In Year 5 under Archie Miller, the Rams enter the season with major decisions to make and plenty at stake. Over the past four seasons, Rhody has compiled a 55–71 record—well below the expectations of the program’s faithful in the Ocean State. With the nonconference schedule recently announced, the Rams will have opportunities to face early tests while also building momentum in games at the Ryan Center.

The Rams will open the season at home against Holy Cross on Nov. 3 before traveling to Mohegan Sun Arena that Saturday for a matchup with Monmouth. That game will be the first half of a doubleheader, followed by Providence’s game against Nebraska. Rhody will then begin a three-game homestand against Maine, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Princeton—three contests that should be considered must-win opportunities.

URI will then face its first neutral-site tests of the season at the Greenbrier Tip-Off, a multi-team event loaded with quality mid-major opponents. The Rams will take on a strong Liberty team on Nov. 20 before facing UAB just two days later. Rhody will close out its November schedule with a matchup against American International on Nov. 25.

The first half of December could represent URI’s toughest stretch before Atlantic 10 play begins. The Rams host Brown on Dec. 1 before welcoming Bryan Hodgson and Providence to Kingston on Dec. 5. The Friars could be Rhody’s toughest opponent of the entire season. Providence brought in one of the country’s most talented transfer portal classes and is looking to engineer a turnaround of its own.

After that, the schedule becomes more manageable. The Rams will play only three games over the next 17 days: at Tulane on Dec. 12, against Northeastern in Boston on Dec. 19, and at home against Buffalo on Dec. 22 in their final game before conference play.

The Rams are in dire need of a successful season to reignite fan engagement and restore the Ryan Center as a venue opponents fear. With Jahmere Tripp and Jonah Hinton returning, along with a transfer portal class featuring Dylan Williamson and Matas Deniusas, this could be the season Rhody supporters across the Ocean State have been waiting for since Archie Miller arrived in Kingston.

UConn Has the Best Schedule in the Conference, and It Is Not Close

Dan Hurley evidently does not do easy. UConn’s 2026-27 non-conference slate consists of Michigan in Boston, Arizona at home, Kansas at a location to be determined later, Duke in Las Vegas, a road trip to Illinois, and Virginia in the world's greatest arena. That is six extremely high-major opponents before Big East play even starts. For a program that has had immense success in recent years and views every season as a chance to win a national championship, scheduling at this level is a statement. There is not a single confirmed cupcake hiding in the mix. Coach Hurley and staff are daring their roster to prove themselves before Big East play comes, and with the squad they have put together and Najai Hines anchoring the frontcourt with an extremely deep backcourt returning, the sky is the limit for the Huskies. 

Georgetown Is Scheduling Like a Program on the Rise 

For a Hoyas program that recently has had zero success and has not made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, the non-conference slate that Ed Cooley and staff put together is one of the most aggressive and impressive slates in the entire conference. Georgetown opens with Maryland at home, the second game between the two programs of a four-game home-and-home series. The Hoyas then travel to South Carolina to play Clemson away. Despite also having cupcakes in the schedule, the Hoyas will also host UNC at Capital One and compete in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego, where they will face Texas and either UCLA or Saint Mary’s during Thanksgiving weekend. Maryland, at Clemson, North Carolina, and Texas all in the same non-conference schedule is not the slate of a program that finished last in the Big East last season. It is the schedule of a program that believes it has a legit shot at dancing in March for the first time in 5 years. If Jaland Lowe can remain healthy and Cooley can bring in a few more players for the frontcourt before the season begins, the Hoyas will have the opportunity to build a legit March Madness resume before heading into Big East play. 

The Most Compelling Storyline of All: St. John’s Without the CBS Sports Classic 

Rick Pitino’s Red Storm were expected to return to the CBS Sports Classic this season, but after FOX blocked their participation after one season, Kansas was named as a replacement until 2029. It is a blow to the program’s non-conference visibility, but Pitino and company have not let it derail the schedule. The Johnnies will make a return to the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in what promises to be one of the toughest early-season neutral-site tournaments in the entire conference. They will also host Arizona at MSG as part of the Hall of Fame Series, and travel to play against Alabama in the C.M. Newton Classic. Obviously losing the CBS Sports Classic stings, especially after the fans and players were under the impression they would be allowed to participate; however, the non-conference slate that Pitino has made and continues to fill in has made up for it. Pitino will still be able to build an extremely strong resume, just without the CBS Platform that he had last season.   

DePaul Is Embracing the Challenge Under Holtmann

Chris Holtmann said it himself: this is the most challenging non-conference schedule that DePaul has put together since Holtmann joined the school 3 years ago, and it's not close. The Blue Demons will face a total of four teams that competed last season in March Madness and six total games against schools from other major conferences. Holtmann also got DePaul the opportunity to participate in the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida, where they will face Power Five competition including Purdue and Pitt. For a program coming off its best Big East finish since joining the conference in 2005, Holtmann is determined to schedule with confidence and show the world that DePaul is a program on the rise. With transfer Magoon Gwath anchoring the frontcourt, the Blue Demons have the defensive mindset to compete in these games vs top opponents. 

Creighton Is Making A Statement Under New Coach Alan Huss

New Creighton head coach Alan Huss is not easing into his first year. Creighton’s non-conference schedule includes the Players Era Fzestival in Las Vegas, where they first play Michigan, followed by TCU or Miami, a road trip to Kansas State, a neutral game against Iowa, and home games against both Nebraska and Gonzaga. That is an abundance of high-profile opponents before Big East play starts, and for a Bluejay program transitioning out of the McDermott era, the scheduling sends a clear message. Huss isn’t taking any time; he is competing from day one. This is not a rebuild. 

