before heading to Saint Joseph’s. The class has the potential to be very good, but there are too many question marks right now.
Overall Grade: C
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Mark Schmidt is one of the premier coaches in the Atlantic 10. He always gets the absolute most out of his players. That has led to the Bonnies having won 20 games in three of the last four seasons.
The Bonnies had to score more points to make it out of the middle of the Atlantic 10 pack. The goals were clear for the Bonnies in the offseason. Find some more scoring and let Coach Schmidt work his magic.
Amar’e Marshall, a transfer from Albany, and Daryl Simmons II, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, are two experienced scorers who will get the needed buckets. Frank Mitchell, a transfer from Minnesota, brings toughness along with experience. The Bonnies are a dark horse to make the NCAA tournament this year.
Overall Grade: B
VCU Rams
VCU made the NCAA Tournament again last year and saw their coach, Ryan Odom, leave for the University of Virginia. The Rams hired Phil Martelli Jr., and the hope is that the new coach will maintain the same level of recruiting and keep VCU at the top. Martelli excels at recruiting players who fit his style and is one of the most exciting young coaches in the game.
VCU is going to play fast and shoot a lot of threes. The style is easy to recruit to, and with the history behind VCU, the Rams will have no trouble getting quality players. Nyk Lewis is one of the best point guard recruits in the country. He loves to get out in transition and play at a fast pace. He can shoot and will make sure everyone gets involved. Lewis is my pick for league freshman of the year.
The transfer portal is full of talent, including Jadrian Tracey, who played a good number of minutes at Oregon last year. Keyshawn Mitchell and Barry Evans played for Martelli at Bryant and are familiar with his playing style. Ahmad Nowell, a sophomore point guard from UConn, also shares a similar approach, prioritizing fast-paced play and distributing the ball effectively. Martelli has a fantastic class after getting hired in March.
Overall Grade: A+
The Atlantic 10 looks to be a competitive conference this year, and based on the offseason, there is a clear top 4 on paper. Games must still be played for the 2025-2026 season, but the most talented teams stand out like a sore thumb. Just remember, because your team didn’t receive an A grade, it doesn't mean that they will be bad; it just means they didn’t meet their objectives in the offseason and will have to hope that the players develop.