March may be quite some time away (in college hoops at this point, it’s a lifetime), but you should do yourself a favor and block off an afternoon or evening in March to head downtown to Capital One Arena for the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The 15 (yes, I know it’s not congruent with the league’s name) team conference returns to D.C. for the first time since 2022 for its postseason showcase (the A-10 also visited the District in 2018).
The league delivered us really good basketball in its previous stops (with the exception of the mandated “last Friday Quarterfinal,” which feels like by nature and law, is always a blowout).
And fan bases used to heading to Brooklyn (or Pittsburgh, which occasionally makes the rotation) will get a break this winter, especially for the “Two Georges” and “Commonwealth Capital Couple.”
“I mean it’s huge to have it this close-in driving distance,” VCU head coach Ryan Odom said at the conference’s Media Day last month. “Sometimes there can be traffic that we all don’t like, but it’s worth it to come see the Rams play. And we’re excited that our fans will be able to get here quickly, a little bit easier.”
And it’s more than just the fan bases who benefit.
“Being able to play in front of my family and friends, it’s like a dream come true — it just means a lot,” D.C. native and George Washington guard Darren Buchanan Jr. said. “Just being able to play the A-10 Tournament here, which will be big I think, we’ll have a great crowd here, so it’ll feel like a home game and so we’re going to use that to our advantage this year.”
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While the Smith Center sits just 2.3 miles away from Capital One Arena, George Mason’s EagleBank Arena is only 20 miles away.
“I’m already envisioning March and being able to play in a place that’s so familiar for us, a place that our fans and supporters are going to have pretty easy access,” Patriots coach Tony Skinn said. “Having that comfort zone for our guys, our players, their families, it’s going to be something I’m looking forward to in our backyard.”
The last time the A-10 Tournament was played in D.C., nearby Richmond was able to take advantage of the short commute while winning four games in four days to secure their most recent NCAA Tournament ticket.
“It’s great for Richmond because we’re so close,” Spiders head coach Chris Mooney said. “A quick ride up (Interstate) 95 or a train ride. We had a great turnout the last time we were here and look forward to that in March again.”
VCU (24-14 last year and 11-7 in the A-10) was picked to win the league in this fall’s Preseason Poll. The Rams reached the NIT Quarterfinals last March after losing to Duquesne in the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Game.
Plenty of talent returns, including Preseason First Team selection Max Shulga (after a flirtation with Villanova). And the 6-foot-5 senior has plenty of help, with Preseason A-10 second-teamers Joe Bamisile and Zeb Jackson (who’s also on the Preseason All-Defensive Team) rounding out the backcourt.
In previous stops at UMBC and Utah State, coach Ryan Odom’s teams reached the NCAA Tournament, but after one winter competing in the A-10, he knows numerology and fall projections mean little on a night-by-night basis in the winter at arenas across the league.
“When you talk about the teams that finished at the top last year: really, really competitive. And it was competitive throughout, we started 0-2 (in conference play) and ended up in the (A-10 Tournament) Championship Game. And so did Duquesne (Dukes actually started 0-5 in league play),” Odom said. “This is a tough, tough conference and you’ve got to stand up night in and night out.”
George Mason (20-12, 9-9 A10 last year) was picked to finish sixth as coach Tony Skinn enters his second season on the sidelines. And while the transfer portal taketh away (Keyshawn Hall heads to Central Florida in the Big 12), it also giveth (ex-Siena center Giovanni Emejuru and former Florida Gulf Coast forward Zach Anderson) on some level.
Back is senior guard Darius Maddox, who averaged 14 points per game in his first season after transferring from Virginia Tech.
“It’s very unique in the landscape of college basketball in 2024 that you’re able to retain a guy like Darius Maddox,” Skinn said. “Retention is half the battle and being able to keep a guy like Darius Maddox, it makes my job a lot easier.”
What does Skinn hope to retain and build on from himself as he enters year two?
“Maintaining more poise for these guys — especially in the heat of battle as a leader,” Skinn said. “We’ve got to be able to connect with these guys in those moments to be able to get past the hump. We had six games last year that I thought we should have won and it (the season) could have gone in a different direction. That poise can help those guys.”
Richmond (23-10, 15-3 A10 last year) was picked seventh, after losing the top four scorers from its NIT team in the offseason. Senior guard DeLonnie Hunt (9.3 points per game as a junior) will be expected to do a lot of the heavy lifting on and off the court with nine newcomers on the roster.
“Guys are a little younger this year, they haven’t had as much college experience whereas last year we had a first five of all seniors,” Hunt said.
“But I think they’ve been handling it well, and we have a lot of guys who want to learn and be better every day,” said coach Chris Mooney, who is entering his 20th season of guiding the Spiders program.
“I’m fortunate. Richmond’s a pretty special place. A great place to live and raise your family and work for a university that’s very committed to basketball,” Mooney said. “Most importantly, we can attract really good guys. Guys who are very good basketball players, guys who can do well and succeed at (the University of) Richmond. That’s a great opportunity for any coach.”
George Washington (15-17, 4-14 A10 last year) was picked 13th, after losing top scorer James Bishop IV to graduation and fellow guard Maximus Edwards to transfer (Duquesne). The Revolutionaries also lost Garett Johnson to a torn ACL this past summer, leaving sophomore Darren Buchanan Jr. as the lone double-digit scorer returning to Foggy Bottom.
“We wanted to get a little bit older and we were able to do that with our four transfers, all in their third-fourth-fifth year,” coach Chris Caputo said. “I think the idea that they’re blending with a group of guys who got a lot of experience with each other last year is a good thing but it does take some time.”
Last year injuries caught up with a young team that started 3-1 in the conference and the coach feels his players are a little more world-weary heading into this winter.
“I think our guys have been scarred and hardened by their experiences — both good and bad. And I think there are no surprises,” Caputo said. “When you have young guys, sometimes they don’t believe you … I think they sort of know what to expect.”
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