The Atlantic 10 Conference is one of the better mid-major conferences, and this year is no different. With top teams like VCU, Dayton, Saint Joseph’s and St. Louis all assembling quality rosters, excitement is building for the season.
In addition to the preseason buzz, some big-name transfers are heading to the conference. Isaiah Swope (St. Louis), Robbie Avila (St. Louis) and Posh Alexander (Dayton) are a few players who will likely find their names on some awards lists upon the season’s closing.
But what about the guys who don’t have the name recognition of the ones mentioned above? Here is a list of a few names to get familiar with that are under the radar and making their way to the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Philip Russell, Graduate Guard, VCU
Russell is the definition of a true well-traveled veteran, having stops at St. Louis, Southeast Missouri State and UT Arlington before making his way to the Rams. During those stints, he made the NCAA Tournament with SEMO and took home the WAC Sixth Man of The Year Award with UT Arlington last year. His pairing with Max Shulga could play a crucial role in this team’s ceiling for this season.
Melvin Council Jr., Senior Guard, St. Bonaventure
Last year, Council Jr. spent one year at Wagner after a successful two years at the junior college level. He quickly proved his worth at Wagner last season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. But more importantly, Council Jr. led Wagner to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and first tournament win ever. Now, he climbs the ladder and joins a St. Bonaventure program that looks to remain in the mix for an A-10 championship.
Dusan Neskovic, Graduate Forward, Richmond
In his four years at Dartmouth, Neskovic developed into a reliable scoring option who can shoot the 3. Last season, he averaged 16 points per game on 36.3% shooting from 3 on 5.9 attempts. Now, he heads to Richmond looking to be a perimeter threat and contributor for a Spiders team that lost their top four scores from last year.
Alex Williams, Senior Forward, Duquesne
After spending his first two seasons behind current NBA pro Jalen Slawson at Furman, Williams broke out during his junior year in 2023-24. Williams averaged 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also showed his perimeter shooting ability, averaging almost 40% from behind the arc on 5.9 attempts a game. He now heads to a Dukes team, hoping to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.