Villanova Goes to Rome 

Coach Kevin Willard is opening the 2026-27 season in more style than ever. The Wildcats will tip off their campaign at the Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome, Italy, against a talented Notre Dame team, which will be nationally regarded as the most unique regular-season matchup in recent college basketball history. Villanova will also travel to Kansas to play in one of the loudest arenas the sport has to offer, host a mighty Michigan team at home, play Wisconsin at a neutral site in Philadelphia, and make a road trip to Pitt. That is five genuine opponents on a non-conference slate that reinforces Willard’s philosophy of letting his squads earn their resumes early and before conference play even begins. With the addition of transfer Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal, this Villanova roster is built to handle everything. 

Providence Heading to Maui

First-year head coach Bryan Hodgson wasted no time building a non-conference slate that takes the Friars seriously as a tournament contender. Providence enters the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving, the most prestigious in-season tournament in college basketball, where they will open against VCU before potentially facing Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss or Washington in subsequent rounds. Outside of Maui, the Friars face Nebraska at Mohegan Sun in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off on November 7 and cap their non-conference schedule with a marquee matchup against Syracuse at TD Garden in Boston on December 19. Hodgson said it himself: the goal was to build a schedule that prepares Providence for the Big East season and the NCAA Tournament. With Dink Pate and Miles Byrd headlining the Providence roster, the Friars are not just scheduling for credibility. They are scheduling like they expect to be dancing in March. Will they live up to their expectations?

Sha Heads to the Beautiful Bahamas 

Shaheen Holloway’s Pirates traded Maui for the Bahamas this offseason. The Pirates enter the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, where they will face NC State and Wisconsin, giving Seton Hall two very legitimate opponents in one singular event. They will also travel to Alabama and most likely complete the final year of their home-and-home series against Kansas State. For a program that missed the March Madness Tournament despite having a 21-win year, building a stronger non-conference slate was certainly a priority, and the Baha Mar field gives Coach Holloway exactly the kind of credibility games the Pirates need for their resume come March. 

Xavier and Butler Round Out the Big East 

Xavier's slate features the Battle 4 Atlantis in Nassau over Thanksgiving alongside multiple high-major opponents, a trip to Iowa, a game versus Mississippi State, and the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout at Cincinnati. For Richard Pitino's second year in Ohio, it is a well-balanced schedule with enough quality opponents to build momentum. Butler, meanwhile, is heading to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina, opening a home-and-home series with the Tar Heels, while also traveling to Boise State, having a neutral-site game against Nebraska, and hosting Pittsburgh and Indiana at Hinkle Fieldhouse. For first-year head coach Ronald Nored, facing North Carolina, Indiana, and Nebraska in non-conference play sets a high early bar that will tell us quickly what this new era of Butler basketball looks like.

The non-conference slates across the Big East reflect where each program believes it stands. UConn is scheduling without fear. St. John's is adapting and still building a resume. Creighton and Marquette are proving something under new and established leadership, respectively. Georgetown is putting together a slate that screams RISE. And Seton Hall is constructing a stronger case for March after missing out last year. By mid-December, we will have a much clearer picture of which Big East programs are ready to compete for a conference title, and it all starts now, months away from tip-off.

With the regular season roughly four months away, teams across the country are deep into summer practice, and nonconference schedules are beginning to take clearer shape. Several Atlantic 10 programs have already taken a notably aggressive approach in building out their slates. That mindset comes at a critical time. With the NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams, the margin for at-large consideration widens slightly—but only for leagues willing to position themselves properly. For the A-10, which has received two or fewer bids in each of the last five seasons, this represents a significant opportunity to reestablish itself as a multi-bid conference.

The urgency is especially apparent when examining the league’s recent postseason profile. Too often, the conference has lacked the volume of high-quality nonconference wins necessary to withstand the volatility of league play. That reality places even greater importance on November and December results, particularly for teams outside the top tier. The bottom half of the conference, in particular, must be more intentional in pursuing competitive opportunities—true road games, neutral-site events, and matchups against high-major opponents—to improve both NET positioning and overall résumé strength.

At the top of the league, the standard-bearers are once again Saint Louis, Dayton, and VCU. Both Saint Louis and VCU are coming off Round of 32 appearances and were the conference’s only NCAA Tournament representatives last season, reinforcing their status as early frontrunners.

Saint Louis has constructed a balanced and opportunistic schedule. A marquee neutral-site matchup against Missouri at the Enterprise Center gives the Billikens a chance to secure a high-visibility win, while home games against High Point and DePaul provide additional résumé-building opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, Saint Louis will travel to Saint Mary’s on November 20—an analytically valuable road test against a consistently strong mid-major program that should carry significant NET weight.

VCU, meanwhile, may have the most high-upside opportunity of any A-10 team. The Rams will participate in the Maui Invitational, a premier early-season tournament that offers multiple chances for Quadrant 1-level wins. Beyond the exposure, success in Maui could dramatically elevate both VCU’s national profile and the perception of the conference as a whole. The Rams will also open their season on the road at Memphis, adding another high-quality test immediately out of the gate.

Dayton is similarly embracing a challenging approach. The Flyers’ nonconference schedule includes matchups with Cincinnati, South Florida, Memphis, Liberty, and Florida State—a group that provides both high-major competition and potential at-large résumé boosters. If Dayton can navigate that slate successfully, it positions itself not only as an A-10 title contender but as a legitimate multi-bid driver for the conference.

Beyond the league’s top tier, there are encouraging signs of progress. Programs that have historically struggled to build strong nonconference résumés are making more aggressive scheduling decisions.

La Salle stands out in that regard, with a road trip to BYU on December 22 and a likely season opener at Houston on November 2. While those games present significant challenges, they also offer rare opportunities for résumé-defining wins—something the Explorers have lacked in recent seasons.

