Men’s basketball has been picked to finish the 2017-18 season in 11th place in the Atlantic 10, according to a coaches poll announced Tuesday.
The selection comes after the Colonials finished two spots higher than their projected eighth place finish last year, but ended up losing in the quarterfinal of the conference tournament. They garnered a 20-15 record last season that concluded with a second-round loss in the College Basketball Invitational tournament.
Senior guard Yuta Watanabe was selected to both the All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team.
Watanabe is the only returning player to start more than half of the Colonials’ games last season. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while often defending the opposition’s top guard.
The coaches poll chose Rhode Island as the favorite to repeat as the A-10 champion after the Rams finished last year with a 25-10 record and 13-5 in the A-10. GW lost to Rhode Island by 12 points on the road last year.
The poll was chosen by a panel of the league’s coaches and select members of the media.
GW returns only six players to its roster, while bringing in nine newcomers.
The Colonials season starts Nov. 10 against Howard after a Nov. 4 exhibition game against Fairmont State.
Men’s basketball A-10 2017-18 coaches poll
1. Rhode Island (27 first-place votes)
2. St. Bonaventure (1)
3. Saint Joseph’s
4. VCU
5. Dayton
6. Davidson
7. Saint Louis
8. Richmond
9. La Salle
10. George Mason
11. George Washington
12. Massachusetts
13. Fordham
14. Duquesne
