A-10 breakout candidates

Good morning! It’s another day where the Daily’s loaded with scheduling news, but we’ve also got something lined up for our A-10 readers.

Let's dive in.

1. Get to know these five new A-10 players

Figuring out the transfer portal is a bit of a guessing game, especially where it means a player is transferring up a level.

And sometimes, there’s research that helps you pinpoint what matters, like in this article from A10 Stats. It points out that 3-point attempt rate, rim=attempt rate, offensive rebound %, and block % are what you should be looking for in a transfer.

So on that note, here are five new Atlantic 10 players I think are primed for breakout seasons.

Note: Stats from Torvik and Hoopexplorer.

Keyshawn Mitchell, VCU

One translatable metric is huge for Keyshawn Mitchell: his offensive rebounding. The 6-11 big man posted a 14.6% offensive rebounding rate, which 32nd last season. Mitchell started 34 of 35 games for Bryant, and new VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. brought Mitchell to VCU. Mitchell should have decent production as long VCU’s getting up shots; he scored 8.5 ppg on just six shot attempts per game. At a minimum, Mitchell's rebounding will make him a reliable A-10 starter.

DeJour Reeves, Fordham

One thing is certain: new coach Mike Magpayo always has one really, really good guard. Just look at Zyon Pullin and Barrington Hargress, both of whom who played for Magpayo at UC Riverside and thrived. Reeves checks two boxes: The 6-foot point guard ranked in the 92nd percentile with a 34.4 3-point rate and 56th percentile in rim rate. Reeves is also a proven scorer. He averaged 17.3 ppg at Iona last season and 14.3 at Northern Colorado two years ago. He’ll thrive at Fordham.

Bubu Benjamin, George Washington:

George Washington is the most beloved A-10 team (besides VCU) in early metrics. Per T-Rank, George Washington is rated at No. 59, and I see Bubu Benjamin as a key reason why. The 6-7 wing from Tarleton State, averaged 13.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg during his sophomore year. He also ranks in the 77th percentile in 3-point rate (and shot 38% from 3). He profiles very well as a high-level 3-and-D wing for a winning team.

Paul Otieno, Saint Louis

Saint Louis lacked a true big man to help star Robbie Avila out last year. Enter Paul Otieno, who can fill that role and thrive. The 6-8 Quinnipiac transfer ranked 35th in offensive rebound (14.2%) and 68th in block rate (7.1%). By doing all the little things on offense and defense, he’ll elevate the Billikens’ overall game.

Frank Mitchell, St. Bonaventure

I'm going back to 203-24 and looking at Mitchell's stats with Quinnipiac. That's not to say the 6-8 forward wasn't good at Minnesota. He filled a backup role, recording 4.9 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 15 mpg, ideal for a high-major backup big. But is there more in the tank for Frank? I think so. He basically was what Otieno was a year earlier. He ranked seventh in the country with a 16% offensive rebound rate in 2024, and should be a monster on the boards in the A-10.

2. New Feast Week tourney brackets + more scheduling notes

Feast Week has yet to be fully devoured by the Players Era Festival. We had a handful of multi-team events announce brackets on Tuesday that will be a good time.

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