Atlantic 10 Basketball Updates with Some Laughs from Colin Bish

6/18/25

Dayton Flyers - 5 Names to Know for Next Season

1. Adam Njie

   • Dayton loses a huge piece in their squad from last season in senior point guard Malachi Smith, who transferred to UConn. So, if you're Anthony Grant, what do you do? Out with the old, in with the new, of course! Grant added Iona freshman guard Njie in the transfer portal. Coming from the highly touted Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, Njie became an immediate impact player for the Gaels. Njie played in 33 games with 28 starts, averaging 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. With at least three seasons left under his belt, Njie looks to build an elite backcourt at Dayton alongside…

     
     

2. Javon Bennett

   • Having started his career at Merrimack before transferring to Dayton, Bennett has established himself as one of the best defensive guards in the country. 2025 was his best season yet, at least offensively, as he put up 11.6 points on 44% shooting from the field and 39% from three in 34 games. But, as mentioned his bread and butter comes from picking pockets. Bennett holds a career average of 1.9 steals a game, pulling out his best Gary Payton impression in his college career. Njie provides the offense, Bennett brings the defense, a perfect yin and yang of basketball.

     
     

3. Jordan Derkack

   • Speaking of Merrimack, Bennett is quite familiar with Derkack, who were both apart of the Warriors' 2022-23 freshman class. While Bennett transferred after his freshman year, Derkack stuck around for another year. That proved to be the best decision, as Derkack was named NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals a game in 2023-24. However, his career took a swift turn like a slippery race track after transferring to Rutgers. Derkack only started 10 games for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds. Maybe a change of scenery will turn the tide, and a familiar face in Bennett could help Derkack revitalize himself into the POY-caliber athlete we saw just over a year ago.

     
     

4. De'Shayne Montgomery

   • Montgomery has been in many places in his career. He started at Mount St. Mary's, being named MAAC Rookie of the Year after averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals. He also took the mid-major to "Power" conference route, ending up at Georgia in 2024-25. However, he would miss time after being academically ineligible. He did show some signs of potential, averaging 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 17 games played for the Bulldogs. He'll likely compete with Njie for the other starting guard position alongside Bennett, which should be a thing to keep an eye on. However, it's like choosing between cookies or ice cream; you can't go wrong either way.

     
     

5. Amael L'Etang

   • Grant, in his time with the Flyers, has always produced highly talented big men. Look no further than Obi Toppin, a key cog in the Pacers' Finals run, and first-round pick DaRon Holmes II. This time, he's gone international with the frontcourt. L'Etang was the primary center for Dayton, playing in 34 games and starting 18 while averaging 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 block a game. After committing to Dayton from Cholet Basket in France, L'Etang said he models his play style after Dirk Nowitzki. And, as you can see through the stats and on the film, he has the versatility that the Hall of Famer possessed throughout his career. The difference is L'Etang is 7'1", and with a year of experience under his belt, he looks to be one of the scariest returning bigs in conference.

6/11/2025

Davidson - 5 Names to Know for Next Season

1. Matt McKillop

   • Like father, like son? Well, not quite for Wildcats head coach Matt McKillop. I mean, it would be hard for anyone to emulate the legendary Bob McKillop, who amassed over 600 career wins at Davidson, let alone his son Matt. Since Bob rode off into the sunset, Matt has struggled to help the Wildcats return to a nationally recognized status. Over his first three seasons, Davidson has gone 48-49 overall and a horrifically underwhelming 19-35 in conference. While Matt's surname holds huge weight in Davidson basketball lore, this coming season will be a huge one after losing stars Reed Bailey and Bobby Durkin.

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2. Roberts Blums

   • Blums had an incredible resume overseas, as the Latvian made waves internationally as the MVP of the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship, Division B. Blums averaged 20 points and five rebounds after leading his home country to the tournament title. After NBA Draft considerations, Blums decided to go the college route and commit to Davidson. With a changing of the guard through transfers and other departures, Blums is now thrust into a big role for 2025. But, like Spongebob, I think he's ready, he's ready. He saw action in 31 of 33 of Davidson's contests, averaging 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Blums will be an interesting A-10 prospect to watch this coming season.

