NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Richmond has been selected as Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball favorite in the league’s 2020-21 men’s basketball preseason poll. The conference announced the poll and preseason all-conference awards Thursday in conjunction with its first-ever virtual Media Days. The awards and poll were chosen by a panel of the league’s head coaches and select media members.
The Spiders finished second in the Atlantic 10 regular season in 2019-20, and last won the A-10 Championship in 2011. UR returns five starters and had 19 first-place votes in the poll with 380 points. Led by a trio of Preseason All-Conference selections in Jacobs Gilyard, Blake Francis and Grant Golden, the Spiders finished 24-7 overall last year and 14-4 in the A-10.
Saint Louis was picked second in the 2020-21 preseason poll. The Billikens totaled 364 points, including seven first-place votes. SLU also returns five starters and three preseason award winners Jordan Goodwin, Hasahn French and Javonte Perkins. Saint Louis finished at 23-8 last year, 12-6 in league play.
Defending regular season champion Dayton was picked third in the poll with 318 points and two first-place votes. Dayton returns Jalen Crutcher, a Preseason All-Conference First Team selection who helped lead the Flyers to a historic season in 2019-20, which included a perfect 18-0 A-10 record, a 29-2 overall record, a No. 3 final national ranking and National Player of the Year and National Coach of the Year accolades for Obi Toppin and Anthony Grant.
Led by Preseason All-Conference selections Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure garnered 307 poll points to rank fourth. The Bonnies tied for fifth last year with an 11-7 Atlantic 10 record and an overall 19-21 mark.
Duquesne was picked fifth with 278 points. Rhode Island was sixth with 246 points and Davidson was chosen seventh with 229 points in the voting. Massachusetts (192 points), VCU (175 points) and George Mason (133 points) finished eighth, ninth and 10
th in the poll, while George Washington, Saint Joseph’s La Salle and Fordham rounded out the preseason rankings, respectively.
Crutcher, Gilyard and Goodwin were joined on the Preseason All-Conference First Team, by Davidson’s Kellan Grady, Tre Mitchell of UMass and Fatts Russell of Rhode Island. Duquesne’s Marcus Weathers and Saint Joseph’s Ryan Daly joined Francis, Golden, Lofton and French on the Preseason Second Team All-Conference.
Sincere Carry of Duquesne, Javone Greene and AJ Wilson of George Mason, and Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland from VCU were named to the Preseason All-Conference Third Team along with Osunniyi and Perkins. Wilson, Gilyard, Osunniyi, French and Goodwin were all chosen for the Preseason All-Defensive Team.
The 2020-21 men’s basketball season tips off on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The season is scheduled to culminate with the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The league’s premier event will begin Wed., March 10, and the league will crown its 2020 champion on March 14, Selection Sunday.
PRESEASON POLL
| 1. |
Richmond (19) |
380 |
| 2. |
Saint Louis (7) |
364 |
| 3. |
Dayton (2) |
318 |
| 4. |
St. Bonaventure |
307 |
| 5. |
Duquesne |
278 |
| 6. |
Rhode Island |
246 |
| 7. |
Davidson |
229 |
| 8. |
Massachusetts |
192 |
| 9. |
VCU |
175 |
| 10. |
George Mason |
133 |
| 11. |
George Washington |
113 |
| 12. |
Saint Joseph’s |
85 |
| 13. |
La Salle |
80 |
| 14. |
Fordham |
40 |
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Kellan Grady |
Davidson |
Sr. |
G |
6-5 |
17.2 |
4.2 |
2.5 |
| Jalen Crutcher |
Dayton |
Sr. |
G |
6-1 |
15.1 |
3.2 |
4.9 |
| Tre Mitchell |
Massachusetts |
So. |
C |
6-9 |
17.7 |
7.2 |
1.9 |
| Fatts Russell |
Rhode Island |
Sr. |
G |
5-10 |
18.8 |
3.4 |
4.6 |
| Jacob Gilyard |
Richmond |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
12.7 |
3.1 |
5.7 |
| Jordan Goodwin |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
G |
6-3 |
15.5 |
10.4 |
3.1 |
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Marcus Weathers |
Duquesne |
Sr. |
F |
6-5 |
14.3 |
8.1 |
1.7 |
| Blake Francis |
Richmond |
Gr. |
G |
6-0 |
17.7 |
2.2 |
2.0 |
| Grant Golden |
Richmond |
Gr. |
F |
6-10 |
13.4 |
6.9 |
3.4 |
| Kyle Lofton |
St. Bonaventure |
Jr. |
G |
6-3 |
14.1 |
2.6 |
6.0 |
| Ryan Daly |
Saint Joseph’s |
R-Sr. |
G |
6-5 |
20.6 |
6.8 |
4.3 |
| Hasahn French |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
F |
6-7 |
12.4 |
10.4 |
2.3 |
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
| Sincere Carry |
Duquesne |
Jr. |
G |
6-1 |
12.2 |
3.9 |
5.3 |
| Javon Greene |
George Mason |
Sr. |
G |
6-2 |
13.8 |
5.6 |
2.6 |
| AJ Wilson |
George Mason |
R-Sr. |
F |
6-7 |
12.2 |
7.4 |
1.0 |
| Osun Osunniyi |
St. Bonaventure |
Jr. |
F/C |
6-10 |
10.8 |
8.4 |
1.2 |
| Javonte Perkins |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
G/F |
6-6 |
15.0 |
3.5 |
0.7 |
| Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland |
VCU |
So. |
G |
6-3 |
9.0 |
2.2 |
1.8 |
PRESEASON ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
PPG |
SPG |
BPG |
| AJ Wilson |
George Mason |
R-Sr. |
F |
6-7 |
12.2 |
0.6 |
2.9 |
| Jacob Gilyard |
Richmond |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
12.7 |
3.2 |
0.2 |
| Osun Osunniyi |
St. Bonaventure |
Jr. |
F/C |
6-10 |
10.8 |
0.7 |
2.5 |
| Hasahn French |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
F |
6-7 |
12.4 |
1.0 |
2.6 |
| Jordan Goodwin |
Saint Louis |
Sr. |
G |
6-3 |
15.5 |
2.1 |
0.2 |