BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Xavier has been chosen as the Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball preseason favorite and 26 A-10 players were selected for preseason awards. The league announced the poll and awards Thursday in conjunction with its annual Media Day, held at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Both the awards and the predicted order of finish were chosen by a panel of the leagues head coaches and media members.
Xavier garnered 304 total points and 18 first-place votes to place first in the predicted order of finish. The Musketeers finished 24-8 overall and 15-1 in the A-10 last season and have clinched at least a share of the A-10 regular season record the last five years. XU also led all teams with five players selected for preseason awards.
Temple, chosen second in the preseason poll, finished at 14-2 last year in the A-10 and 26-8 overall. The Owls, who have won three of the last four Atlantic 10 Championships, had four first-place votes and a total of 287 points for second place.
Saint Louis was picked third with 239 points, followed by St. Bonaventure (217 points), defending A- 10 champion Richmond (196 points) and Dayton (168 points). Saint Joseph’s was picked seventh with 165 points and George Washington tallied 163 points to earn the eighth place. Duquesne (151 points) and Rhode Island (117 points) completed the top 10, while Charlotte, Massachusetts, La Salle and Fordham rounded out the 14-team field.
Xavier senior guard Tu Holloway and St. Bonaventure senior center Andrew Nicholson were both named to the Preseason First-Team All-Conference team. Holloway, the defending A-10 Player of the Year, and Nicholson, last year’s A-10 leading scorer and a postseason all-conference first-teamer, were both selected last week as preseason candidates for the prestigious Wooden Award.
Temple seniors Ramone Moore and Juan Fernandez were also selected to the Preseason All- Conference First Team. Moore was a second-team all-conference selection last season and Fernandez was named to the third team. George Washington’s Tony Taylor, a second-team all-conference honoree in 2010-11, rounded out the first-team selections.
Seniors Chris Johnson (Dayton) and Kenny Frease (Xavier) were both named to the preseason all-conference second team. They were joined by juniors Mark Lyons (Xavier), Chris Gaston (Fordham) and Kwamain Mitchell (Saint Louis).
Seniors Scootie Randall of Temple and Charlotte’s Derrio Green were both named to the third team. Green’s teammate Chris Braswell and Saint Joseph’s Carl Jones, both juniors were also on the third team as was Duquesne sophomore T.J. McConnell.
Holloway, Nicholson, McConnell were also selected for the All-Defensive team. Senior Darrius Garrett (Richmond) and sophomore C.J. Aiken (Saint Joseph’s) were also named to the all-defensive team.
There was a tie in the All-Rookie team voting, resulting in a six-member team. Jerrell Wright (La Salle), Cady LaLanne (Massachusetts), Alonzo Nelson-Odada (Richmond), Anthony Lee (Temple), Dezmine Wells (Xavier) and Justin Martin (Xavier) were all named preseason all-rookie.
Practice begins Saturday at midnight. Duquesne tips off the 2011-12 season on Wednesday, Nov. 9 with a game at Arizona in the Coaches vs. Cancer 2K Sports Classic. Most of the Atlantic 10 membership will begin their seasons on Friday, Nov. 11. Dayton and Fordham begin Saturday, Nov. 12.
The season will culminate with the 2012 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Tournament at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The first round of the tournament, which will be played at home sites will begin Tuesday, March 6. The quarterfinals begin Friday, March 9 at Boardwalk Hall. The tournament concludes with the finals on Sunday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m.