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3. Manie Joses

   • On the other hand, another rising sophomore is set to have a much bigger role in 2025. Joses, coming out of London, stands at 6'7" and saw some action last season. He played in 23 games, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in around 13 minutes a game. The reason Joses is someone to look at is because of the shoes he'll have to fill this season. Think Shaquille O'Neal-size times ten. As I just mentioned, Davidson loses two of the top three scorers in Reed Bailey and Bobby Durkin. Both of whom played in the frontcourt, which thrusts an inexperienced Joses into a big role. Especially considering McKillop's coaching style, which utilizes active big men, Joses will have his hands more full than me at my job washing dishes.

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4. Parker Friedrichsen

   • Davidson hasn’t had the best luck in the transfer portal, but every player coming through will be vital to a pivotal season in Matt McKillop's tenure. Friedrichsen fills in for the departing Connor Kochera. At Wake Forest, Friedrichsen played in 66 total games in the Demon Deacons, averaging 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds on 32% three point shooting in 16 minutes per game. Though he will have big shoes to fill in Kochera, who was the Wildcats' second-leading scorer, Friedrichsen has a lot of experience in a high-octane conference like the ACC that can bring needed leadership on a young squad.

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5. JaQualon Roberts

   • Like Friedrichsen, Roberts brings in valuable experience from a high-level conference in the SEC. At 6'8", JQ brings additional huge needs in the frontcourt for Wildcats. But, like a fishing trip, there's a catch, as Roberts brings a lot of question marks. While he will be a key mentor for the young Joses, his freshman to sophomore contrast might spark some worry. In his freshman year at Vanderbilt, Roberts played in 26 games, starting four, while averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a night on 13 minutes per game. Yet his sophomore season saw him play in only 21 games with an average of 4.6 minutes a game. In a new setting in a smaller conference, Roberts has the upside to be a valuable cog in the Davidson machine, but there's also a chance the piece could fall loose and throw everything into disarray.

3/9/2025

As the famous saying goes, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Yet, I’m smiling even harder than one would think; a wildly incredible A-10 regular season gives way to what will be another amazing conference tournament. But let’s wrap up the final regular season games, shall we? 

VCU, their heads held high on a nine-game winning streak, on their way to clinching an A-10 regular season conference title. Then Dayton came through like Gandalf the Grey, letting the Rams know they would not be passing by. The Flyers won a big road matchup 79-76, with all five starters scoring double digits; Javon Bennett led the team with 22 points. 

A-10 kicked off early Saturday afternoon, with Loyola-Chicago taking on UMass in Amherst. The Ramblers put foot to pedal and did not let off, like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. Loyola jumped out to a 13-point lead before halftime, holding firmly onto the lead in a 74-51 victory. 

Rhode Island picked up a much-needed win for both conference seeding and team confidence. Is it a bit bad that they needed it against bottom-of-the-barrel Fordham? Not really. For Archie Miller and co., you’ll need to take what you can get. But if Jaden House and Sebastian Thomas keep playing like they did on Saturday, the Rams could make some noise. 

Last season, St. Bonaventure had a great look to the A-10 tournament before falling apart in the final regular season stretch. This year, despite their 7-9 slump after a 14-1 start, the Bonnies didn’t end so poorly. Bonaventure went on the road at Davidson and picked up a 64-61 win over a reeling Wildcats squad. Though most fans may be overly enthusiastic, I’m remaining cautious. Like Jeremy Renner told Scarlett Johansson in the latest Avengers film: “Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope.” 

Saint Joseph’s has been a quiet surprise in the A-10. But that doesn’t mean the legend Fran Dunphy was going to let his final home game be ruined. Dunphy’s La Salle downed the Hawks 81-74 in a Philadelphia vs. Philadelphia battle. I thought it was the City of Brotherly Love? Then again, it’s Philly, so all’s fair in love and war. Freshman Deuce Jones put up a season-high 27 in the win Saturday afternoon. 

