No one knows for sure what the the 2020-21 season will look like. Only about a third of the teams in Division I have released non-conference schedules with the start of the season two weeks away. The A-10 has yet to release its its schedule but did publish its preseason poll Tuesday.
The Dayton Flyers, who received two first-place votes, were picked to finish third, just where they were predicted to finish last season. The favorite, as expected, is Richmond. The Spiders have not won the regular-season championship in 19 seasons in the league but have returned to respectability two years after tying for 10th.
“We’re excited,” Richmond coach Chris Mooney said. “We’re really pleased and proud to be picked first in a great conference. We’ve been working hard for a long time to try to make that dream come true. Practices have been good and competitive. I think we’re anxious to play.”
Richmond (24-7, 14-4) finished second to Dayton (29-2, 18-0) last season. It was Richmond’s best regular-season finish in the A-10.
The Spiders received 19 first-place votes in the preseason poll. They return three players who ranked in the top 20 in the league in scoring: guard Blake Francis (17.7 points per game); forward Grant Golden (13.4); and Jacob Gilyard (12.7). Their other top returner, guard Nick Sherod, suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.
“Obviously, Nick’s injury is devastating personally for Nick, and it really impacts our team in a great way," Mooney said, "but we really do have very good depth, and during the course of the season, especially as it looks this season, that’s going to be very important for teams to have quality depth and be able to play a lot of guys.”
Richmond received 19 votes in the Associated Press preseason poll, which was released Monday. The only other A-10 team to receive votes was Saint Louis, which received four votes and was picked second in the A-10 poll. The Billikens received seven first-place votes.
Rounding out the poll were: No. 4 St. Bonaventure; No. 5 Duquesne; No. 6 Rhode Island; No. 7 Davidson; No. 8 Massachusetts; No. 9 Virginia Commonwealth; No. 10 George Mason; No. 11 George Washington; No. 12 Saint Joseph’s; No. 13 La Salle; and No. 14 Fordham.
Mooney expects several teams that were picked near the top of the poll to contend.
“I think UMass is going to be really good and has one of the best players (Tre Mitchell), and I don’t think they’re in the top five,” Mooney said. “Rhode Island, I think coach (David) Cox does a tremendous job. They play so hard. They’re elite defensively. They’re very talented and have guys who are really high-level players. I don’t think they’re picked in the top five. VCU’s been a great program for a long time. I don’t think they’re in the top five. When you have those types of teams that aren’t preseason top five, you can tell this is an incredibly, talented, deep impressive conference.”
Dayton senior guard Jalen Crutcher was named to the A-10 preseason first team. He made the first team last season along with Obi Toppin, who left Dayton to enter the NBA Draft.
Crutcher was the only Dayton player to earn a preseason honor. Joining him on the first team were: Davidson senior guard Kellan Grady; Rhode Island senior guard Fatts Russell; sophomore center Tre Mitchell, of UMass; Richmond senior guard Jacob Gilyard; and senior guard Jordan Goodwin, of Saint Louis.
The preseason second team includes: Duquesne senior forward Marcus Weathers; Richmond senior guard Blake Francis; Richmond senior forward Grant Golden; St. Bonaventure junior guard Kyle Lofton; Saint Joseph’s redshirt senior guard Ryan Daly; and Saint Louis senior forward Hasahn French.
The third team includes: Duquesne junior guard Sincere Carry; George Mason senior guard Javon Greene; George Mason redshirt senior forward AJ Wilson; St. Bonaventure junior forward/center Osun Osunniyi; Saint Louis senior guard/forward Javonte Perkins; and VCU sophomore guard Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland.
The all-defensive team included: Wilson; Gilyard; Osunniyi; French; and Goodwin.
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