2011-12 Atlantic 10 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
1. Xavier (18) 304
2. Temple (4) 287
3. Saint Louis 239
4. St. Bonaventure 217
5. Richmond 196
6. Dayton 168
7. St. Joseph’s 165
8. George Washington 163
9. Duquesne 151
10. Rhode Island 117
11. Charlotte 115
12. Massachusetts 107
13. La Salle 52
14. Fordham 29
2011-12 Atlantic 10 Preseason Men’s Basketball Awards
FIRST TEAM
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG APG
Tu Holloway XU G Sr. Hempstead, N.Y. 19.7 5.0 5.4
Andrew Nicholson SBU F Sr. Mississauga, Ontario 20.8 7.3 1.0
Ramone Moore TU G Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. 15.2 4.2 3.1
Juan Fernandez TU G Sr. Rio Tercero, Argentina 11.2 2.9 3.9
Tony Taylor GW G Sr. Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. 15.0 3.3 4.6
SECOND TEAM
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG APG
Mark Lyons XU G Jr. Schenectady, N.Y. 13.6 3.1 3.1
Chris Gaston FOR F Jr. Union City, N.J. 15.9 11.3 1.3
*Kwamain Mitchell SLU G R-Jr. Milwaukee, Wis. 15.9 3.0 3.0
Chris Johnson UD F Sr. Columbus, Ohio 11.9 6.0 1.6
Kenny Frease XU C Sr. Massillon, Ohio 11.7 7.1 1.2
THIRD TEAM
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG APG
T.J. McConnell DUQ G Soph. Pittsburgh, Pa. 10.8 3.8 4.4
Carl Jones SJU G Jr. Garfield Heights, Ohio 17.0 2.6 3.4
Scootie Randall TU F Sr. Philadelphia, Pa. 10.7 4.7 1.4
Chris Braswell CHA F Jr. Capitol Heights, Md. 11.1 6.9 1.0
Derrio Green CHA G Sr. Panama City, Fla. 13.0 3.5 3.8
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown PPG SPG BPG
C.J. Aiken SJU F Soph. Conshohocken, Pa. 7.4 0.4 3.5
Tu Holloway XU G Sr. Hempstead, N.Y. 19.7 1.4 0.1
Andrew Nicholson SBU F Sr. Mississauga, Ontario 20.8 0.5 1.5
T.J. McConnell DUQ G Soph. Pittsburgh, Pa. 10.8 2.8 0.2
Darrius Garrett UR F/C Sr. Raleigh, N.C. 1.9 0.1 1.6
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown
Dezmine Wells XU G/F Fr. Raleigh, N.C.
Jerrell Wright LAS F Fr. Philadelphia, Pa.
Justin Martin XU F R-Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.
Cady LaLanne UM F Fr. Orlando, Fla.
Alonzo Nelson-Odada UR F Fr. Atlanta, Ga.
Anthony Lee TU F R-Fr. Columbia, Md.
Tu Holloway is a stud, and will be first team without a doubt. A name to look out when it comes to “best single game” of the year: Kwamain Mitchell. The Saint Louis guard can fill it up in a hurry, and has improved his shooting percentages in all categories over the last 2 years. I’m expecting at least one game this year that the nation will take notice of
A player to monitor this season is T J McConnell. A freshman last year and he is a stud in the making. A point guard who has all of the intangibles you can’t teach. This guy has been discussed on the Pine and on road trips to Olean, NY. I think he is only going to get better this year.
Kyle – you are preaching to the choir when singing Holloway’s praises.
Unfortunately, the Billikens do not travel to Olean this year, but they do play at La Salle on Saturday, Feb. 11. Could be worth a look.
I had a great interview with Ron Everhart yesterday. An article on McConnell and his intangibles is forthcoming.
Scratch that – Duquesne is playing at St. Bonaventure on the 11th.
Extolling the virtues of Xavier again? Hasn’t that been added as the eighth deadly sin?
On a serious note, I am really worried about Temple’s frontcourt. Losing Lavoy Allen is going to show. I guess Anthony Lee will have to step right in, correct? Michael Eric is back? Hopefully he has developed a little offensively and playing along side Allen for the past few years has given him some tenacity.
Actually, this is the conference’s press release. But, hey, if you want me to say a couple Our Fathers and a few Hail Marys, just let me know. Keep in mind what Santiago said: Hail Marys are easier that Our Fathers.
Not sure how that Xavier prediction will work considering that Kenny Frease was suspended indefinitely on the first day of practice. https://news.cincinnati.com/article/20111014/SPT0102/310140041&Ref=AR
How does it go? Freshmen cause problems. Sophomores cause fewer problems. Juniors don’t cause problems. Seniors? They solve problems. Guess not in this case.
Your concerns with Temple’s front court are spot on. They are pretty unproven around the basket. If only they had Michael Eric in the lineup last year. Obviously, their front court has the potential to dominate. By the way – Fernandez is a senior? I wish I could talk more specifics, but i was unable to get a seat at the Fran Dunphy table. Now, if you want talk about Fordham just let me know. I have plenty of material from Tom Pecora. But the reporters all crushed in on Dunphy. Then he did his video spot with Andy Katz which led to an extended off-camera conversation. Meanwhile, I tweedled my thumbs for no good reason. HAHAHA.
https://www.atlantic10.com/allaccess/?media=270671