24-25 PreSeason Predictions

[jessej]

It was either this or starting a new discussion about getting a football team

7. George Mason Patriots​

2023-24 season record: 20-12 (9-9)

Considering it was a rebuild after losing Kim English to Providence, Tony Skinn had a rather successful first season with the Patriots, winning 20 games. But they do lose three of the top four scorers, including star forward Keyshawn Hall (16.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg), who transferred to UCF.

Losing Hall and starting big man Amari Kelly hurts but the Patriots were able to land a couple of bigs via the portal. Zach Anderson (12.8 ppg and 5.1 rpg) was an all-league performer from FGCU, shooting 46% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts a game. Giovanni Emejuru (11.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg) is a 6’10 and nearly 270-pound big man from Siena who’ll be the starting center. Plus, Jalen Haynes, who averaged 14.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg at ETSU two years ago, will be able to play after sitting out this past season.

The one key piece back for George Mason is veteran guard Darius Maddox, who averaged 14.0 ppg on 41% shooting from the field. He has a great chance to earn all-league honors, joined by returning guards, Austin Ball and Jared Billups. Two transfers to watch are Brayden O’Connor (9.9 ppg at UMass Lowell) and Jeremiah Quigley (10.8 ppg and 3.3 apg as a freshman at Iona).

Ultimately, the success or failure of the Patriots could come down to Auburn transfer, KD Johnson. In four years at Georgia and Auburn, he averaged 10 ppg on 39% shooting and was prone to both big outings or inefficient poor games. If he can clean the consistency up, Johnson and Maddox can be a premier backcourt in the A-10.

Atlantic 10 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2024-25 season

After a wild postseason, history was made in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, with Duquesne ending a near 50-year drought to get back in the Big Dance by winning the

bustingbrackets.com

 

[Patriotsince81]

Thanks for sharing. It's never too early to begin sizing up the league. That being said, the portal has made it very difficult to make preseason predictions with any accuracy. Case in point, the A10 last year. Preseason polls got exactly 0 correct out of the 15 spots. It will be pretty safe to say the same for the coming year. 7th for us seems very low and I'll be pissed if that is where we end up.

23-24 Predicted finish vs actual finish.
1. Dayton - 3rd
2. vcu - 5th
3. St. Bonaventure - 7th
4. Duquesne - 6th
5. St. Joe's - 9th
6. St. Louis - 14th
7. Fordham - 12th
8. Loyola Chicago - 2nd
9. GW - 15th
10. GM - 8th (That's CM Trademark for those who may be confused)
11. Richmond - 1st
12. Davidson - 13th
13. UMass - 4th
14. Rhode Island - 11th
15. La Salle - 10th

 

[jessej]

Thanks for sharing. It's never too early to begin sizing up the league. That being said, the portal has made it very difficult to make preseason predictions with any accuracy. Case in point, the A10 last year. Preseason polls got exactly 0 correct out of the 15 spots. It will be pretty safe to say the same for the coming year. 7th for us seems very low and I'll be pissed if that is where we end up.

23-24 Predicted finish vs actual finish.
1. Dayton - 3rd
2. vcu - 5th
3. St. Bonaventure - 7th
4. Duquesne - 6th
5. St. Joe's - 9th
6. St. Louis - 14th
7. Fordham - 12th
8. Loyola Chicago - 2nd
9. GW - 15th
10. GM - 8th (That's CM Trademark for those who may be confused)
11. Richmond - 1st
12. Davidson - 13th
13. UMass - 4th
14. Rhode Island - 11th
15. La Salle - 10th

great

if the closeness metric is + or -1 spot
Davidson is the only team picked correctly

Delta 2
Dayton, Duquesne, GMU, and Davidson

maybe future predictions later on in the year, after seeing practices and how the rosters gel may be more accurate

or maybe some pickers are better than others

 

[mkaufman1]

Picking the league is virtually impossible. I do a contest w friends every year and I’m lucky if I get 1 right.

 

[gmujim92]

The “way too early” predictions from engagement farming sites were always pretty much worthless, but now especially so given all the roster turnover.

Also I continue to get a good laugh at all the “experts” who only look at stats and think Hall’s departure is a big loss for us.

Anyone who knows basketball and watched our games, particularly in the second half of the season, understands that “addition by subtraction” is a real thing.

Expect us to be underrated again because these jokers have no clue how much better this roster functions without Hall on it.

 

[jruby]

This is exactly what I predicted. No matter who mason got or signed they would not be getting any love. Mason has forever been picked in the dead center of the conference. I think it’s laziness, however facts are facts in the sense they are going off history. Until they can knock off vcu and win a couple other big games they will be viewed as such.

