Atlantic 10 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2024-25 season

5. St. Joe’s Hawks

2023-24 season record: 21-14 (9-9)

Considering how much talent the team had on paper, finishing .500 wasn’t the ideal ending to the Hawks's season. And like every other team, they lost a few core rotation pieces. Starting point guard Lynn Greer stayed in the city and is at Temple, while 7’0 center Christ Essandoko is now at Providence. Plus, double-digit scorer Cameron Brown had no eligibility left.

However, Coach Billy Lange was able to not only keep three starters but also the top returning leading scorer in the conference. Erik Reynolds (17.3 ppg and 2.7 apg) comes back for a 5th year and will be a favorite to win A-10 Player of the Year honors if the team is in the top tier.

Also back in the backcourt is Xzayvier Brown, last season’s A-10 Rookie of the Year. He averaged 12.7 ppg and 3.3 apg and had a few 20+ point outings to get onto the radar. Rutgers transfer guard Derek Simpson is someone who’ll have an impact on the rotation. 

Returning forward Rasheer Fleming is joined by Justice Ajogbor, a shot-blocking transfer from Harvard. The backcourt has plenty of firepower and the frontcourt could be elite defensively. There’s just no reason why the Hawks can’t compete for a top-4 spot and may have more pressure than any other team in league play next season.