Fordham, entering year two under Mike Magpayo, is taking a similar approach. Opening the season at Kansas on November 2 is a bold scheduling move that signals a willingness to embrace high-level competition. Even if victories are difficult to secure in those environments, the experience and potential NET benefits can prove valuable over the course of the season.

George Mason is also making calculated additions, hosting South Florida while scheduling a road game at High Point. While not as high-profile as some of the other matchups, these games still reflect an emphasis on competitive balance and résumé development.

As schedules continue to finalize, the broader mandate for the conference is clear. All 14 teams must prioritize quality over convenience. In an era where mid-majors are frequently judged through the lens of metrics like NET, strength of schedule, and Quadrant records, passive scheduling is no longer viable. The A-10 cannot rely solely on internal league strength to carry its NCAA Tournament case.

Instead, the path forward requires collective buy-in. Top teams must capitalize on marquee opportunities, while the rest of the league must raise its baseline through more ambitious scheduling. If executed effectively, the combination of a deeper nonconference profile and the expanded tournament field could allow the Atlantic 10 to reclaim its status as a consistent multi-bid league.

Georgetown Transfer Jaland Lowe Brings All-Big East Upside to Georgetown, If He Can Remain Healthy

On April 13th, Georgetown made one of its most significant and talent-rich additions of its 2026 offseason, landing former Kentucky and Pitt guard Jaland Lowe. On paper, this signing may be viewed as a low-risk, high-reward addition, but it is actually much more complicated than that, and the fate of Georgetown basketball and Ed Cooley's future is all being held in the hands of a 21-year-old point guard. Lowe is a former All-ACC point guard with a proven track record; however, his arrival comes with a huge question mark about his health after a lost season in Lexington. If healthy. Lowe has the potential and talent to be one of the nation's best point guards. The “if” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and it is worth understanding why, so let me explain.

The case for Lowe starts with what he produced in the ACC at Pittsburgh. In his breakout sophomore season, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, earning All-ACC honors. There is no way to overlook this college season; this is a guard who was an extremely important piece on Pitt's offensive strategy and a primary playmaker on a team that competed against ACC talent every night. His scoring, playmaking, and overall feel for the game and position were all there every single time he stepped foot on the court. The version of Jaland Lowe during his sophomore season was one of the most coveted names in the transfer portal a year ago, when Mark Pope won the race for his commitment.

Despite lots of excitement for Lowe’s Kentucky campaign, his tenure never really got off the ground. Lowe suffered a shoulder injury during the Blue-White Kentucky scrimmage in October, and the injury just never resolved. He appeared in just nine games for the Wildcats, making two starts, while battling his shoulder injury that continued to flare up throughout the season. He ultimately decided to undergo season-ending surgery in January, ending his Kentucky tenure with modest numbers of 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in extremely limited game time. Although this may scare the average Georgetown fan, these numbers say literally nothing about who Jaland Lowe is as a player. They reflect more of a guard who was never healthy and never given the chance to operate the way he could at Pitt with Capel as his coach.

Ed Cooley and Georgetown are betting on the version of Lowe that existed before the shoulder injury, and the possibility that Lowe receives a medical redshirt and an extra year of eligibility gives Georgetown more flexibility in their bet. If Lowe’s medical redshirt is granted, he will have two full seasons of eligibility, giving Georgetown the chance to have him for two seasons. However, even if Lowe is granted the waiver, no one can predict the transfer portal or what will be happening with NIL in college basketball by next offseason. The coaching staff will have to manage Lowe’s workload very closely to ensure he does not reinjure himself and can play throughout the season. A healthy Jaland Lowe has already proven his ability to score at a high level, playmake, and defend in a power conference and against top college competition. For a Georgetown program that has been stuck in the mud for many years, not reaching the NCAA tournament since 2021, adding Lowe, a point guard with legitimate All-Big East upside, is exactly the kind of bet the Hoyas should take.

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Breaking Down the 401: How all four Rhode Island teams’ non-conference schedules are shaping up so far for URI, Bryant, Providence and Brown.

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Bringing Jahmere Tripp and Jonah Hinton back to Kingston was a priority for the staff, and they got it done. Tripp emerged as an efficient three-level scorer this past season. The 6-foot-6 forward appeared in 27 games, averaging 12 points and 4.3 rebounds in just 25 minutes per night. He shot 46% from the field and 41% from three on just over three attempts per game. His frame allows him to post up and attack the rim with ease, underscoring his versatility as a scorer. Tripp scored a season-high 24 points in an overtime win at Dayton and reached double figures in eight of his final nine games. He should be one of the Rams’ most reliable offensive options this season.

Hinton’s return was just as crucial. While the guard struggled with efficiency—shooting 36% from the field and 32% from three—he showed flashes of high-level shot-making. He scored a season-high 29 points in a ranked win over Saint Louis, knocking down nine three-pointers, and added 23 points at Providence in December, going 7-for-14 from beyond the arc. Hinton is a volume shooter, but if he can become more consistent, he has the potential to develop into one of the conference’s top perimeter threats this season.

Rhode Island also brings back other key contributors in Mouhamed Sow and Jalen Harper, but Tripp and Hinton will need to anchor the offense as consistent scorers and leaders. For a program that has lacked a clear identity in recent years, their production could ultimately define the Rams’ ceiling.

Written By: Matt Colvin

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Hines was one of the best freshmen in all of the Big East last season despite somehow never cracking the starting lineup for the Pirates. In 18 minutes per game over 31 games, he averaged 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while also shooting 60% from the field. Hines led the entire Big East in blocks per game, and although he was a bench player, he was ahead of every starting big in the conference. His block rate percentage ranked second nationally. For a freshman big coming off the bench in a P4 conference, those numbers prove that we have only scratched the surface of Hine’s talent, and there is a lot more to come for him as a Huskie.