In the end I tend to believe in Tony, I don’t want to say 1/2 but I’m going to anyway. I’m going all in on Skinn. This is the year! St. Louis is intriguing but that’s it. Not buying Dayton with Grant at the healm, not buying Loyola and their assault style basketball. The major difference between them and vcu teams of the past is vcu had talent. Loyola was just a bunch of goofs.

Tony went out and got the guys, in a way I think he built what Loyola did last year only with more exact real talent. They will play hard, and beat you, physically and mentally.

The only X factor of if it’s Dancing or Nit will be can they win a couple road games they haven’t been able to in the past…. Going to the dump that is Richmond will determine a lot. Getting 2 wins down there will not be easy. At best I see 1-1. Win the majority of the rest and give themselves a chance.

Flip side is Go 0-2 and fail to pick up road wins and slide right back to the middle. I think Tony gets it, understands these schools and this year I don’t think he over thinks the vcu gams like last year. However if they do it’s more of the Same.

Optimistic for first time in 10+ years that this will be a great team.

 

[mkaufman1]

I hate vcu as much as all of us, but I’m not sure why we need to “beat them” to be taken seriously. We have beaten them in the past a few times. Yes, we can’t beat them at home. I feel like its more in the fans heads than anything.

Also, just last year Mason once again beat Dayton for the 3rd time in a row which was a top 25 win at home. Somehow that gets us no respect but I think the real issue is our March A10 performance. When a program continuously loses in the 2nd round or quarters (and isn’t competitive), it will give the same vibe. There is no reason to put Mason any higher than mediocrity. Folks know Mason will be competitive, win some, lose some, but generally just be meh.

That being said, this year has to be the year the narrative changes. They have to find a way to break through. Tony brought the right dudes in.

 

[MasonSAE4]

7th is perfectly warranted and anyone who thinks otherwise might as well have the last name Simpson. Although in the day and age of whatever you want to call this transfer portal hellscape, the positive is 2-12 are gonna just be pick em’s in any given year.

 

[GMUgemini]

I hate vcu as much as all of us, but I’m not sure why we need to “beat them” to be taken seriously. We have beaten them in the past a few times. Yes, we can’t beat them at home. I feel like its more in the fans heads than anything.

Also, just last year Mason once again beat Dayton for the 3rd time in a row which was a top 25 win at home. Somehow that gets us no respect but I think the real issue is our March A10 performance. When a program continuously loses in the 2nd round or quarters (and isn’t competitive), it will give the same vibe. There is no reason to put Mason any higher than mediocrity. Folks know Mason will be competitive, win some, lose some, but generally just be meh.

That being said, this year has to be the year the narrative changes. They have to find a way to break through. Tony brought the right dudes in.

Losing to vcu last year sucked but we had a chance in that game and didn’t execute (which happens to everyone sometimes).

Getting swept by Loyola, losing to crappy GW team and Fordham teams and than not really being competitive against St. Joes in the tournament is where we don’t gain any respect. Going 3-1 in those games and we finish 12-6 and top 4. That’s what we need to see.

 

[GMUgemini]

I should also add that losing to UMass the way we did absolutely sucked! I don’t know if we win in OT, but the rest of the team not named Keyshawn Hall deserved a chance to finish the game.

 

[psyclone]

Tough break for GW and Johnson. He was one of their better players.

Garrett Johnson tears ACL, expected to miss 2024-25 season

Garrett Johnson successfully underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered during the first session of summer practices, GW announced Monday.

www.a10talk.com

 

[Old Ram]

​

Home: Fordham, La Salle, Loyola Chicago, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph's, Davidson, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond

Away: Dayton, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, vcu, Davidson, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond"

Given this schedule, there should be no excuse for not finishing near the top of the conference. Three of our H&H opponents are the little sisters of the poor. Yes, Dayton, SLU, and vcu are tough road games but that is only 3 games out of 18.

After eleven years lost in the A10 forest, it’s now or never.

 

[GMUgemini]

​

Home: Fordham, La Salle, Loyola Chicago, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph's, Davidson, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond

Away: Dayton, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, vcu, Davidson, George Washington, Rhode Island, Richmond"

Given this schedule, there should be no excuse for not finishing near the top of the conference. Three of our H&H opponents are the little sisters of the poor. Yes, Dayton, SLU, and vcu are tough road games but that is only 3 games out of 18.

After eleven years lost in the A10 forest, it’s now or never.