Just like that, VCU’s loss paid huge dividends, as George Mason earned a share of the A-10 regular season title with their 64-60 win at Richmond. It almost didn’t come to be, as the Spiders took a 32-24 lead into halftime. But the Patriots prevailed to make the upcoming conference tournament a lot more intriguing. A horrendous regular season ended for Richmond, but the rain hasn’t washed the Spiders out of the waterspout just yet. 

The final regular season matchup, a late-night affair between Duquesne and Saint Louis, did not disappoint. The Billikens triumphed over the Dukes 90-88 in overtime, led by none other than Gibson Jimerson, who scored 35 points. I’m sure it looked no different than the Steelers trying to stop Lamar Jackson every NFL season. Old habits die hard. 

3/1/2025

Just yesterday I made an hour and a half drive home to begin my spring break, ready to take some much-needed rest. But how could I rest? A-10 basketball leaves no rest for the wicked!

On Friday, VCU continued to show that they’re the top dogs (or top rams, what ever have you) in the conference. They steamrolled Davidson 80-56, despite their top players Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile having off nights. Thanks to Jack Clark’s 18 and freshman Luke Bamgboye’s 17, Davidson finds their postseason path just a little harder to sniff out. 

Saint Joseph’s came out to a slow start Saturday against Fordham, trailing at halftime 47-45. But the trio of Xzayvier Brown, Erik Reynolds II and Rasheer Fleming were too much for the Rams, boosting the Hawks to a 90-76 win. Those three can now call themselves the best basketball trio in Philadelphia; though that’s easy when the 76ers are always stuck with two. 

In an afternoon shocker, and to the delight of VCU, the 13-16 Duquesne Dukes bested one of the A-10’s best in George Mason, 85-68. Tre Dinkins was unstoppable, making six threes en route to an upset win. After an 11-game win streak dating back to January 8th, the Patriots have gone 1-2 in their last three, leaving massive question marks come conference tournament time.

In a game where many expected a blowout, Dayton and Richmond instead put on a two-overtime clinic. The Flyers came out on top, 74-64, thanks to 18 points each from Enoch Cheeks and Nate Santos. Dayton looks to be flying high starting this month, while Richmond crashed and burned after a great 2024 season. 

The next contest was not a competition, but more of a slow, agonizing ride. Like getting stuck on the peak of the roller coaster. Though that’d be terrifying, which would be the case for Loyola-Chicago fans. Saint Louis dragged the Ramblers 98-67, with Gibson Jimerson putting up 33 points while Robbe Avila poured in 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Taking to our nation’s capital, George Washington bested La Salle 71-60. A big home win for both confidence and conference seeding, as the Revs sit just behind the top six. Rafael Castro turned the clock back to give a prime Shaq-esque performance, scoring 22 points with 16 rebounds. 

Rounding out the weekend slate of A-10 action were Rhode Island and UMass, who put on an offensive showing. Archie Miller’s Rams seem poised for a big win, going up 56-47 in the first half. But the Minutemen didn’t give up; and thank God they didn’t, because I wouldn’t be writing this if they quit! Wait, we’re talking about basketball. Right. Anyways, UMass ended up overcoming the deficit to win 91-88, led by Rahsool Diggins, who had 29 total points and six in the final minute of the game. 

2/23/2025

One month until the greatest sports extravaganza in the spring season, and the tension couldn’t be higher. And, of course, the Atlantic 10 is very much in the mix, turning into an all-out war to go into March with momentum. 

Friday started off with a key A-10 matchup, with Dayton taking on Loyola Chicago. The Flyers couldn’t handle the winds of Chicago, falling short in a 76-72 loss. Loyola’s star guard, Des Watson, scored 22 points to help push the Ramblers up in the standings. 

Then came Saturday, one of the most important days of the season in A-10 basketball, six games on hand. 