The most revealing games of Hines’ season last year happened against his new squad, the UConn Huskies. On January 13 at Prudential Center, he scored 10 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and recorded 3 incredible blocks, despite the loss. Then again, on February 28, senior day in Storrs, Hines scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and delivered another incredible defensive performance, recording three blocks in a game that Seton Hall almost won. It makes a lot of sense why UConn and Dan Hurley came calling when Hines entered the portal, after they watched a freshman center come off the bench and dominate on two separate occasions, both in Storrs and Newark.    

The Huskies lost First-Team All-Big East big man Tarris Reed Jr. to graduation and the draft this offseason, where Reed is expected to be selected late first round to early second round. Although it was known that Reed, a senior, would be leaving no matter what after the 2025-26 season, his departure left a major void for the Huskies. When the portal officially opened, the center position seemed to be a top priority for them. Although Hines is not Reed, he doesn’t necessarily need to be for this Huskie team to succeed. Hines brings his own style to the squad, elite shot-blocking as we saw versus the Huskies twice in his first year, an incredible physical frame that is perfect for Big East competition; incredible rebounding skills; and touch around the rim that can make him into a reliable finisher and someone who will average more than 12ppg next season after an offseason working with Dan Hurley and his staff. The major thing about Hines that should excite UConn fans going into next season is that the game we saw from him last year was barely a preview; it was more of a tease. Hines only played 18 minutes a game last season off the bench as a freshman playing for a program with limited resources, but despite all these things, he still led the Big East in blocks. Hines may have the highest ceiling in the entire Big East going into next year, and to say his upside is going to be significant would be an understatement. With an entire offseason working in Storrs with Hurley and co, along with many more minutes and a program that has built incredible big men in the past, it wouldn’t surprise me if Hines is an All-American-caliber center in the next year or two. Obviously, in this day and age of college basketball, there is no way to know how long Hines will compete for the Huskies, but he does have three years of eligibility if needed, and he hasn’t even come close to showing what he is capable of. Hurley deserves a round of applause; he didn’t just fill the void left by Reed, but he brought in a player who may be widely regarded as one of the best centers in all of college basketball by next season and, when all is said and done, will be better than Reed. 

Seton Hall didn’t have the resources to keep Hines; UConn did. Sadly, that is the reality of where the Big East conference and its teams stand right now. Some teams have more resources than others and can easily poach guys from opposing teams; that’s exactly what Hurley did: he brought in one of the most important players in the entire conference, Najai Hines. 

Article by: Owen Rosen

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Clayman pulled back the curtain on navigating the transfer portal, what goes into identifying the right fits for his system, and how the staff has built a roster designed to sustain that momentum. He also detailed the tone and structure of High Point’s offseason workouts, emphasizing player development and competitiveness, and walked through the challenging non-conference schedule the Panthers have assembled to test themselves early before Big South play.

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He pointed to the added experience within the roster and the versatility of the newcomers as key factors that should allow the Explorers to take a step forward in the Atlantic 10.

With a full offseason to implement his approach and reshape the roster, he conveyed confidence that La Salle is positioned to take another step further in a competitive Atlantic 10.

Become a paid subscriber to listen and watch the full interview below.

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From Providence to Rose Hill

Odih arrives in the Bronx after a year at St. John’s, where he fought for minutes on a veteran‑heavy roster and never quite cracked the regular rotation. He was a four‑star prospect and consensus top‑75 player in the 2025 class, coming out of SoCal Academy with the kind of national profile Fordham doesn’t often get to recruit directly.

His path ran straight up the Northeast corridor before that move west. A Providence native, Odih first made his name at La Salle Academy in Rhode Island, then headed to South Kent in Connecticut before finishing at SoCal on the prep circuit. At La Salle, he put up 19.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game for a 29‑2 team that won a Rhode Island Division I title, piling up 15 double‑doubles and first‑team All‑State honors along the way.

Those numbers turned him into a priority high‑major target. He originally committed and signed with West Virginia over Rutgers and Louisville, only to reopen his recruitment after the coaching change in Morgantown and pivot to St. John’s. Utah and Louisville both took another swing when he went back on the market, a pretty clear indication of how widely his frame and mentality are valued.

What actually happened at St. John’s

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Georgetown has finally made the signing official. After months of many rumors and speculation surrounding the Brazilian forward and guard, Pedro Paste has officially committed to the Hilltop and the Georgetown Hoyas. For those of you who follow the program as closely as I do, this one has been a very long time coming. The 6’6 wing is not a traditional transfer portal signing or addition because he is a 19-year-old Brazilian professional coming directly from Pinheiros, one of the top teams in Brazil's Novo Basquete Brasil. For a Georgetown program that is still building under Head Coach Ed Cooley, Pastre symbolizes exactly the kind of hidden-gem development piece that can easily become something insanely special for the Hoyas over time. 

Pastre’s story on how he ended up on the Hilltop with Ed Cooley is one of the better recruiting narratives of Georgetown and the entire Big East’s offseason. Last summer, and preseason for the 2025 Georgetown Hoyas at the Globl Jam tournament in Canada, Brazil faced Georgetown and handed the Hoyas a loss in the championship game 77-73, even after Brazil lost to the Hoyas the night before. The biggest difference between these two games was the performance from newly committed Pastre, who scored 16 points in that championship game, along with his Brazilian teammate Gabriel Landeira, who joined the Hoyas in the middle of last season as a redshirt freshman. This is what Ed Cooley does best: despite the loss on a national stage, Cooley and the staff walked away from that defeat with both Brazilian’s on their radar and now both Hoyas in 2026. This recruiting story speaks to Cooley’s incredible eye for talent and determination, but it also connects to something way deeper; Pastre comes from a Brazilian family of Jesuit educators, with both his mother and father working as teachers. When Georgetown came calling to Pastre, the university's academic rigor and institutional mission resonated far deeper than basketball itself. "Coming from a family of Jesuit educators — my parents are both teachers — the opportunity to pursue both academic and athletic excellence at Georgetown meant a lot to me," Pastre said upon his commitment to 247sports. 

