2026-27 Season Preview

P

psyclone

Hall of Famer
Sorry...just noticed that the article posted originally was from this past January previewing this last conference season.

Trusting that more up-to-date articles previewing the upcoming season will be available in the not-too-distant future.

www.midmajorbasketball.com

Atlantic 10 Early Outlook: VCU, Saint Louis lead 2026-27 title race - Mid-Major Basketball

It’s never too early to take a look at how the Atlantic 10 could shape up. This offseason has been active, with transfer portal movement.
www.midmajorbasketball.com www.midmajorbasketball.com


HomeAnalysis

Analysis

Atlantic 10 Early Outlook: vcu, Saint Louis lead 2026-27 title race​


Hayden Braun
ByHayden Braun
July 3, 2026
Atlantic 10 MId-Major Basketball Teams
It’s never too early to take a look at how the Atlantic 10 could shape up. This offseason has been active, with significant transfer portal movement and roster reshaping.
With the 2025-26 season as exciting as it was, what could the 2026-27 season hold for the Atlantic 10? vcu won the conference tournament, while both vcu and Saint Louis earned NCAA Tournament bids and wins. Dayton, George Mason and Saint Joseph’s remained among the A-10’s top contenders, and the league once again appears to feature a clear hierarchy of title contenders, middle-tier teams and programs looking to rise.

Tier 1​

Conference title contenders: vcu, Saint Louis, Dayton, George Mason, Saint Joseph’s
The top tier features the league’s clear championship contenders entering the season. vcu remains the standard in the A-10 and should again be in the mix for a conference title. Saint Louis has generated offseason excitement through key additions, including incoming 6-foot-11 freshman Sheek Pearson, who adds another promising piece to an already talented roster.
Dayton enters the season with momentum after a deep run in the NIT and strengthened its frontcourt by adding fourth-year forward Jalen Haynes from Cincinnati. George Mason also bolstered its roster with former Mercer guard Baraka Okojie. Saint Joseph’s followed an impressive NIT run with the addition of fourth-year guard Logan Carey from Maine. With proven talent, postseason experience and impactful additions, these five programs appear best positioned to compete at the top of the league.

Tier 2​

Middle of the pack: George Washington, Loyola Chicago, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne
The middle tier is filled with teams that have the potential to exceed expectations and challenge the top group. George Washington gained momentum from a strong NIT run and could carry that success into next season. Loyola Chicago, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne each have enough talent and experience to compete for postseason positioning but enter the year with more questions than the Tier 1 programs.
This group could see significant movement throughout the season, and it would not be surprising to see one or two of these programs emerge as a thorn in the side of the conference’s top teams.

Tier 3​

Looking to exceed expectations: Davidson, Rhode Island, La Salle, Fordham, Richmond
The bottom tier enters the season with the most uncertainty but still includes programs capable of surprising. Davidson and Rhode Island have histories of success and could outperform expectations if they find consistency. La Salle and Fordham will look to take a step forward after recent struggles. Richmond, meanwhile, has been one of the conference’s more disappointing programs in recent seasons after previously competing near the top of the standings.
The Spiders added second-year guard Jamie Kaiser Jr. from Butler, giving Richmond a notable new addition. Most teams in this tier project toward the bottom of the A-10, but the league rarely follows preseason expectations, making them worth monitoring throughout the season.
With several programs adding proven transfers and talented newcomers, the conference should again rank among the strongest mid-major leagues in the country. For now, vcu, Saint Louis, Dayton, George Mason and Saint Joseph’s appear to have the strongest outlooks heading into 2026-27.
 
Last edited:
HoopsAdmin

HoopsAdmin

Administrator
Staff member
Matthew Winick (not sure of his level of expertise) produced this list of D1 transfer rankings, FWIW:
x.com

Matthew Winick (@matthewwinick) on X

My 2026 College Basketball Transfer Portal Rankings are here. Every qualified D-I to D-I portal move is graded with notes, comps, and projected roles, + full team and conference rankings using a new formula. Enjoy, and please share if you find useful! https://t.co/E6XbRGAyap
x.com x.com

His comments on Mason transfers below:

