Welcome to A10 Talk’s postseason Top 25 player countdown where we’ll be breaking down the best players in the Atlantic 10 this past year, as voted on by our staff. Each day, we’ll release a new article as we unveil our list. Today, we start with #4 Cyril Langevine
What he did
As one of the most important big men in the conference, Cyril Langevine was a catalyst for URI getting hot at the end of this past season. Langevine was a player who really got better as the season progressed. His offensive and defensive rebounding rates improved in conference play as well as his block percentage. Cyril led the league in rebounding (quite frankly blowing the competition out of the water) with 9.9 per game. A beast on both ends of the floor, Langevine continues to prove he belongs in the 2019-20 POY race.
Rhode Island managed to get on a hot streak in March, and Langevine had some huge scoring performances to help the Rams take down Dayton and others. He dropped 26 points in an overtime win over the Flyers and rode hot into the A-10 Tournament, putting up 25 points against La Salle. Even though his contributions were limited in terms of scoring, Langevine came in clutch with 9 rebounds in Rhode Island’s biggest win of the season: an A-10 quarterfinal win over VCU. One could easily make the case for Langevine on this year’s A-10 First Team All-Conference, but next year, he should be a lock for that list.
What he’ll do
Rhode Island is ready for a big year 2 under David Cox. I believe the Rams will have a chance at the NCAA Tournament next season, but they’ll really have to show up in non-conference play. Unlike this past season, there will be ample opportunities to get quality victories in conference play, so URI can build a resume throughout A-10 play as well. Cyril Langevine will be the anchor in the post and arguably Rhode Island’s most crucial player next season. The Atlantic 10 has been guard-centric for a few years now, but the league also features some big bodies and talented big men: take Grant Golden, Marcus Santos-Silva, Obi Toppin, etc. Cyril will look to continue his effective rebounding and assert his dominance in the post. He’ll have to work on his free throw shooting this offseason, as he tends to get to the line a lot but only makes 60% of his attempts at the stripe. Langevine and the Rams are primed for a great season, and it will be fun to watch.
