2025-26 Preseason Rankings

[psyclone]

Predictions to win every conference in 2025-26​

Conference	Borzello	Lunardi	Medcalf	Paine
ACC	Louisville	Duke	Duke	Duke
America East	Vermont	Vermont	Vermont	Vermont
American	South Florida	Memphis	Memphis	Memphis
Atlantic 10	Saint Louis	Dayton	Saint Louis	vcu

No detail on Atlantic 10 in this ESPN article: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...93/mens-ncaa-basketball-predictions-2025-2026

 

[jessej]

MSN

Atlantic 10 Basketball Power Rankings: Saint Louis Sets the Bar for 2025-26​

GMU #7

#6

Atlantic 10 Preview 2025-2026

1) Saint Louis Key Returners: Robbie Avila, Kalu Anya, Kellen Thames Key Losses: Isaiah Swope, Gibson Jimerson, Kobe Johnson, Larry Hughes Jr. Key Newcomers: Trey Green, Quentin Jones, Brady Dunlap, Paul Otieno, Ishan Sharma, Dion Brown Roster: Reasons for Optimism: Josh Schertz’s...

www.basketunderreview.com

#7

Atlantic 10 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2025-26 season

Saint Louis tops our Atlantic 10 preseason power rankings as vcu, Dayton, and Loyola Chicago look to chase down the Billikens in 2025-26.

bustingbrackets.com

#2

Predicted Conference Standings - 2026 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball | WarrenNolan.com

Atlantic 10 Conference Predicted Final Standings for Men's College Basketball with predicted RPIs and conference RPI

www.warrennolan.com

 

[Patriotsince81]

Pretty much every preseason poll in every league is a crap shoot these days. Interesting to see the wide range of predictions. @jessej thanks for posting!

 

[jessej]

Pretty much every preseason poll in every league is a crap shoot these days. Interesting to see the wide range of predictions. @jessej thanks for posting!

we will have a much better read 2 months from now - until then -everyone is reading tea leaves and guessing

 

[psyclone]

Not so much a "rankings" article, but Patrick Stevens' overview of the NCAA basketball season nationally.
Begins with ....

"And so here’s an attempt to zip through the landscape, a 20-point rundown of the season to come — starting with a look back.

20 … years since George Mason’s riveting run​

It has been two decades since the Patriots became the first true mid-major since 1979 to reach the Final Four, and it set off a decade-plus stretch that saw Butler (2010 and 2011), vcu (2011), Wichita State (2014), Loyola Chicago (2018) and Florida Atlantic (2023) all make it to the last weekend of the season.
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Last year’s decidedly chalky tournament, which saw No. 1-4 seeds go a combined 16-0 in the first round and only one double-digit seed (Arkansas) advance to the second weekend, made it trendy to suggest such magical runs are things of the past. And it is worth noting all six of those schools above have switched leagues since their Final Four trips.

But the tournament is a wonky thing, and while resources are getting even more tilted toward brand names, a deep run for a cohesive, veteran team isn’t impossible. Or, at the very least, not more impossible than it seemed when George Mason did it 20 years ago."

For the other 19 points, see:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/11/03/college-basketball-season-preview/

 

[psyclone]

Jay Bilas' picks his top 68:

George Mason men survive Winthrop in high-scoring shootout

It’s not very often that Tony Skinn‘s defensive-minded George Mason Patriots give up 90 points in a game. They did that on Friday night, and still won. The GMU men’s basketball team was at home for its second contest of the 2025-26 season, hosting the Winthrop Eagles. The Patriots earned a...

www.a10talk.com

2 from the A10:

46. Saint Louis Billikens​

Robbie Avila, aka "Cream Abdul-Jabbar," transferred from Indiana State to Saint Louis last season and didn't miss a step with his ridiculous production: 17.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.0 APG. In Monday's season opener, he recorded an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double. With a strong supporting cast -- Dion Brown also had a double-double, and three others scored in double figures -- he should help Saint Louis navigate a potential multibid A-10 and win its first league tournament crown since 2019.

62. vcu Rams​

The days of vcu hanging around the top of the A-10 are in danger of ending this season; this is a loaded league. But the Rams have a few things going for them: Lazar Djokovic is an early standout (21 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field against Wagner in the season opener). Plus, first-year coach Phil Martelli Jr. knows about being at the top of a conference after guiding Bryant on a historic run last season that included a berth in the NCAA tournament. This should be a fun league race to watch.

And another on our schedule:

44. Virginia Tech Hokies​

In Tech's 2025-26 opener, last season's leading scorer Tobi Lawal kept the momentum going with 20 points and West Virginia transfer Amani Hansberry had 19. Highly touted international newcomer Neoklis Avdalas -- who impressed at the NBA draft combine before deciding to play in college instead -- had only nine points. But he should settle in and be key for a team looking to improve on an 8-12 ACC record.

 

[GMU79]

More on it... and more players getting swept up into it

NCAA gambling inquiry widens pre-hoops season

An NCAA gambling investigation, with links to the NBA betting scandal, is impacting the status of multiple players at several schools, according to sources familiar with the probe.

www.espn.com

Sad, but money corrupts.

 

[GMUgemini]

GW big win over South Florida 99-95.

Dayton avoids losing to UMBC.

Loyola maybe not as good as projected this season, losing to Mercyhurst earlier in the week.

Davidson also beat Washington State.

Edit: forgot vcu lost by 3 to Utah State earlier this week too.

 

[psyclone]

GW big win over South Florida 99-95.

Dayton avoids losing to UMBC.

Loyola maybe not as good as projected this season, losing to Mercyhurst earlier in the week.

Davidson also beat Washington State.

Edit: forgot vcu lost by 3 to Utah State earlier this week too.

Not an upset...Utah State was favored by about that amount.

 

[GMU79]

GW big win over South Florida 99-95.

Dayton avoids losing to UMBC.

Loyola maybe not as good as projected this season, losing to Mercyhurst earlier in the week.

Davidson also beat Washington State.

Edit: forgot vcu lost by 3 to Utah State earlier this week too.

For the vcpoo loss

 

[GMU1983]

6-0 A10 Saturday Night

 

[jessej]

 

[Stoolguy]

Crazy they watch GMU go off against Wofford without a starter and missing another for a half... then watch us win another game without 3 starters (counting hill as a starter) and we are still behind some of those teams. Conference play will be great for us

 

[NewPatriot]

Crazy they watch GMU go off against Wofford without a starter and missing another for a half... then watch us win another game without 3 starters (counting hill as a starter) and we are still behind some of those teams. Conference play will be great for us

Mason is every bit as good or possibly better than the top 4 but they have a weak OOC schedule.

Dayton has Cincinnati, Marquette, Georgetown, Florida State, UVA and Liberty on their OOC.

GW has USF and #10 Florida

SLU has a lousy schedule

vcu lost close Q1 opportunity to Utah state, NC State, USF, Vanderbilt(?), Virginia Tech/St Mary's(?)

Mason needs to blow out every remaining team schedule except for Tech to make a dent in the kenpom metrics and secure a Top 70 or lower NET ranking before conference play begins to have a shot at the NCAA.