The league’s 14 head coaches and select media members voted the poll.
The top three of the poll mirrors the standings last season. Virginia Commonwealth is the preseason favorite and received 19 first-place votes after winning the regular-season title with a 16-2 mark. Davidson was picked to finish second and received eight first-place votes. It finished 14-4 last season. Dayton finished third at 13-5 last season.
Rhode Island was picked fourth and was followed by St. Bonaventure, Richmond, Saint Louis, Duquesne, George Mason, La Salle, Massachusetts, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s and Fordham.
Tune into #A10MediaDay live tomorrow with @TheAndyKatz 🏀 on ESPN+
— Atlantic 10 MBB (@A10MBB) October 23, 2019
10 AM - Keith Dambroth & Chris Mooney
10:30 AM - Bob McKillop, Anthony Grant & Mike Rhoades
11:00 AM - Mark Schmidt & Travis Ford
11:30 AM - Commissioner McGlade & Alton Byrd
📺: https://t.co/Ujsmg2tEQi pic.twitter.com/Xv5mZINJkm
✈️🏀 fans...
— Dayton Basketball (@DaytonMBB) October 23, 2019
Tomorrow from 10:30-11:00, Coach Grant will be LIVE from the @A10MBB #A10MediaDay with @TheAndyKatz. @atlantic10
Watch on ESPN+ 💻
🔗: https://t.co/8NYksu9sHS
Dayton redshirt sophomore forward Obi Toppin was named to the preseason all-conference first team, while junior point guard Jalen Crutcher made the second team.
» SPECIAL SEASON: Season-ticket holders get a souvenir
Dayton was picked sixth last season and finished third, while VCU was picked seventh and won the regular-season championship.
In 24 seasons in the A-10, Dayton has finished better than its preseason position in the poll 11 times. It has finished worse 10 times. Three times, including the only two seasons it won the regular-season championship, it finished right where voters expected it to finish.
Fans can see the Flyers for the first time at 5 p.m. Nov. 2 when they play Cedarville in an exhibition game.
Dayton plays outside competition for the first time Saturday in a closed-door scrimmage against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena.
PRESEASON POLL (First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. VCU (19), 381
2. Davidson (8), 359
3. Dayton (1), 341
4. Rhode Island, 283
5. St. Bonaventure, 280
6. Richmond, 248
7. Saint Louis, 225
8. Duquesne, 196
9. George Mason, 185
10. La Salle, 133
11. Massachusetts, 103
12. George Washington, 93
13. Saint Joseph’s, 65
14. Fordham, 48
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Kellan Grady, Davidson
Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
Obi Toppin, Dayton
Cyril Langevine, Rhode Island
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
Marcus Evans, VCU
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Jalen Crutcher, Dayton
Justin Kier, George Mason
Jeff Dowtin, Rhode Island
Grant Golden, Richmond
Kyle Lofton, St. Bonaventure
Hasahn French, Saint Louis
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
Sincere Carry, Duquesne
Fatts Russell, Rhode Island
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Jordan Goodwin, Saint Louis
De'Riante Jenkins, VCU
Marcus Santos-Silva, VCU
PRESEASON ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Cyril Langevine, Rhode Island
Jacob Gilyard, Richmond
Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure
Hasahn French, Saint Louis
Marcus Evans, VCU
About the Author
