Dayton named favorite in A-10 by The Almanac

The Almanac picked Dayton, Virginia Commonwealth, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne to finish in the top four in the A-10. Dayton was also favored by the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, which picked Dayton, VCU, Duquesne and St. Bonaventure to finish in the top four. The Dayton Daily News picked Dayton, VCU, St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph’s to finish in the top four.

The official A-10 preseason poll will come out Oct. 17 at A-10 Media Day in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Almanac also picked Dayton junior forward DaRon Holmes II to win the league’s player of the year and defensive player of the year awards and labeled him the best pro prospect in the league. It ranked him 15th on a list of the top 100 players in college basketball.

Dayton coach Anthony Grant told The Almanac the play of the backcourt will be an X-factor for the team.

“Who can emerge?” Grant said. “It’s a matter of staying healthy for some guys, and with others — some transfers coming in with experience — it’s a matter of ‘Can they help elevate the team?’”