We first look at Philadelphia, home of the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Though this wasn’t as monumental, St. Joseph’s picked up a win over Richmond, 78-62. Erik Reynolds II scored 25, while Rasheer Fleming added 23 to help put the Hawks in the top five of the conference standings. As for Richmond, the Spiders keep getting stomped out of contention, a year removed from a regular-season conference title. 

Moving to the Eagles’ rival city in New York, Davidson defeated Fordham 80-69 on the road in the Bronx. The trio of Bobby Durkin, Reed Bailey and Connor Kochera combined for 54 points, channeling the domination of a familiar Bronx trio of Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. 

Way over to Saint Louis, the home team Billikens took down Rhode Island, 81-66. Despite having a record of 15-12, Saint Louis is tied for fourth in the standings with St. Joe’s and Dayton. Gibson Jimerson did what he does best: shoot threes, making five en route to 21 points and 11 rebounds. 

The story of the year in the A-10 so far has been George Mason, off to a torrid 21-5 start in coach Tony Skinn’s second season. They’ve been the big guys on the block; until now. Like Muse telling Captain Phillips, “I’m the captain now,” VCU reminded the Patriots of whose A-10 royalty with a 70-54 win. Max Shulga, my favorite Ukrainian Luka Doncic clone, scored 22 points on nine shots to give the Ryan Odom’s Rams sole possession of the conference.

And now, my beloved Bonnies. In their beautiful throwback uniforms, St. Bonaventure defeated Duquesne 70-63 to keep their hopes alive. Though a win over Duquesne would’ve been better 344 days ago, we live in the present! And the Bonnies look like they have something rolling with Melvin Council Jr. and Lajae Jones at the helm. On the other hand, congrats to Chance Moore on reaching 1000 career points!

And finally, to round out the worldwide joy of A-10 basketball, George Washington thrashed UMass, 74-52. Who could’ve seen our first President going Benedict Arnold on his own troops? Regardless, the Revs had three starters score double-digit points, with freshman Christian Jones leading the team with 17. Much like the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Minutemen ran out of ammunition in their push to A-10 glory. 

But if your team is near the bottom, don’t worry. If your team is toward the top, don’t get complacent. Because, in this conference, you always expect the unexpected.

2/6/2025

A busy, two day-stretch of Atlantic-10 basketball kicked off with a nail biter between Saint Louis and UMass. And by nail biter, I mean almost-bite-off-your-finger levels of nervousness. Though it didn’t start that way, as the Minutemen led the Billikens by 10 with 6:38 to go. But Saint Louis would not go away, as a huge turnover from UMass set up the game-winning three by the Billikens’ Isaiah Swope, giving Saint Louis a 73-71 road victory. It wouldn’t be the first time a sports team from Saint Louis snatched victory away from another team in Massachusetts (looking right at you, 2019 Bruins). 

In other news, VCU continues to prove themselves as the A-10’s gold standard, trouncing La Salle 96-66. This surely will be the only bad thing to happen to Philadelphia sports teams this week. The Explorers not only lost their map, but subsequently went down with their ship, as Max Shulga and Phillip Russell unleashed a volley of threes like cannonballs. Not only will Fran Dunphy need a new map, but he’ll also need a new ship. 

In a highly defensive battle, the Dayton Flyers overcame the Davidson Wildcats 69-63. Dayton starters went five for five scoring 10 points or more, a feat that would make Kendrick Lamar proud after his famous diss track, “Not Like Us” went five-for-five at the Grammys. But unlike Lamar’s highly publicized beef with fellow rapper Drake, the Davidson-Dayton game was much more evenly matched. Davidson led by one with under a minute left before untimely fouls and free throws sealed a Flyers win. 

Rounding out the Tuesday slate of games, my beloved Bonnies went into Windy City and got blown away by Loyola Chicago, 77-53. It was much different from the second VCU game, where at least St. Bonaventure showed promise before letting the game slip away. Rather, I felt more like Rocky watching Apollo Creed get decimated by Ivan Drago, being helpless to do anything to stop the madness. 