NameNew SchoolOld SchoolGradePlayer ArchetypeConference CompProj. RoleNotes
Emmett AdairGeorge MasonLoyola MDB-Offensive BigRiley AllenspachKey ReserveExtremely high usage big - 30th-nationally in shot%. His shot diet consisted largely of post ups and pick-and-pop threes. Shot failed him for large stretches, but was automatic at the line and I would imagine he's a good shooter. Not a true 5 size-wise and a very bad defender. But obviously gifted scored. Not physical despite decent rebounding numbers, he basically never ever got to the line. His level of comp was extremely poor, he was OK in 16 mins against this GMU team but was in serious foul trouble. He probably shouldn't be playing starter mins, but 15/20 mins per game as a compliment to a very different big in Kanga and some of them playing together makes sense. Never really looks to pass.
Michael MarcusGeorge MasonAppalachian StC+Rebounding BigJakub NecasKey ReservePretty clearly the team's third-best big behind Kanga and Adair for me. Not too sure he was a good enough shooter to take half of his looks from deep. Very good offensive rebounder who will fit right in with this scheme, but like Adair, basically never looks to pass and is not an above the rim athlete. Not a particularly versatile defender or dominant rim protector, but his defensive on/offs are solid. He's fine.
Efeosa OlioguGeorge MasonButlerA-Versatile ForwardAmari McCottryStarterTalk about a horrific scenario for a FR: Oliogu missed four of Butler's 6 buy games, and was basically forced to play point guard as a FR wing with the lack of on-ball options they had in BE play. The numbers were ugly, but there was a ton to like in there. 23% assist rate and ratio, still a 1.4 AST:TO which is great given the circumstances, solid rebounding numbers for his position, elite defensive upside. Jumper is not there right now but the 77% rim rate and 15% dunk rate make up for it. I think he has sky high potential and love his fit on the wing here.
Lilian MarvilleGeorge MasonUNCGB-Guard ShooterTre DinkinsKey ReserveLed the country in 3-point shooting and yet just took 43% of his shots from deep. Huh? His shot diet was absolutely disgusting all things considered. Get the guy flanking on the wing, please. OK Passer but not special. Horrific defender. Very bad around the rim. He should largely be a secondary playmaker and 3-point specialist, which I suppose he can do. If that 3-point% falls below 40% next year, he won't be that valuable.
James NnajiGeorge MasonBaylorBRebounding BigKeeyan ItejereKey ReserveThrow all the eligibility stuff away, Nnaji was awful at Baylor last year. Extremely bad. Though I guess he did get there midway through the year and also only played against P5 teams. This is a guy that was drafted in the NBA after all. As a bench flyer for a GMU team that already has a handful of good frontcourt options, they kind of have nothing to lose.
Baraka OkojieGeorge MasonMercerAOn-Ball GuardN/AStarterThis is the good stuff. Okojie is awesome, man. Not always the world's most efficient, but always in control of the offense, makes tons of plays both offensively and defensively. Will run point and guard the opponent's on-ball player. Gets downhill, hits open shots, shoots a trillion FTs. Truly the only knock is that Mercer played a weak D schedule, but he was very solid and a similar player at GMU two years ago. He's one of the best PGs in the league and one of the better ones in the country when you consider all the things he does on the floor.
Makhai ValentineGeorge MasonNo. IllinoisB+Guard ShooterJaiden GloverStarterThe type of player who I think prospers on a better team after playing on an awful one at NIU. Not a self creator and doesn't have great feel, but os a monster athlete at guard and can absolutely shoot it off the catch. Makes a ton of sense as a role player next to guys like Okojie and Oliogu with their playmaking. Spot ups, straight line drives, and rim finishing are all things he can really do. Dont' make him do too much. Has a lot more defensive potential than what he's shown. Was awesome against A10's LUC last year.
Elijah JonesGeorge MasonUTEPB+Offensive ForwardJoshua Ola-JosephStarterPlaying just 70% of mins and being 21!!!! points per 100 possessions better on vs. off offensively is nearly impossible, but that's what Jones did for UTEP last year. Just a special play finishing seasin for him. Hits his open threes, tremendous rim finisher, terrific in transition. Not a star defender but can guard a couple of positions. Not a very good rebounder, but moving up to the 4 from the 5 will likely help him a ton. My one true gripe, is that he, along with Marcus, Adair, AND Kanga are all zeroes as passers. It will be hard to have multiple of them on the floor at once and the processing will largely fall all on Okojie. But the shooting/finishing combo here is very legit, especially since the 4 should be his more natural position.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top Donors

Forum statistics

Threads
2,577
Messages
220,046
Members
348
Latest member
kosarimaniy53

#MasonNation Network

Check out these great sites:
GiantKiller.co
ByGeorge
Expat Hoops
Fourth Estate
Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Bill Bride - DMV Sports Shots
Patriot Brew Blog/Newsletter

Share this page

Top