As voted on by our staff, here is this week’s Atlantic 10 Power Rankings.
1. Davidson Wildcats
Though Davidson had slipped up on the road against Wake Forest and missed an opportunity against Temple, they’re still without Kellan Grady and have one of the easier draws in conference play. There’s a good chance the Wildcats make a run at the league title.
2. VCU Rams
Following a convincing win over Wichita St., VCU moves up to #2, and they were my top pick this week. The Rams are the highest ranked A-10 team in the NET Rankings right now, and VCU’s defense has been a critical piece to a successful 2018-19 season. They’ll need to find some consistency from the perimeter.
3. Saint Louis Billikens
A rout at the hands of Florida St. was disappointing, but it was the toughest team the Billikens will face all year. Now, Travis Ford’s club has a buy game against Appalachian St. followed by a favorable start to league play. It’s time for this Billikens team to get a win streak and move up the ladder.
4. Duquesne Dukes
A warm welcome to the Dukes who make their way into the top 4 this week after edging out Eastern Kentucky in overtime. The Dukes are still undefeated at the Palumbo Center this year and will get a stiff test next week when NJIT comes to visit.
5. Dayton Flyers
The Flyers remain in the 5 spot this week after a solid showing against Presbyterian. Dayton led by a ton at the break, but the Blue Hose made a bit of a run in garbage time. This is another team that has a real shot at winning the league this year if Anthony Grant can string together some crucial wins.
6. Saint Joseph’s Hawks
In one of the ugliest games I’ve seen in a long time (at least the first 39 minutes), Saint Joseph’s edged Loyola Chicago thanks to a game-winning three from Fresh Kimble with less than a second on the clock. The Hawks will face Wagner at home before beginning league play.
7. Rhode Island Rams
A loss to Bucknell stung and took away a chance of playing TCU, but Rhode Island bounced back nicely in Hawaii, taking down Charlotte in convincing fashion. Now, the Rams will have a true road test over the Rainbow Warriors in the final round as they look to improve to 2-1 in the Diamond Head Classic. over Christmas.
8. St. Bonaventure Bonnies
A lot of St. Bonaventure’s stock rests in Courtney Stockard and LaDarien Griffin’s hands, and seeing that they missed a good portion of November and December, this Bonnies team is definitely better than the record indicates. I believe St. Bonaventure will be a tough out at the RC in league play.
9. Massachusetts Minutemen
It wasn’t easy by any means, but Massachusetts beat Fairleigh Dickinson by 1 point to avoid travesty. The Minutemen have some issues to work out, but a road game against Georgia awaits this weekend.
10. Fordham Rams
Fordham is a win over LIU Brooklyn away from picking up its 10th win of the season, which isn’t bad for the young program, especially considering its victory over Rutgers this year.
11. George Mason Patriots
Riding a 2 game winning streak, the Patriots have to go on the road to face a difficult Kansas St. team, which could be a very difficult test for a struggling squad.
12. Richmond Spiders
Grant Golden has been the saving grace and an absolute monster in his sophomore season.
13. La Salle Explorers
They jumped GW after winning the Battle at the Boardwalk. I’m happy for Coach Howard.
14. George Washington Colonials
GW is back in the basement this week. Kenpom actually projects a home loss to American coming up.