How can Davidson redeem itself?
— Alex Mull-Dreyer (@mulldreyer) November 28, 2017
Grant: It’s going to come down to winning a big non-conference game. North Carolina and Virginia seem like near impossible wins, but you never know. The Diamond Head Classic over Christmas has two Top 25 teams (as of right now) in Miami FL and USC. A win over one of those two would more than redeem Davidson. If we’re talking an at-large bid, I don’t see many routes other than a win over one of the aforementioned.
Is it too early to say the A10 is going to be a 2 bid conference?
— 🅱️eat X (@NotJTompkins) November 28, 2017
Grant: I’ll tell you right now: I’d be damned please if this was a 2 bid conference. Right now, it looks like a 1 bid league, unless Rhode Island didn’t win the A-10 Tournament at the end of the year. That being said, it’s early, and there are teams that could still emerge as contenders at the end of the season. Unfortunately, rough starts to non-conference play haven’t really given me a ton of optimism.
Can Richmond just end the Mooney era now?
— sasquatch 4 life (@TomHauser55) November 28, 2017
You and me both. Spiders are struggling, and I don’t think they’ll get 10 wins this season. Saying Chris Mooney is on the “hot seat” would be the understatement of the season right now…
Can UMass make the top 8?
— Stu Luddecke (@SLuddecke93) November 29, 2017
Absolutely. The Minutemen blew a lead against BYU in a game they should have won. The talent is certainly there, and Massachusetts is not the only team in the Atlantic 10 with depth issues. LuWane Pipkins is becoming one of the best players in the league. Saint Louis, Saint Joseph’s, George Mason, and George Washington all look like they could finish behind Massachusetts at the end of the season.
Is SLU this bad after back to back terrible losses at home or are they still adjusting to all the new faces and being short handed with the three players under the University’s investigation?
— Paul Demsko (@Paul_Demsko) November 29, 2017
I think it’s a bit of both. Saint Louis is going to need a year to adjust with its new faces, and next year should (hopefully) feature some major improvements. However, this was the big concern with Travis Ford coming in: he can definitely recruit, but coaching can be suspect. We’ll have to see if he can harness all this talent.
Top 5 grittiest players in the A10
— jack (@JackScott26) November 29, 2017
Tough one. Rusty Riegel, Joseph Chartouny, Jared Terrell, Taylor Funk, and Jonathan Williams.