UR picked third in Atlantic 10; Dayton is pre-season No. 1

PHILADELPHIA — The University of Richmond men’s basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Conference in a poll of conference head coaches and selected media.

The Spiders will be led by preseason first-team selection Kevin Anderson, a junior guard who averaged 16.6 points per game last season en route to earning All-Conference second-team distinction. With five starters returning from the program’s first 20-win campaign since 2004, UR garnered four first-place votes. 

Dayton, with four starters and 10 of its top 11 scorers returning from last year’s 27-8 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, has been selected as the team to beat. 

The Flyers received 33 of the 57 first-place votes cast by the panel of coaches and media members. Leading UD will be preseason first-team All-Conference selection Chris Wright, who averaged a team-high 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds a year ago. The junior forward is among 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award and Dayton boasts a 41-10 record with Wright in the lineup.

Xavier received 18 first-place votes and placed second in the preseason poll. La Salle was tabbed fourth and Temple (22-12/11-5) finished tied with Duquesne for fifth in the poll.

The 2009-10 season tips off on Nov. 13 with eight contests involving A-10 teams, while league play commences on Jan. 6 when George Washington travels to St. Bonaventure, Duquesne hosts Richmond, Saint Joseph’s visits Temple and Massachusetts hosts Fordham.