uz2b-len

Just wondering if we could compile a complete list of the setbacks experienced in 2012 by the various A10 programs. I'd like to rate them from 1 to 10, where 10 would be like losing your best player forever without anyone to replace him (Dez Wells?) and 1 could be a little pinky slap on the wrist (Khalif Wyatt?). I don't think I could estimate the impact of any of these setbacks except for UMass, because I'm not familiar enough with the teams, so I'm hoping the ever voluble board members will chime in. Here's a few that I recall off the top of my head:

UMass - Javorn Farrell lost for the year after surgery, or maybe not. Originally he was gonna redshirt, but seems to be healing faster than expected and could maybe be back. His contribution last year was important--21.5 minutes a game, 6.7 pts, over 2.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds. His contribution could be replaced Sampson Carter, but Carter hasn't come back fully from surgery he had last winter. So I rate Farrell's loss as a 6. Carter's slow recovery I rate as a 5, because I do expect he'll be back in form at some point during the OOC. It would even be less of a problem if Farrell were healthy.

Xavier - seems like a horrible off season. Mark Lyons goes, how bad is that? Addition by subtraction or subtraction by subtraction? Obviously a highly talented player. Dez gone. That's a big loss with no upside. Not a good year to then have two freshman prove to be ineligible.

Saint Louis - no bigger blow than losing your head coach unexpectedly. I don't care how experienced Crew is, he ain't Big Rick. Then there's Kwamain's injury. Tough off season.

Rhode Island - Lost a great talent although sick personality in Jonathan Holton. New coach, potentially better coach, but still all the new coach woes: who are these players, what can they do?

Duquesne - New coach, not a clearly better coach. Some players left, too, right?

Please add, I'll try to keep it updated and clear.

Bill Russell

Bona's main setback was the NCAA's ineligibility ruling on 7'0" center Matthias Runs. He would have provided solid minutes off the bench for the Bonnies.

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vcurams05

VCU - Two freshman declared ineligible by NCAA. One would've certainly cracked the rotation at the hybrid SF-PF we use. The other would've added bulk in the post and possibly a few minutes rest for our regular rotation bigs. More of a depth loss than anything, not sure either would've come out blazing like an All-Conference caliber player.

I'll go with a 3. In the end we lost something we never really had in the first place.

BM-GW

GW - Leading returning scorer David Pellom had wrist surgery. He'll start practicing in December.

rworkman09

Charlotte's second best returning scorer DeMario Mayfield has a high ankle sprain. Right now he is expected to be back by game 1 or 2, but with those injuries you never know. They're easy to re-injure. Our best returning shooter, Jamar Briscoe, left the team in the offseason.

Our best rated freshman recruit Shawn Lester (was Rivals #133 until he committed to us), was ruled ineligible.

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Bona Wolf for Pope

Dukes - Lost TJ McConnell, among others. Have to think he would have been on a few All A-10 lists.

URI - Lost Billy Baron, who can shoot and may someday have a great mustache.

Butler - Lost their starting PG (?) Chrishawn Hopkins. Have not lost their belief that they will win every conference game, despite no longer being in the Horizon.

UD - Kavanaugh out. Could be big, could be nothing. Could prove Dayton is no better than Xavier, could mean that they are still morally superior. Who knows?

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SpiderInTheMixingBowl

Richmond - Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, red-shirt frosh and projected starter is suspended. He was recently charged in relation to an incident that took place two years ago during a high-school practice. He is still allowed to practice with the team. Fans are hopeful that extenuating circumstances will allow him to have his suspension lifted soon.

AdamtheFlyer

My scale has 1 at "eh" and 10 at "Penn State punishment"

I would rate Dayton's setback at about a 4. Tough, but not a killer.

For Xavier, I won't count Lyons because he was gone well before you could get a feel for this year's team. Losing Wells and having 2 freshmen ineligible is an 8. Changes the entire outlook of the season, perhaps even the next two years.

SLU losing Majerus and Mitchell's injury is a 6. Lower it to a 5 if Mitchell is back playing the way he plays by January 1. I always worry about a broken bone in a foot, especially for a guard. Feet are pretty important. Tough to rehab a foot injury, you basically just stop everything until it heals. Could be a month after he returns before he's back to himself, and it could be something that hampers him all year.

UMass injury is probably about a 3. It'll hurt their depth a bit, but they can cover it. UMass, like Dayton, has a damn good, veteran PG and talented bigs. Those two areas cure many ills. They'll be fine.

I'll rate Butler's a 6. They're left with a PG who's really a SG and they are expecting a freshman to do big things. A senior guard, Chase Stigall, is a big ol' nope. They may be able to shoot jumpers, but I think they will struggle to stop other guards and create points for their teammates.

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ace93

Fordham is still awaiting what is likely the final appeal on the eligibility of Ryan Rhoomes. He is a 6'8" 235 lb. forward who originally committed to TCU, but was ruled ineligible then. He was expected to start next to Chris Gaston. If ruled ineligible Fordham will have to rely on 6'10 sophomore Ryan Canty who looked very raw last season and 6'8" 275 lb. freshman Travion Leonard who supposedly has looked good in practice (against the last place team in the A10).

Also, returning starting PG Devon "Fatty" McMillan had shoulder surgery and is currently out until around Thanksgiving.

waldo027

What's the purpose of this thread? So we can argue over who is worse off? This will be a great season. 4 bids, minimum.

Personally I can't wait for SLU's season to start. 8 days till the first exhibition, 14 days till the first real game.

JD Hoops

Xavier's off season woes by far is the worst development. I don't think any team had more promise dashed this season-at least probability-wise but Chris will not throw in the towel and will work hard to compete.
VCU-I have posted before that I believe that many media folks, especially locally simply just have not really examined what the real impact on the Rams the loss of Bradford Burgess actually will be. The stats can be spun either way as we all know, but the intangibles of leadership for any team and the loss of it is a void that just does not get filled simply because someone has been there waiting in the wings or its their turn. It must be proven that the shoes can be filled. My opinion is VCU has the parts to compensate for the loss of Burgess even without the two freshman lost to partial ineligibilty but there is no single player in totality that has proven the last two years that they can be as "complete" as Burgess. Maybe in the end the Rams because more balanced because of this- I rate loss of Burgess at the very a 5/6. I think we will know whether its greater by Battle for Atlantis!

SpiderInTheMixingBowl

I'd rate Richmond's issue a 1 out of 10 with the caveat that it could grow to being a 3 out of 10 if Alonzo ends up missing half or more of the season because of this.

vaNtR

Temple actually has had a pretty good year so far. Other than Khalif Wyatt attempting to copulate with a prostitute and Fran Dunphy continuing to be a mediocre recruiter -- things haven't been all that bad.

Bona Wolf for Pope

How good (ignoring the personality issues) would a team of the guys who are out of the A-10 be? Hopkins, McConnell, Lyons, Dez, Rhoomes, Kavanaugh, Runs, Nelson-Ododoa, Baron, Burgess...a little thin/inexperienced up front but not bad at all.

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uz2b-len

How about a comprehensive Duquesne update?