In Pastre’s most recent NBB (Novo Basquete Brasil) season with Pinheiros, he averaged 7.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 25.3 minutes per game. Those numbers may not sound the greatest to all basketball fans and reporters, but they definitely deserve some context. The NBB is not a developmental league or a semi-professional league for players who weren’t able to make it to the NBA; it is one of the premier basketball leagues in the Americas and is grouped alongside top-tier European leagues for professionalism and competitiveness. Former and current NBA players consistently appear on NBB rosters, the latest being Gui Santos of the Golden State Warriors. The league serves as a legitimate proving ground for young prospects with pro aspirations and gives prospects a place to shine and showcase their skills vs older professionals in a way that the NCAA and college don’t. As a 19-year-old, Pastre was logging over 25 minutes per game in one of the toughest leagues in the Americas; he was not just filling a roster spot or a bench piece but was constantly in the rotation and starting for a professional team competing at the highest level that Brazilian basketball offers. 

His best moments with the Pinheiros and Brazil show two very distinct sides of his game and what he will bring to the table. In a home win over União Corinthia on November 11 2025, Pastre scored 16 points while shooting 4-8, 50% from three-point range, along with seven rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes. His performance highlighted his perimeter shooting ability and his skill set to space the floor, both of which translate well at the college and professional levels.

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Mike Magpayo and his Fordham staff attacked the transfer portal aggressively heading into year two, and the program appears to be trending upward. After finishing 17–15 overall and 8–10 in Atlantic 10 play, the Rams look poised to take a step forward, assembling a roster capable of competing in the top half of the league this coming season.

It starts with the impact they made in the portal. Lateef Patrick was a standout guard for Stephen F. Austin last season, averaging 15.2 points and 3.1 rebounds while appearing in all 34 games for the Lumberjacks. He scored 20 or more points eight times, including a career-high 29 against New Orleans in January. Patrick also provides perimeter shooting, knocking down over two three-pointers per game at a 34 percent clip. Amir Lindsey is another strong addition in the backcourt.

Despite his 5-foot-11 frame, Lindsey can score at all three levels thanks to his athleticism. He averaged nearly 18 points and five assists per game at Albany last season while shooting close to 45 percent from the field. With two years of eligibility remaining, Lindsey also brings defensive intensity, averaging 1.2 steals per game. Fordham also added depth with John Laboy from Miami (FL), who appeared in six games for the Hurricanes last season.

Magpayo also retained several of his top contributors, underscoring his program-building ability and the trust he has established within the roster. Rikus Schulte, one of the most efficient big men in the conference last season, announced his return to Rose Hill. In 32 games, Schulte averaged nearly 11 points and nine rebounds per game, recording nine double-doubles, including a 20-point, 11-rebound performance against La Salle on March 4. Akira Jacobs is another key returner. Alongside Schulte in the frontcourt, Jacobs averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also knocked down a career-high 44 three-pointers, and his wiry 6-foot-10 frame creates matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Fordham has a real opportunity to build something sustainable. With both starting big men returning and the addition of two impactful guards via the transfer portal, the Rams have the pieces to push into the top half of the Atlantic 10 standings. Magpayo has found success at every stop in his coaching career, and he will look to continue that trajectory with this group in the upcoming season.

From there, we get into the importance of retaining a strong core group and how that continuity shapes expectations for next season. Martelli also walks through VCU’s strategy and priorities in the transfer portal this offseason, and we close with a look ahead at the upcoming non-conference schedule and what it could mean for the team’s development and postseason résumé. Become a paid subscriber to watch and listen to the full 28-minute interview below.

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The first group of coaches brings a mix of different situations and perspectives. Darris Nichols is in the middle of building something at La Salle and talked about the second offseason as the Explorers coach.

Phil Martelli Jr. shared his reflections on a successful first year at VCU, as well as the roster construction for the upcoming season. This offseason, I’m starting something new at The Vault—an interview series built around real conversations with coaches across the sport.

Next, I’ll be sitting down with High Point head coach Flynn Clayman to discuss the Panthers’ progress last season and how he evaluates where the program stands heading into the offseason. The conversation will also focus on roster construction, key additions, and the approach shaping High Point’s outlook for the year ahead.

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Temple played Atlantic 10 basketball from 1982-83 through 2012-13, then moved its non-football sports out of the league beginning with the 2013-14 season. During those 31 A-10 seasons, Temple went 674-328 overall, a .673 winning percentage, and 376-132 in conference play, a .740 league winning percentage. Since leaving the A-10, Temple is 212-193 overall and 110-118 in conference play through the 2025-26 season, including a 16-16 finish in 2025-26.

The NCAA Tournament comparison is even more revealing. Temple made 23 NCAA Tournaments while it was in the Atlantic 10 and won 25 NCAA Tournament games during that stretch. Since leaving, the Owls have made the NCAA Tournament only twice, in 2016 and 2019, and have not won a tournament game.

That is the difference between a program with national relevance and one that has spent most of the last decade-plus trying to rediscover it.

Temple Was an A-10 Giant

Temple’s Atlantic 10 era began in 1982-83, the same season John Chaney took over the program. After a 14-15 first season, the Owls immediately became one of the most consistent programs in the country, winning 26 games in 1983-84, 25 in 1984-85, 25 in 1985-86, 32 in 1986-87, and 32 in 1987-88.

