Predicting the entire A-10 conference season

I'm going to say you are severely underestimating St. Bonaventure and how tough it is to get a W at the Reilly Center. I could see VCU taking a L there. A lot of good teams go in there and lose.

Replacing Cook won't be an issue for Bona. He wouldn't have started most of last season if not for the season-ending injury to Marquise Simmons, who is a far more gifted offensive player and rebounder. Cook, though, was a strong defender and gritty junk yard dog. Losing Nicholson will surely lead to many prognosticators forecasting a fall off for SBU, but I don't see as drastic a dip as many. Somewhere between 9-7 and 7-9 is my guess this season, as there is a lot of experience and athleticism returning. The big difference is that this team is finally going to be able to run and guys like Charlon Kloof, Demitrius Conger, and Youssou Ndoye will greatly benefit from that.

Also, I have a great deal of respect for Duquesne, but there is almost no way they finish that high. They weren't very good last year AND lost three of their best players. Add that to a new coach and a massively turned over roster and they would seem to have the basement written all over them. For a team that had so few weapons up front to lose their best guards/wings is not a recipe for success in the short term. Simply put, I'd be surprised if the Dukes won more than three conference games.

Edit: Also, remember the home/home opponents will affect the standings greatly. Teams that have FU, DU, and URI (for this season) will have a definite advantage.

Two things I'll bet won't happen that you predicted. One, 7 teams finishing 10-6 or better. No way that happens. The bottom half isn't bad enough for that to happen. We didn't have 7 teams finish with that type of record last year and the league is MUCH tougher this season. Two, X going 12-4. Traditionally, that's a given, but with with 3 freshmen or sophomores starting at the 1, 2, 3 spot in a HEAVY guard league, that will be tough.

I don't necessarily disagree with a UD 10-6 record...I just gotta think 10-6 is good for at least 4th place this year (it was good for 3rd last season).

I enjoy Dayton fans selling Xavier short. Talent wins. The schedule that Xavier plays is very, very favorable. I actually don't think Butler will do as well as projected. They have some young talent but it's a new league for them and there is usually a learning curve. They are another year away. It's gonna be an exciting year no matter who wins.

Not selling X short. I just don't think they'll go 12-4. I don't think but maybe one team will, two at the most and it will probably win the league. I'm not gonna bet on a team in this league with the guards that are all over the place that X can go 12-4 with one proven player (Wells) out there. If Robinson and Taylor improve dramatically, I'll eat my crow. Even many of your own fans agree with me on this.

Duquesne is way too high.

GW is way too low.

X will have a lot of talent on the floor. They could play 10-12 guys. Semaj might be better than Wells. Don't know. I do know come conf time, they'll all be veterans. We'll be faster down the floor and very, very quick. 12-4 is probably a stretch. To tell you the truth, I have no idea, but they'll be a blast to watch. Defense will be the key as always.

I'd say GW will be much better than 2-14. Beyond the top and bottom one or two, I see a major log jam from there. Teams who could really struggle this year would seem to include FU, URI, and the Dukes. Rhody will obviously be making a move upward once Hurley's guys get in, but that's one thin roster for 2012-13. Fordham could make a step up from the basement, though. Those young guards have a bright future. The frontcourt lacks bulk and experience, though. As far as the Dukes go, I said earlier in this thread that they seem to have an uphill battle. That roster doesn't look A-10 caliber this season, though the Winters kid sounds promising. When a guy of Sean Johnson's caliber is your go-to guy, things tend not to go so well. Trust me, I've been through it (see: Ahmad Smith with the Bonnies in 2005-2006).

Fordham will play a 3 guard offense. Up front they'll have Chris Gaston who was 2nd team last season, so there is some experience there. They also have Ryan Canty returning who is a 6'9" 230 lb. center.

They signed Leonard, a 6'8", 285-pound forward/center and Ryan Rhoomes, a 6'9", 210-pound, forward who initially committed to TCU.

Thats some decent experience and size in my view.

Jesus of Nazareth... do you believe I totally forgot about Gaston? Unacceptable. My apologies. Fordham could definitely take a step forward this season, as those young guards showed some flashes last season.

In the blog, you have SLU losing at Butler and winning at Butler. Which is it?

Here's my completely uneducated, unreliable, ignorant, improbable, and completely un-unbiased guess:

1. SAINT LOUIS (13-3)
Home - BU, CHA, UD, LAS, UM, URI, SJU, VCU
Away - BU, DUQ, FOR, GW, UR, SBU, TU, XU

2. BUTLER (11-5)
Home - CHA, DUQ, URI, UR, SBU, SLU, TU, XU
Away - UD, FOR, GW, LAS, UM, SJU, SLU, VCU

2. SAINT JOSEPH’S (11-5)
Home - BU, FOR, GW, URI, UR, SBU, TU, XU
Away - CHA, UD, DUQ, FOR, LAS, UM, SLU, VCU

4. VCU (10-6)
Home - BU, UD, FOR, GW, LAS, UM, UR, SJU
Away - CHA, DUQ, URI, UR, SBU, SLU, TU, XU

4. XAVIER (10-6)
Home - UD, FOR, GW, LAS, UM, SLU, TU, VCU
Away - BU, CHA, UD, DUQ, URI, UR, SBU, SJU

4. TEMPLE (10-6)
Home - CHA, DUQ, LAS, URI, UR, SBU, SLU, VCU
Away - BU, CHA, UD, FOR, GW, UM, SJU, XU

7. MASSACHUSETTS (9-7)
Home - BU, UD, DUQ, GW, URI, UR, SJU, TU
Away - CHA, FOR, LAS, URI, SBU, SLU, VCU, XU

8. DAYTON (8-8)
Home - BU, DUQ, FOR, UR, SBU, SJU, TU, XU
Away - CHA, GW, LAS, UM, URI, SLU, VCU, XU

8. ST. BONAVENTURE (8-8)
Home - CHA, DUQ, FOR, LAS, UM, SLU, VCU, XU
Away - BU, UD, DUQ, GW, URI, UR,SJU, TU

10. RICHMOND (7-9)
Home - CHA, DUQ, GW, URI, SBU, SLU,VCU, XU
Away - BU, UD, FOR, LAS, UM, SJU, TU, VCU

10. LA SALLE (7-9)
Home - BU, UD, DUQ, FOR, GW, UM, UR, SJU
Away - CHA, GW, URI, SBU, SLU, TU, VCU, XU

12. DUQUESNE (6-10)
Home - CHA, GW, URI, SBU, SJU, SLU, VCU, XU
Away – BU, UD,FOR, LAS, UM, UR, SBU, TU

12. FORDHAM (6-10)
Home - BU, DUQ, UM, URI, UR, SJU, SLU, TU
Away - CHA, UD, GW, LAS, SBU, SJU, VCU, XU

14. GEORGE WASHINGTON (5-11)
Home - BU, CHA, UD, FOR, LAS, SBU, SLU, TU
Away - DUQ, LAS, UM, URI, UR, SJU, VCU, XU

15. CHARLOTTE (3-13)
Home - UD, FOR, LAS, UM, SJU, TU, XU, VCU
Away - BU, DUQ, GW, URI, UR, SBU, SLU, TU

15. RHODE ISLAND (3-13)
Home - CHA, UD, GW, LAS, UM, SBU, VCU, XU
Away - BU, DUQ, FOR, UM, UR, SJU, SLU, TU

I see. I forgot about reading that when I went back to look at it a second time.