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A10 Preview 2019-2020


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4 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

I want Jacobs to succeed but how does getting ripped have any effect on reducing a chronic tendency of turnovers?

Getting ripped has no direct effect upon turnovers, however it shows that Jacobs is clearly committed and is putting in a lot of time at the gym. By itself this means he is more muscular, period. If you assume that his commitment to the team and to his own advancement goes beyond the fact that he is spending time at the gym, then you can also assume that he is trying hard to improve his game as well. The ripping may well be a visible manifestation of possible game improvement work.  I wish him all the best.

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15 minutes ago, RiseOfTheBillikens said:

The between the legs dunk attempt during billiken madness. For me anyway

Jacobs is definitely more talented than he's shown. He was a beast against Webster Groves two years ago:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/ramey-shines-as-webster-groves-makes-debut-in-father-s/article_a56ce536-c4d9-11e6-9820-df9dcc8b3d89.amp.html

The Titans were paced by Southern Illinois signee Demarius Jacobs. He had 32 points, nine rebounds and five highlight-reel blocks that displayed the freakish athleticism that made him such a sought-after recruit.

 

 

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3 hours ago, 3star_recruit said:

Jacobs is definitely more talented than he's shown. He was a beast against Webster Groves two years ago:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/ramey-shines-as-webster-groves-makes-debut-in-father-s/article_a56ce536-c4d9-11e6-9820-df9dcc8b3d89.amp.html

The Titans were paced by Southern Illinois signee Demarius Jacobs. He had 32 points, nine rebounds and five highlight-reel blocks that displayed the freakish athleticism that made him such a sought-after recruit.

 

 

Jacobs' 88 minutes last season don't even qualify as a small sample size.  For me, he is totally TBD.  Wipe last season off the slate, and he is starting with a clean plate.  There will be a very interesting competition for playing time at the guard/wing slots this upcoming season.  Jacobs has a great chance to win minutes, but he also could end up last man on the bench. 

More than once Ford referred to Jacobs as his backup point guard.  There certainly will be minutes to play at the point.  Despite what GloryDays has said in the past, no player is guaranteed a starting spot or playing time.  If Jacobs can outperform Collins and others, give him the ball. 

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Jacobs has a high ceiling.

I guarantee  if he was 100 % healthy early on, and we had Isabels role figured out earlier, Jacobs would have gotten more minutes early on to build up his comfort on the court at the higher level, and would have seen drastic minutes increased later on.

I don’t think Ford put him in since he was a turnover machine, but it seemed it was due to nerves, same as Thor’s Hail Mary, trying to do too much to prove you aren’t a bench player. 

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5 hours ago, 3star_recruit said:

Jacobs is definitely more talented than he's shown. He was a beast against Webster Groves two years ago:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/boys-basketball/ramey-shines-as-webster-groves-makes-debut-in-father-s/article_a56ce536-c4d9-11e6-9820-df9dcc8b3d89.amp.html

The Titans were paced by Southern Illinois signee Demarius Jacobs. He had 32 points, nine rebounds and five highlight-reel blocks that displayed the freakish athleticism that made him such a sought-after recruit.

 

 

I was at that game.  Demarius was the best player on the court that day.

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10 minutes ago, Coach314 said:

I was at that game.  Demarius was the best player on the court that day.

As was I, the only reason I would agree is because he had to do more then Courtney, but you could make an argument that Ramey was the best player too

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3 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

No surprise.  This keeps Davidson as a Top 3 team in the A10.

I thought Guemundsson  might make the leap, but figured it was a stretch for Grady. Bottom line: Davidson will be tough again. They may even be a top 25 team.

On a different topic, but A10 related, anyone know if Dayton's arena affected by that tornado that ripped thru Dayton yesterday? That thing was a monster. I hope not.

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1 hour ago, slu72 said:

I thought Guemundsson  might make the leap, but figured it was a stretch for Grady. Bottom line: Davidson will be tough again. They may even be a top 25 team.

On a different topic, but A10 related, anyone know if Dayton's arena affected by that tornado that ripped thru Dayton yesterday? That thing was a monster. I hope not.

Obi Toppin is also returning, so the top of the league will be very strong, as expected.

UD Arena is a couple miles south of downtown. It was really the north side of the city that got hit the hardest, so campus and the arena appear to be pretty much intact.

Hara Arena, the city's secondary arena until 2016 when it closed, looks like it might be a total loss. It was sitting vacant anyway.

The damage around Dayton is really bad. It'll be a while before the scope of the damage is known.

