A-10 basketball had a rough week as a conference in the first week of college basketball.
The last time we saw the entire A-10 in action, VCU defeated George Mason to win its second A-10 basketball championship in three years. According to the conference preseason poll, the Rams were projected to finish at the top of the conference once again. While a week of basketball does not lay out the complete framework for predicting a conference champion, it does give us a look into which teams could leave Pittsburgh with a trophy in March.
The state of A-10 basketball
Even though VCU was picked to top the standings at the end of the regular season, the Rams entered the season with a little more uncertainty than they did in 2024. The main reason for that? Ryan Odom’s departure to Charlottesville to lead the Virginia Cavaliers. However, the Rams quickly filled that gap with Phil Martelli Jr., who previously led the America East champions, Bryant, to the NCAA Tournament. However, the first week of Martelli’s stint with the Rams has not gone exactly to plan. After dominating Wagner on opening night, VCU dropped its first game of the season on a neutral floor to tournament hopeful Utah State.
VCU, Saint Louis, Dayton, and Loyola Chicago all received first-place votes in the preseason poll. While 10 of the 14 A-10 basketball squads remain undefeated, the biggest surprise is the Ramblers of Loyola Chicago. After beginning the season with an emotionally-charged buzzer beater over Cleveland State, the Ramblers have dropped two straight games to Mercyhurst and North Texas. Head Coach Drew Valentine has found ways to keep his teams competitive as the regular season progresses, so it is not time to panic yet in Chicago. But with a series of tough games upcoming, the preseason #5 team in the A-10 is in danger of falling even further behind the 8-ball before entering conference play.
Among the 10 teams that remain undefeated, there have not been too many challenges in the first week of the season. St. Bonaventure defeated Bradley, which is projected to finish near the top of the Missouri Valley Conference. Dayton survived an early-season challenge against UMBC, and the two A-10 Basketball representatives from the Philadelphia Big 5, La Salle and Saint Joseph’s, have entered new eras with two wins apiece.
Team of the Week: George Washington
The only team that was featured in the top five of the A-10 basketball preseason poll that did not receive a first-place vote is off to arguably the best start of any team in the conference so far. Chris Caputo and the George Washington Revolutionaries started the season opener against Maine on a slower foot. But after a controlled second half propelled them to a 67-47 win, the Revolutionaries traveled to Mohegan Sun Arena to face off against South Florida, which was picked second in the American Conference’s preseason poll behind Memphis.
After fighting a slow start in game one, game two was an offensive shootout from the opening tip. The Revolutionaries shot 54.5% from the field and knocked down nine triples, which allowed GW to take down USF 99-95. Through two games, George Washington has seven different players averaging more than 10 points, led by the Western Kentucky transfer Tyrone Marshall Jr. with 13 points per game. While the Revolutionaries finished 9-9 in conference play last season, they return four players who received preseason all-conference honors, topped by Rafael Castro, who found a spot on the first team.
By mixing experience in the nation’s capital with consistent scoring from the transfer portal, Caputo and GW seem to have the framework to make a run at the team’s first conference championship since 2007.
Players of the Week
Kory Mincy, George Mason
The Presbyterian College transfer has started his stint in Fairfax with two outstanding performances. Through two games, Mincy is averaging 23.5 points, which leads the conference. In George Mason’s opening win over Wofford, Mincy came off the bench but scored 18 points, while adding six assists, in 33 minutes of game action. A few days later, the junior guard got his first start as a Patriot, adding 29 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Even though it is very early, it seems Mincy is ready to help head coach Tony Skinn take the next step in Fairfax.
Frank Mitchell: St. Bonaventure
The 6-foot-8 senior is at his third school in as many years, moving from Canisius to Minnesota, and finally landing with St. Bonaventure. In the 2023-2024 season, Mitchell averaged a double-double in points and rebounds, and after a down year where he did not see the floor at the same rate in Minnesota, it seems Mitchell has found his footing once more. In his first two games for the Bonnies, Mitchell is averaging a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. The one-two punch of Mitchell and Darryl Simmons II could be exactly what Bonnies need to contend in the A-10.
A-10 Basketball Upcoming Games to Watch
Dayton at Cincinnati – Tues., Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s at Virginia Tech – Wed., Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Loyola Chicago at Wichita State – Thur., Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon at Saint Louis – Sat., Nov. 15, 8 p.m.
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