Davidson might be good next season. GW losing Johnson really, really hurts them but even still they have a ton of firepower coming in. I have no idea what’s going on with Rhody.

 

[Old Ram]

Davidson might be good next season. GW losing Johnson really, really hurts them but even still they have a ton of firepower coming in. I have no idea what’s going on with Rhody.

Davidson will probably not be any better than last year which was 5-13. Aside from UR, the other three H&H’s are terrible.

 

[FreeGunston12]

Tough break for GW and Johnson. He was one of their better players.

Garrett Johnson tears ACL, expected to miss 2024-25 season

Garrett Johnson successfully underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered during the first session of summer practices, GW announced Monday.

www.a10talk.com

Poor kid can’t catch a break. Got to feel bad for him after missing so much time with the tumor.

 

[jessej]

Next one up
Tom Gola 2.0

a bit better

2024-2025 A10 Preseason Rankings

1. vcu
2. SLU
3. Dayton
4. Loyola
5. Mason
6. SJU
7. URI
8. Duquesne
9. Richmond
10. Davidson
11. UMass
12. La Salle
13. GW
14. St Bona
15. Fordham

 

[jruby]

Next one up
Tom Gola 2.0

a bit better
2024-2025 A10 Preseason Rankings
1. vcu
2. SLU
3. Dayton
4. Loyola
5. Mason
6. SJU
7. URI
8. Duquesne
9. Richmond
10. Davidson
11. UMass
12. La Salle
13. GW
14. St Bona
15. Fordham

Seems like a much better list. Top 3 make sense.

 

[jruby]

I hate vcu as much as all of us, but I’m not sure why we need to “beat them” to be taken seriously. We have beaten them in the past a few times. Yes, we can’t beat them at home. I feel like its more in the fans heads than anything.

Also, just last year Mason once again beat Dayton for the 3rd time in a row which was a top 25 win at home. Somehow that gets us no respect but I think the real issue is our March A10 performance. When a program continuously loses in the 2nd round or quarters (and isn’t competitive), it will give the same vibe. There is no reason to put Mason any higher than mediocrity. Folks know Mason will be competitive, win some, lose some, but generally just be meh.

That being said, this year has to be the year the narrative changes. They have to find a way to break through. Tony brought the right dudes in.

No they need to beat vcu or Richmond to finish 1-2, can't lose more than a couple games and expect to finish at the top. I think its very real they could be looking at top 4. The difference between going dancing or not will be can they pick up road wins. The narrative of what the expectations are should be changing, nit is the floor NCAA's is the ceiling. It's gotta change. Anything less would be a disappointment next year.

Tony didn't come home to play in the middle of the A10, he'll be gone quickly if that's the expectations here. He will not settle for that.

 

[mkaufman1]

No they need to beat vcu or Richmond to finish 1-2, can't lose more than a couple games and expect to finish at the top. I think it’s very real they could be looking at top 4. The difference between going dancing or not will be can they pick up road wins. The narrative of what the expectations are should be changing, nit is the floor NCAA's is the ceiling. It's gotta change. Anything less would be a disappointment next year.

Tony didn't come home to play in the middle of the A10, he'll be gone quickly if that's the expectations here. He will not settle for that.

Dude- nobody who is a fan / alum of Mason or associated with the program is expecting and accepting Mason to be mid pack forever. I'm saying that's what "experts" expect out of Mason at this point. I would have been (and many others) would have been gone if that was the expectation of the program. I want the NCAA this year and I will be disappointed if anything less occurs. I have laid out my expectations already in a previous post. If we can't win with this type of roster, I don't know when we will.

Last I checked Mason beat Richmond at home last year and has in the past. I'm not sure why vcu and Richmond specifically are the keys to Mason making the top 4. In the end they have to somehow win 12 games in conference to make the top 4. Doesn't matter which 12 games, that is probably the magic number to be top 4. Yeah I want them to beat vcu too, but that alone isn't going to get them top 4.

 

[jessej]

Another one

2024-25 Mid Major Basketball Preview - The Resource Nexus

Previews Big 12 Big Ten SEC ACC Big East Mid Major Team Rankings Player Ratings Transfer Rankings Team ADJeff Bracketolgy Resources TeamADJeff 2023-24Rank 1 3 Gonzaga WCC 4.45 12 2 35 Boise State MWC 3.33 44 3 42 McNeese State SLC 3.38 67 4 43 Dayton A10 3.20 32 5 46 Saint Mary’s WCC 2.73 […]

theresourcenexus.com

#4 A-10
#22 Mid Major Top 25
and it would be nice to schedule some of the other teams in the Top 25