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9 minutes ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

5 bid A10? VCU, Davidson, Bona, Rhody, and maybe we can shock some people

We dealt with a major departure before conference and still did well in my book. We got it together in time for the A10 tournament and while we lost some good players, I am very high on Perkins and Hargrove coming in, as well as a more developed Jacobs and Thatch, with 2 giants helping out French. I think Ford can do it

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On 5/14/2019 at 5:40 PM, HoosierPal said:

Jacobs' 88 minutes last season don't even qualify as a small sample size.  For me, he is totally TBD.  Wipe last season off the slate, and he is starting with a clean plate.  There will be a very interesting competition for playing time at the guard/wing slots this upcoming season.  Jacobs has a great chance to win minutes, but he also could end up last man on the bench. 

More than once Ford referred to Jacobs as his backup point guard.  There certainly will be minutes to play at the point.  Despite what GloryDays has said in the past, no player is guaranteed a starting spot or playing time.  If Jacobs can outperform Collins and others, give him the ball. 

Love Collins' potential and press clippings but Jacobs was just as hyped coming in last year.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Jacobs to get more minutes than Collins next year based on one factor ..... he has a year in the SLU system.   Most freshmen take awhile to get acclimated to the college game.  And also, I have a feeling Jacobs is driven by last year's injury misfortunes. 

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2 minutes ago, WVBilliken said:

Love Collins' potential and press clippings but Jacobs was just as hyped coming in last year.

The only hype I really heard was that hes athletic and can dunk.  Im way higher on Collins than Jacobs

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Updating my initial post (let me know if I missed anything, and yes, this is in my rough projected order of finish in addition to being in tiers):

Solid:

VCU - Year three under Mike Rhoades. The team that just won the A10 with a 16-2 record graduates two guys who averaged less than 3 points combined. They'll have a 5-man senior class led by their top two scorers, Marcus Evans and De'Riante Jenkins. There's a drop-off after the top four, but they play a 9-man rotation and 8 are back after one transfer (Sean Mobley). They've got four guys signed and have no scholarships left to give. This is basically the same team next season with another year of experience. They're the favorite to win the league.

Davidson - Year 31 under Bob McKillop, who just signed a five-year contract extension. They only graduate Nathan Ekwu, the guy just outside the 6-man rotation. Kellan Grady and Jon Axel Gudmundsson return after testing the NBA draft waters, so they keep the entire 6-man rotation intact. Dusan Kovacevic is transferring; he'll be a senior and immediately eligible. He sat out 2015-2016 with an injury, had a season-ending leg injury in early 2017 and then had knee surgery in January 2018 so he's never played much and won't be a big loss. They've got two commitments and two scholarships to give. With a strong returning rotation, McKillop has some freedom with the last two scholarships, which could be used on transfers and/or international players. They should be VCU's strongest challenger.

Dayton - Year three under Anthony Grant. UD had a losing record in his first season and made the leap to 21 wins and an NIT appearance in year two. They graduate Josh Cunningham but Obi Toppin is returning after exploring the NBA draft. They've also got four transfers who will be eligible next season - Jordy Tshimanga (Nebraska), Chase Johnson (Florida), Ibi Watson (Michigan), and Rodney Chatman (Chattanooga). Jordan Davis and Frankie Policelli are transferring out so they have two scholarships to give and one guy who had already signed. Policelli didn't play much, but Davis - second in minutes and fifth in scoring - was a surprise. So they're losing a top-two guy and their fifth guy but gaining a lot of depth and experience overall. They're a clear top-three team but I'd put them behind VCU and Davidson because they have a lot of guys who haven't played together yet. They are looking like the 2020-2021 preseason favorite, though, if they stay relatively intact.

Rhode Island - Year two under David Cox. They were the only .500 team in conference this year and now they graduate their 8th and 10th leading scorers. They're losing a surprising number to transfers: Christion Thompson (5th leading scorer), Omar Silverio (9th), Michael Tertsea (11th), Aris Tsourgiannis (13th), and Marial Mading, who didn't play this season. They bring in a juco transfer and three freshmen, including Obi Toppin's younger brother Jacob. Jeff Dowtin and Cyril Langevine will be seniors, and Fatts Russell will somehow only be a junior. They have a Georgetown transfer (Antwan Walker, a former SLU offer who was dismissed from GU) who will be eligible in the fall and have two scholarships left to give. Despite the attrition, the core is mostly intact here and they could be a threat to the top three.