The peak of that early run came in 1987-88, when Temple went 32-2 overall, 18-0 in Atlantic 10 play, and reached the NCAA Tournament regional final. From 1983-84 through 1987-88, Temple made five straight NCAA Tournaments and established the template for what the program became under Chaney: rugged, nationally respected, and built to win in March.

Chaney’s A-10 résumé remains the backbone of Temple’s modern basketball identity. From 1982-83 through 2005-06, Temple went 516-253 overall and 296-100 in A-10 play under Chaney. The Owls reached the NCAA Tournament repeatedly, including regional final runs in 1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, and 2001.

Temple was not just good in the A-10. Temple was one of the league’s defining programs.

The A-10 Years Had a Dip, But Temple Recovered Before Leaving

The argument should not be that Temple was dominant every single year in the Atlantic 10. The program hit a real downturn late in Chaney’s tenure and during the transition to Fran Dunphy. From 2001-02 through 2006-07, Temple missed the NCAA Tournament every season and went 97-92 overall during that six-year stretch.

But the important part is what happened next. Dunphy rebuilt Temple into an A-10 power before the school left the league. From 2007-08 through 2012-13, the Owls went 146-57 overall, 74-22 in conference play, and made six straight NCAA Tournaments.

That final A-10 run matters because it removes the idea that Temple was already sliding into irrelevance before realignment. The Owls were not leaving the Atlantic 10 as a fading program. They were leaving after six consecutive NCAA bids.

The Post-A-10 Era Has Been a Different Program

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This isn’t just another high-major buy game. It’s in downtown St. Louis, in an NHL arena, with an SEC logo on one bench and an A-10 flagbearer on the other. For a league that’s constantly fighting for oxygen in November, that matters.

An old rivalry, new stakes

Saint Louis and Missouri have been bumping into each other on and off since the early 1930s. The series is tight—40 games, a 21–19 edge for Missouri—but it hasn’t felt like a real presence in the local schedule for a long time. The last meeting was in 2001, a two-point Tiger win in St. Louis. Since then, the sport has changed, the leagues have realigned, and this thing has drifted into trivia-night territory.

Bringing it back now gives the matchup a different kind of juice. Older fans get to dust off memories of packed gyms and old grudges; younger fans are seeing this pairing for the first time in their lives. It’s familiar and new at the same time, which is a rare combination. From an A-10 point of view, it’s also a chance to see one of the conference’s flagship programs step into a setting that looks a lot more like March than like an early November tune-up.

Enterprise Center as the backdrop

The choice of venue is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Playing Missouri in Chaifetz would be a big deal locally, but sliding this into Enterprise Center changes the tone entirely. It puts the game in the city’s main arena, home to the Blues and big-ticket concerts, and instantly gives it a bigger, more polished feel.

For Saint Louis, locking in a multi-year series with Missouri in that building is a scheduling win. You’re not driving down to Columbia for a one-off guarantee; you’re bringing an SEC opponent into your city, onto your terms, and doing it in a space that looks like the kind of neutral court you hope to see in March. That visual carries weight with fans, TV partners, and recruits.

From the vantage point of the Atlantic 10, that’s exactly the sort of stage the league needs more often. When SLU runs out onto that court with Missouri on the other side, the optics scream “big-time game”.

What’s on the line for the A-10

Strip it down to the basics and this is an early-season, neutral-floor game between a top-tier A-10 program and an SEC team that expects to live near or in the NCAA picture. That’s the kind of matchup that sticks to a résumé long after the leaves are off the trees.

If Saint Louis is at the top of the league, this will be one of the first scores anyone looks at when they’re trying to figure out how to slot the Billikens nationally. A win or a close loss gives the A-10 a result it can point to all year: here’s our best going toe-to-toe with a power-conference NCAA team in a pro arena and coming out on top.

That’s the broader A-10 tension in one night. The league doesn’t just need wins; it needs wins that come wrapped in the right context—against the right opponents, in the right buildings, at the right times. SLU–Mizzou at Enterprise checks all those boxes.

St. Louis, recruiting, and league branding

There’s also the recruiting piece, which quietly runs through all of this. Saint Louis has leaned into the idea that you can stay home, play real games, and still get a national platform. Hosting Missouri in Enterprise Center is a ready-made recruiting pitch. Local kids can

walk into the building, see SEC jerseys and Billiken blue under NBA-caliber lights, and realize they don’t have to leave the city to live that moment.

For the Atlantic 10, it’s a reminder that the league sits in and around markets that can support this kind of event. A good crowd—and realistically, one that leans heavily SLU—turns “neutral site” into something closer to a quasi-home game with national optics. That’s powerful branding. It says: our top programs can create big-game environments without waiting on a power conference to invite them to a made-for-TV event somewhere else.

How A-10 fans should watch this

On November 6, it’s easy to see this as a one-off: first game of the year, a fun neutral-site show, something to flip on between other openers. For Atlantic 10 fans, it should register differently.

You’re watching an early test of whether the league’s best can stand up to a team that lives in a power conference ecosystem—resources, schedule, exposure, all of it. You’re watching a program that sees itself as an A-10 standard-bearer step into a building that reflects that ambition. And you’re watching a result that, fair or not, will color how people talk about the league for weeks.

If SLU hits the right notes—competes, looks the part, maybe wins—this won’t just be a nice night out in downtown St. Louis. It will be one of those early November results A-10 fans keep circling back to in March, the one they mention first when someone asks, “Okay, but who did you beat?”