A massive A-10 matchup kicked off Wednesday’s action, in a battle of the Georges. Mason got the better of Washington, 53-50, continuing their dominant run in the conference. The Patriots’ Jalen Haynes delivered the knockout blow like George Foreman, hitting a layup with 46 seconds to go. 

Once again, another battle of the Rams! You’d think we were in the Pacific Northwest with how rams run around in the A-10. Last summary, it was VCU getting the best of Fordham. But now, it’s Fordham’s turn for Rams bragging rights, defeating Rhode Island 80-79 thanks to Jackie Johnson III’s 25 points and a game-winning layup from Matt Zona.  

To round out a hectic weekday slate, Richmond picked up a much-needed conference win 73-68 over Duquesne. The Spiders’ Jason Roche led the team with 14, including going 3-3 on three pointers. Eerily like Tobey Maguire going three-for-three on Spider-Man movies (the third movie is good; I will die on that hill). And although Duquesne’s Maximus Edwards and Tre Dinkins tried teaming up like Venom and Sandman in said third movie, the hero Spider always comes out on top. 

1/10/2025

You would think a Flyer would hold the advantage over a Minuteman, since planes weren’t a thing in the 1700s. Though taking flight would have you tried for witchcraft then.

But it’s 2025, and the Minutemen overcame the technological and judicial advances as UMass defeated Dayton 76-72 for their first conference win. Dayton dropped their second consecutive conference game, the first being a 20-point loss to George Washington. Dayton coach Anthony Grant must really dislike colonial history.

Speaking of George Washington, the first President’s school picked up a big road win over Rhode Island, 75-67. The game itself was a slugfest from beyond the arc, as both teams shot a combined 6-for-42 from three. Dwayne Wade’s statue was a more alluring sight than watching both teams shoot threes.

But the Revolutionaries pulled through, with two massive conference wins under their belt ahead of their January 15th matchup with Duquesne, who picked up a big win of their own this past Wednesday. The Dukes downed St. Joseph’s 85-81 in overtime, thanks in part to Tre Dinkins’ 26 points and David Dixon adding 17 off the bench. Following a 0-6 start, the Dukes have gone 7-3 including 2-1 in conference play in an attempt to defend their conference title. Wait… a Pittsburgh team losing games to subpar competition and suddenly winning big games… where have I heard this story before? 

Oddly similar correlations aside, Loyola-Chicago notched their first conference win over La Salle 79-68. Although La Salle are the Explorers, they couldn’t find Jayden Dawson on a map if he was marked by a big red X. The junior guard led the Ramblers in points, rebounds and assists with 20, 6 and 3 respectively. Fran Dunphy will have to channel his inner pirate and continue searching for La Salle’s first conference win. 

Rounding out the starting slate of A-10 basketball, George Mason defeated Richmond 64-58 to hand the Spiders their first conference loss. How ironic that a wolf spider scared my mom half to death just a few days ago, and now Richmond suffered their first loss in conference. Poetic justice, in my opinion.

And, in a battle of the Rams, VCU downed Fordham 73-61, the latter of the teams now 0-3 in conference play. Max Shulga once again had a great game, scoring 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. I will never believe that Shulga is, in fact, not a Ukrainian super soldier experiment trying to clone Luka Doncic.

Also, in a game that determined the top spot in the A-10, Saint Louis downed red-hot St. Bonaventure 73-68. The Bonnies heavily relied on their starters, as coach Mark Schmidt subbed in three players off the bench for a whopping total of 16 minutes. Maybe Schmidt thought his starting five were the Avengers, and though it would be kind of cool if Noel Brown could Hulk up and smash his way through the paint, they assembled too little too late. But the Billikens’ Gibson Jimerson looked like Hawkeye out there, scoring 28 points on 9-15 shooting and 6-11 from three. Someone should tell Jeremy Renner he has competition.

I apologize for my nerd outburst, but standings-wise, Saint Louis sits atop the A-10 at 3-0, while the Bonnies fell to 2-1 with their eight-game win-streak snapped. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be crying in a corner after the Bonnies missed out on a potential top five spot in the Domination Rankings