 

Question Marks:

Duquesne - Year three under Keith Dambrot, who is quickly becoming one of the best coaches in the league. They outperformed expectations this past year before losing three straight to end the season, but they don't have any scholarship players graduating and only one senior this fall, transfer big man Baylee Steele. They were looking like a definite top-5 team until the transfer of leading scorer Eric Williams, along with three outgoing freshmen who didn't play much, if at all. They have three incoming freshmen in addition to Steele, a grad transfer senior. So while most of the rotation is intact, the question is who will replace Williams' scoring load.

St. Bonaventure - Year 13 under Mark Schmidt, now the winningest coach in school history. This was the streakiest team in the A10 all season and underachieved in non-conference play before finishing 12-6 and fourth in the conference. They graduate their first (Courtney Stockard) and third (LaDarien Griffin) scorers along with the senior PG (Nelson Kaputo), who was already being edged out by talented freshman and second-leading scorer Kyle Lofton. Jalen Poyser, Melkisedek Moreaux, and Tshiefu Ngalakulondi are transferring, and while none were major contributors this season, they now have three spots to fill this spring and some questions about depth. They have a Mt. St. Mary's transfer becoming eligible, two juco signees, and three signed freshmen. Lofton and Osun Osunniyi were two of the best freshmen in the league and Dominick Welch wasn't far behind. Depth is a concern, depending on how they use those last three scholarships, but this is an intriguing squad.

Richmond - Year 15 under Chris Mooney, as confirmed by the school, despite pressure from Richmond fans. On paper, they're a strong pick to make a leap because Jacob Gilyard and Grant Golden will be juniors and their talented 5-man freshman class will have a year of experience under their belts. After Noah Yates, whose appeal for another season of eligibility was denied, they only graduate Julius Johnson, the 7th or 8th player off the bench. Keith Oddo and Bryce Schneider are transferring, but neither were contributors. They've got a Wagner transfer becoming eligble in the fall, and they've two guys signed (one Tulane transfer who won't be playing this fall) with one more scholarship open. Continuity is going to be a big boost here and they need Nick Sherod to stay healthy so that he and Nathan Cayo give Gilyard and Golden enough help to be competitive.

Saint Louis - Year four under Travis Ford and yet another year of serious roster turnover, with only five returning players. Six guys are signed - five freshmen and a juco junior - and the remaining two scholarships may go unused. There's plenty of talent but it remains to be seen how good the newcomers are and how well the team will come together. In that regard, it's a similar situation to last season - except without experienced seniors and grad transfers. After Jordan Goodwin and Hasahn French, there are a lot of question marks.

George Mason - Year five under Dave Paulsen. Mason was a hot pick as an A10 title contender in the preseason, then got off to a disastrous start in non-conference play before putting together a respectable A10 record (11-7). They graduate Otis Livingston, one of the best PGs in the league. Jarred Reuter transferred, and they also lost Jaire Grayer, who received a medical waiver after playing only 8 games and will finish at TCU. They've got three guys signed, a big, a scoring guard, and a PG, and they have Grayer's scholarship to use. They've got decent depth, but losing the second, fifth, and sixth-leading scorers will be hard to replace in terms of production and .500 would be a good outcome next season.

 

Rebuilds:

UMass - Year three under Matt McCall, and it's a big one. UMass has finished 13th in the A10 in back-to-back seasons and needs to make a leap, and McCall knows it and has decided to overhaul the program. Rashaan Holloway is the only guy graduating, but Luwane Pipkins, Kieran Hayward, Tre Wood, Curtis Cobb, Jaylen Franklin, and Unique McLean have all transferred. Six scholarship players are returning and seven incoming freshmen are signed, so the roster is full and more than half new. McCall also replaced three assistant coaches. The overall talent level appears to have been upgraded but the team is young, with just one scholarship senior (Djery Baptiste) in addition to the big freshman class and returning sophomores and juniors. With the learning curve as they gain experience in college and together, it's hard to see where they can make much of a leap next season, especially given the relative strength of the league.

George Washington - Year one under Jamion Christian. They don't graduate anybody but since Christian was introduced, three players have transferred (Terry Nolan, Marcus Littles, and Shandon Brown). Littles and Brown played single-digit minutes but Nolan was the third-leading scorer. Christian managed to keep both signed incoming freshmen, Chase Paar and Jamison Battle, and land two more incoming freshmen, Shawn Walker and Jameer Nelson, Jr. He also signed Amir Harris, a Nebraska transfer who will sit this coming season. Year one for Christian could be a struggle but he had some success at Siena and might be able to get GW back on track sooner than later.

