WASHINGTON — VCU has been selected as the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball favorite for the 2024-25 season in the league’s annual preseason poll. The conference announced the poll and Preseason All-Conference awards Monday in conjunction with its annual Media Day, held at District E and Capital One Arena. The awards and poll were chosen by the league’s head coaches and select media members.
 
VCU returns a league-high 65 percent of its scoring from last season’s 24-14 team that tied for fourth with an 11-7 mark. A trio of starters return alongside four other returnees, notably Preseason First Team selection Max Shulga and Second Team honorees Zeb Jackson and Joe Bamisile. Jackson is also on the Preseason All-Defensive Team.  The Rams garnered 14 first place votes and accumulated 421 total points to lead the poll.
 
Dayton placed second in the poll with 394 points and six first-place votes. Led by Preseason All-Conference selections Nate Santos and Posh Alexander, the Flyers finished 25-8 overall last year, reaching the NCAA Second Round, and 14-4 in the A-10. Alexander and Enoch Cheeks were also named to the All-Defensive Preseason Team.
 
Saint Joseph’s was chosen third with 376 points and five first-place votes. The Hawks are led by Erik Reynolds II, a First Team Preseason selection, Second Team selection Xzayvier Brown, and Rasheer Fleming, who was named to the Preseason Third Team. SJU was 21-14 overall last year and 9-9 in league play.
 
Saint Louis was chosen fourth in the poll with 371 points and a pair of first-place votes. The Billikens Gibson Jimerson and A-10 newcomer Robbie Avila were Preseason All-Conference First Team selections, and Isaiah Swope was also named to the Preseason All-Conference Third Team. SLU also welcomes new head coach Josh Schertz, who took over a team that was 5-13 in the A-10 and 13-20 overall in 2023-24.
 
Led by Preseason All-Conference First Team selection Des Watson and third team and defensive team choice Miles Rubin, Loyola Chicago garnered 368 poll points with two first place nods to rank fifth in the poll. The regular season Co-Champions last season, the Ramblers were 15-3 in league play and 23-10 overall.
 
Darius Maddox, a preseason second team pick, headlines George Mason, which placed sixth in the poll with 262 points. Richmond, a regular season Co-Champion in 2023-24, was seventh in the poll with 230 points.
 
Defending A-10 Champion Duquesne was picked eighth with 222 points and a first-place vote, and Massachusetts was ninth with 215 points. UMass’ Rahsool Diggins was named to the Preseason third team. St. Bonaventure (210 points), Rhode Island (159 points) and Davidson (118 points) placed 10^th, 11^th and 12^th respectively. George Washington, Fordham, and La Salle rounded out the poll in order. GW’s Darren Buchanan, Jr. was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team, while Reed Bailey of Davidson earn a third team spot. Fordham’s Abdou Tsimbila repeated his selection to the Preseason All-Defensive Team.
 
The 2024-25 men’s basketball season tips off on Monday, Nov. 4 while Conference play begins on New Year’s Eve day, Dec. 31. The season will culminate with the Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The league’s premier event will begin Wednesday, March 12, and the league will crown its champion on March 16, Selection Sunday on CBS.