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“He Impacts the Game in Many Different Ways”: Dylan Williamson

Rhody’s portal rebuild really starts with Towson guard Dylan Williamson. At Towson last season, the 6‑1 guard put up 14.6 points and 3.4 assists, knocked down 88 threes at a 43.1% clip, and hit double figures 26 times, with nine of those nights clearing 20. Miller’s reaction when URI made it official was pretty telling: “Dylan is a highly‑productive player who has been a winner throughout his collegiate career. He can score, he can take care of the ball, and he can defend. He impacts the game in many different ways.”

The film from 2024‑25 backs that up more than any box score. In the CAA Quarterfinals against Delaware, Williamson went off for a career‑high 32 points, drilling seven threes and looking every bit like the deep‑range shot‑maker Rhode Island has been missing when games tighten up. Earlier in the year, he hung 26 in a win over Northeastern and had at least four made threes in 11 different outings, the kind of volume that flips results over a long season. And for Rhody fans, one game probably jumps to the front of the reel: Towson’s 62‑55 win over URI in Orlando, when he dropped 25 on 10‑for‑21 shooting and 5‑for‑9 from three, essentially taking over the night and, in the process, making an awfully strong argument for why he belonged in Miller’s backcourt.

Now he walks into an offense where Jonah Hinton has already proved he can be the primary bucket‑getter at 14.8 points per game. With Williamson handling more of the on‑ball work, Hinton can spend less time grinding out possessions from a standstill and more time popping free off actions and attacking tilted defenses. Put the two together and you get the kind of A‑10 backcourt Miller has been trying to build.

“Matchup Problems” at the Four: Matas Deniusas

If Williamson is the engine, UT Martin transfer Matas Deniusas is the piece that changes the shape of the floor. The 6‑9 Lithuanian stretch forward averaged 12.5 points, 5.2 boards, and 1.5 assists as a true freshman for a 20‑win Skyhawks team, while shooting 33.6% from three and 75% at the line. Miller’s read on him was straightforward and enthusiastic: “Matas made an immediate impact as a true freshman for a 20‑win team at UT Martin. His

understanding of the game is impressive, and he has the athleticism to create matchup problems. As strong a year as he had, he has plenty of room for his game to continue to grow.”

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Shaheen Holloway had been on him since the high school days—Bergen Catholic, PSA, later Legacy. Copeland was one of those bigs you circle early: 6-9, long, physical, plays on an edge that looks like it belongs in the Big East. The path took a detour to Texas and the JUCO ranks, but Holloway kept checking in, kept tracking the film, and waited for the right moment. Howard’s title run made the timing obvious.

A Year With a Target on His Back

Howard spent last season as the team everyone wanted to knock off. Top-five ranking, packed gyms, and every opponent building its game plan around trying to make someone other than Copeland beat them.

He pretty much didn’t let that happen.

The stretch that tells the story comes in March. Howard rolls through the postseason and into the NJCAA national championship game. At halftime, the Hawks are clinging to a one-point lead. After the break, Copeland turns it into a mismatch, finishing with 23 points and 16 rebounds while Howard pulls away. That’s not just production; that’s a frontline guy closing a season with everything on the line.

The box scores leading up to that night were just as loud. In the conference race, he drops 40 and 13 on Midland in a win that locks up the league title. In the tournament, he hangs 31 and 11 in a double-overtime classic against Butler, powering through fatigue. Those games became the shorthand description of his year: when Howard needed a bucket, a stop, or a rebound, it tilted everything toward him.

How Howard Saw Him

Inside the Howard program, Copeland wasn’t treated like a luxury piece. He was the spine of what they did.

Head coach Bill Brock spent the season pointing back to the group’s work habits, and Copeland kept landing in those conversations. This is where you can plug in a direct line from Brock about the way Copeland set the tone in practice or how often he dragged them through bad stretches on effort alone.

Assistants talked about him the way coaches talk about bigs they trust in March: he played through contact, lived on the glass, and didn’t need the ball perfectly delivered to be effective. They leaned on his ability to run, to arrive early in transition, to carve out space on deep seals, and then just live with the results. They also saw a guy who wasn’t stuck on the block. He could face up, hit a jumper, and at least force defenses to think twice before loading the lane.

The picture you get from that staff is simple: if Howard was going to win something that mattered, Copeland had to be central to it—and he was.

Holloway’s Long Game

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Providence averaged 85.3 points per game, good for 15th nationally, but allowed 84.0 points per game, which ranked 356th nationally. In Big East play, the Friars allowed opponents to reach at least 80 points in 13 of 20 conference games, and they lost nine league games by seven points or fewer. That combination tells the story: Providence was competitive, but too often it was playing from a defensive deficit.

Bryan Hodgson’s first roster build looks like a direct response to that problem. The new Providence roster is longer, bigger and more disruptive, with multiple additions who bring defensive production, positional size or both. Hodgson has not just added scorers. He has added bodies built to change the Friars’ defensive identity.

The headliner is Miles Byrd, a 6-foot-6 guard from San Diego State who averaged 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals last season while earning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors. Hodgson made clear what Byrd brings, saying, “Miles will be entering his fifth year and he will bring experience, leadership and a strong defensive presence to our roster”. For a Providence team that ranked 313th nationally in steals per game and 326th in opponent turnovers per game, Byrd gives the Friars the kind of defensive playmaker they badly lacked (TeamRankings).

The frontcourt has also been reshaped. Samson Aletan, a 6-foot-10 center from Yale, averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while leading Yale with 41 blocks, which ranked third in the Ivy League. Hodgson called him “an athletic and versatile big” and said Aletan “will provide an elite defensive presence”. Arrinten Page adds even more size at 6-foot-11 after averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks at Northwestern, with Hodgson saying he will be “an elite addition on both ends of the floor in Friartown”.