La Salle - Year two under Ashley Howard. Star senior Pookie Powell graduates along with Cheddi Mosley. Four incoming freshmen are signed, with one incoming transfer (Clifton Moore, Indiana) who won't play this season and two scholarships remaining. Miles Brookins, Traci Carter, Jamir Moultrie, Jayson Brower, and Cian Sullivan are transferring. Isiah Deas and Saul Phiri were the second and third-leading scorers this season and will be seniors. They had a brutal non-conference schedule in 2018-2019, so I'd expect their overall record to improve but their A10 record to be similar. They could make a jump the following season, though.

Fordham - Year five under Jeff Neubauer. Perpetual rebuild. Jesse Bunting and David Pekarek graduate, and a senior transfer will become eligible. They lost just one of the six freshmen from last year's class, but unfortunately it's their leading scorer, Nick Honor, who is departing. They've got a juco junior PG coming in along with three freshmen, including two who signed in late May, and no scholarships left. They finished last this year and with new coaches at GW and St. Joe's, they would look poised to make a step up, but Honor's departure stings. They're still a bottom-four team and 11th would be a good outcome.

St. Joe's - Year one under Billy Lange. Biggest disappointment in the A10 this past year because of injuries and underperformance. Markell Lodge, Mike Muggeo, and Chris Clover graduate, and Charlie Brown is going pro. LaMarr Kimble, Jared Bynum, Lorenzo Edwards, and Troy Holston transferred. Incoming freshman Kenan Sarvan opted out of his LOI and Jameer Nelson, Jr. is heading to GW after Phil Martelli was fired the head coaching job wasn't given to his dad. Lange has landed three incoming freshmen and a UCF transfer who won't play this season, but the Hawks still have four scholarships to give. With just five players, one of whom sat out last season, and only 16.6 PPG coming back this season, it's a total rebuild for the Hawks and it'll be an achievement if they don't finish last.

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1 hour ago, BillsBeliever!!! said:

5 bid A10? VCU, Davidson, Bona, Rhody, and maybe we can shock some people

I think we have three that should be Tournament teams: VCU, Davidson, and Dayton. Too much roster turnover at Bonaventure for me to call them a Tournament team. Rhody could and probably should be our fourth. Five would mean things break right for someone else, like Bonaventure, or if someone goes on a run like we did this past season.

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57 minutes ago, Pistol said:

I think we have three that should be Tournament teams: VCU, Davidson, and Dayton. Too much roster turnover at Bonaventure for me to call them a Tournament team. Rhody could and probably should be our fourth. Five would mean things break right for someone else, like Bonaventure, or if someone goes on a run like we did this past season.

Best chance of getting five are if VCU, Dav, Dayton, Bona all have great seasons and one other team steals a bid. I know the SEC shouldn’t get as many as last year due to losing a bunch of players, but I don’t know much about the other conferences 

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24 minutes ago, Old guy said:

It must be remembered that A10 had 4 tournament teams this last season (2 NCAA and 2 NIT). If A10 gets 4 tournament teams this coming season they have stayed in place and not moved up or down.

Well, not really.  NIT pays squat.  The only tourney that matters is the one that pays, the NCAA.

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2 hours ago, WVBilliken said:

Love Collins' potential and press clippings but Jacobs was just as hyped coming in last year.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Jacobs to get more minutes than Collins next year based on one factor ..... he has a year in the SLU system.   Most freshmen take awhile to get acclimated to the college game.  And also, I have a feeling Jacobs is driven by last year's injury misfortunes. 

No way, people confuse athletic ability with basketball skills. Collins is an elite ball handler and passer, Jacobs is an elite dunker. I think it’s a no brainer to who the coach is going to want in the game during pressure situations.

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19 minutes ago, BIG BILL FAN said:

No way, people confuse athletic ability with basketball skills. Collins is an elite ball handler and passer, Jacobs is an elite dunker. I think it’s a no brainer to who the coach is going to want in the game during pressure situations.

Jacobs has much more to his game than dunks, see the earlier post about his performance vs state champ Webster. If he add some muscle and gets over the yips he has last year, look out...agree it’s a major “if” but not impossible.

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11 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

Jacobs has much more to his game than dunks, see the earlier post about his performance vs state champ Webster. If he add some muscle and gets over the yips he has last year, look out...agree it’s a major “if” but not impossible.

hope  he does get over the yips, but his ball handling was certainly suspect and i do recall he drove to the rim and missed his dunks when a layup would have been 2 pts.

 

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20 minutes ago, VeniceMenace said:

Jacobs has much more to his game than dunks, see the earlier post about his performance vs state champ Webster. If he add some muscle and gets over the yips he has last year, look out...agree it’s a major “if” but not impossible.

Hope you’re right, but it was painful to watch him handle the ball last year. A guard who can’t handle the ball is going to have trouble seeing the court.

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