Jacob Bannarbie gives Providence another physical piece in the paint. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward from UNLV averaged 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent from the field, and he will bring “size, athleticism, physicality and versatility” to the Friars. That matters in the Big East, where Providence cannot afford to be light up front or dependent on one rim protector.

The wing group may be just as important. Dink Pate gives Providence unusual perimeter size as a 6-foot-8 guard who averaged 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the NBA G League. Hodgson said Pate has “display[ed] his skill and athleticism while showing continual improvement,” which hints at the kind of jumbo creator who can help Providence play bigger without slowing down.

Leonardo Marangon adds another long defensive option. The 6-foot-7 Italian forward averaged 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals, and Hodgson described him as “a strong defender, who led his team in steals”. Devin Vanterpool, a 6-foot-4 guard from Florida Atlantic, adds physical scoring and rebounding after averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds, while Gavin Hightower brings speed and pressure after averaging 3.0 steals per 40 minutes at USF.

The picture is clear. Providence’s old formula produced points, but it did not produce enough stops. Hodgson’s first major roster move has been to raise the floor physically, add defensive event-creators, and give the Friars enough size to compete across a full Big East schedule. If Byrd sets the tone on the perimeter, Aletan and Page protect the back line, and the larger wings allow Providence to switch and pressure more aggressively, the Friars should look far less vulnerable than the team that spent last season trying to win track meets.

The rebuild is not only about talent. It is about changing the terms of the game. For Providence to climb back in the Big East, Hodgson’s new group has to make opponents feel the Friars defensively again.

Early Life and Canadian Roots

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Nnani first emerged on the radar of Canadian scouts as a long, fluid wing-forward with guard skills for his size. He played at Archbishop O’Leary High School, suiting up as a perimeter player and combo forward in a program that’s produced multiple college prospects.

Canadian outlet North Pole Hoops labeled him as a small forward with UPLAY on the grassroots circuit, a program known for producing high-major talent. Evaluators there routinely highlighted his length, fluidity, and ability to defend multiple positions, noting that he was just scratching the surface of what he could become as his frame filled out.

“Onyx is the kind of long wing who can grow into a modern forward,” one Canadian talent evaluator said during his prep years, pointing to his combination of size and mobility.

Move to The Phelps School and Recruiting Rise

To test himself against a higher level of competition, Nnani moved from Edmonton to The Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, one of the Northeast’s better-known prep programs. There, he transitioned more fully into a frontcourt role, still facing up but increasingly used as a rangy, switchable forward.

At Phelps, Nnani’s production jumped. MaxPreps lists him as averaging double-figure scoring with strong rebounding numbers, including seasons around the high-teens to low-20s in points and more than seven rebounds per game, reflecting his ability to impact games inside and out. Playing a national schedule and summer ball with UPLAY, he steadily added offers.

His recruitment broadened quickly. Arkansas State secured a commitment from Nnani in October 2024. According to Rivals, he picked up offers from Oregon, Oklahoma State, Washington, Kansas State, Florida International, Penn State, Saint Joseph’s, Florida Gulf Coast, and NJIT, among others, illustrating how widely his upside was recognized.

A Rivals recruiting note from that commitment described him as a long, high-upside forward with perimeter flashes and defensive versatility, the kind of frontcourt prospect who could outplay his ranking if his skill set continued to expand. On3’s highlighted his mix of length and mobility and linking him to multiple high-major programs.

“Onyx brings tremendous upside as a 6-9 forward who can handle, run and protect the rim,” one assistant coach involved in his recruitment said during his prep career, praising his “motor and defensive ceiling.”

College Career at South Florida

Nnani ultimately landed at South Florida (followed Coach Hodgson) , committing in April 2025 as part of the Bulls’ 2025 recruiting class. He entered as a freshman forward with the expectation that his biggest impact would come down the road as he added strength and experience.

His on-court role in Year 1 was minimal. ESPN’s stat page credits him with just one appearance in the 2025–26 season, logging a single minute, one rebound, and no points. The lack of playing time had more to do with a crowded, veteran frontcourt on a 23–8 USF team than any lack of long-term belief in his tools.

USF, which finished 23–8 and 15–3 in the American Athletic Conference, leaned heavily on older players as it pushed for postseason positioning. Nnani spent most of the year developing in practice, where coaches continued to emphasize his length, mobility, and shot-blocking potential.

“He’s one of those young bigs who changes the look of practice because of his length,” a USF staffer noted during the season, pointing to his ability to contest shots and run the floor in transition.

Transfer to Bryant and Fit

After the season, Nnani entered the transfer portal looking for a clearer path to minutes and a system that would lean into his versatility. Bryant moved quickly, securing his commitment in April 2026, adding him as a frontcourt piece with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

Bryant’s staff can deploy him as a long, mobile big who can guard in space, switch actions, and grow into a lob threat and rim protector. With his 6-foot-9 frame, 215-pound build, and background as a wing-forward, he fits the modern profile of a defensive-minded big who can eventually stretch the floor and attack closeouts.

The Bryant coaching staff stated that “Onyx gives us length, energy and a lot of room to grow,”. “We love his ability to move his feet, protect the rim and run the floor. Now it’s about getting him reps and confidence.”

He can guard multiple spots, play in ball-screen coverage, and help erase mistakes at the rim. Offensively, he is still more of a finisher than a featured option—running the floor, cutting, rolling, and crashing the offensive glass—while his shooting and face-up game continue to develop.

For Bryant, the bet is that consistent minutes and a clearly defined role will unlock the player evaluators have been intrigued by for several years. If the Bulldogs can harness his size, mobility, and motor, Nnani has a realistic chance to grow into a rotation anchor in the America East, with the potential to become one of the league’s more impactful defensive bigs by the back half of his career.

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