The Atlantic 10 Conference has had a fairly successful decade. The conference faced realignment early in the 2010s. However, the league still sent three or more teams to the NCAA Tournament eight times, with a conference-record six representatives in 2014. If not for COVID-19, the Dayton Flyers may very well have ended the conference’s decade with a national title.
Atlantic 10 2010s All-Decade Team
Starters
Guard – Jaylen Adams, St. Bonaventure
Jaylen Adams was a star for St. Bonaventure from 2014-18. He shared the A10 player of the year award at the end of his senior season. He was also an honorable mention on the AP’s All-American team that year. Adams was a three-time member of the conference’s first-team. When it was all said and done, Adams was the Bonnies’ all-time scoring guard. He also finished in the top ten in school history in made threes and assists.
Adams averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in his career. He also shot 39.4 percent from behind the arc for his career. His 2016-17 campaign really put him on the map. Adams led the Atlantic 10 in three-point percentage, assists per game, points produced per game, and offensive win shares that year. Furthermore, he was clutch at the free-throw line, making the fourth-most free throws and shooting the fifth-best free-throw percentage in league history. Unfortunately, Adams only got to play in the NCAA Tournament once.
Guard – Tu Holloway, Xavier
Tu Holloway played four years at Xavier, but just two during this decade. He was the last great A10 player the Musketeers had before moving to the Big East. He was the 2011 league player of the year and was a two-time member of the first-team during this decade. Holloway is the only known Musketeer to have recorded more than one triple-double in his career. He finished his time at Xavier sixth in career points and third in career assists.
For his career, Holloway averaged 13.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. His 85.2 percent career free-throw shooting percentage is the best all-time at Xavier and second all-time for the Atlantic 10. His 5.4 assists per game in 2010-11 was tops in the league and second overall in the NCAA. He led Xavier to the NCAA Tournament twice in the decade with one Sweet 16 appearance. Holloway averaged 22.7 points per game during that Sweet 16 run.
Forward – DeAndre’ Bembry, St. Joseph’s
DeAndre’ Bembry played for St. Joseph’s from 2013-2016. As a freshman, he was the rookie of the year, and as a senior, he was the player of the year. He was also the player of the year in the Big Five series as a senior. Bembry was the first Hawks player to ever win the league scoring title when he captured it in 2015 (17.7 points per game).
Bembry averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists during his career. He averaged 38.6 minutes per game during the 2014-15 season, tops in the league and NCAA. He was the key player for St. Joseph’s during his career. His 35 double-figure scoring games tied a school record for the 2015-16 season. Bembry led the Hawks to two NCAA Tournament appearances and declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season.
Forward – Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Andrew Nicholson is another player who played in two seasons this decade. The Bonnies’ forward won player of the year honors as a senior in 2012. He was the first St. Bonaventure player to win the award in 21 years. Nicholson earned first-team honors in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Nicholson averaged 19.1 points and eight rebounds during his two seasons of play in the decade. He also shot 57.1 percent from the floor in both seasons, leading the A10 each time. Nicholson is the Atlantic 10’s career leader in made two-point field goals and has the second-best player efficiency rating. He helped the Bonnies make the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Forward – Obi Toppin, Dayton
Obi Toppin has only played two seasons at Dayton, but they were dominant. He swept practically every award on the national level in 2019-20. He won A10 player of the year, the Wooden and Naismith awards, and was named AP Player of the Year. Toppin was also the first unanimous All-American in school history, being named as a member of the first team. His 190 dunks are a school record.
For his career, Toppin averaged 17.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and two assists per game over his two seasons at Dayton. His 64.7 percent career field goal percentage is the best in school and league history, and tenth in NCAA history. Toppin was the most dominant player this past season and is almost certain to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Bench
Guard – Chaz Williams, Massachusetts
Chaz Williams played at UMass from 2011-2014. The Hofstra transfer was a member of the conference’s first-team all three seasons he played in the A10. He started 102 games for the Minutemen and finished his career as the school’s leader in assists and second in steals.
Williams averaged 16 points, 3.8 rebounds, and a ridiculous 6.8 assists per game in his three-year tenure at UMass. He also averaged 1.9 steals per game. Passing was something Williams did well. He led the league in assists all three seasons and finished third in conference history for assists in his career. He assisted a teammate on 37.5 percent of his career possessions. Williams took the Minutemen to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years in 2014.
Guard – Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Davidson
Jon Axel Gudmundsson is the other recent player to make this list, joining Obi Toppin. The native of Iceland took home the conference player of the year award in 2019. He was also an AP All-American honorable mention that year. He had Davidson’s first triple-double in 46 years. Gudmundsson is also the first player in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists in his career.
He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for his career. He was a guard that could do it all for the Wildcats. Gudmundsson is the A10’s career leader in defensive rebounds and fifth all-time in points produced. He scored 21 points and sank six three-pointers in his lone NCAA Tournament game.
Guard – Treveon Graham, VCU
Treveon Graham played at VCU from 2011-2015. The Rams were members of the A10 for his final three seasons. He was a two-time member of the Atlantic 10’s first-team all-conference. He also finished as VCU’s fifth all-time leading scorer. Graham was a member of the “chaos defense” era under Shaka Smart.
Graham averaged 16 points and 6.9 rebounds in three seasons of A10 play. He led the league in offensive win shares (3.9) during the 2012-13 season. He is also fourth on the conference’s all-time list for offensive rating. Graham was versatile and could stretch the floor in almost every position. He helped take the Rams to the NCAA Tournament in their first three years of Atlantic 10 membership.
Forward – Dwayne Evans, St. Louis
Dwayne Evans played at St. Louis from 2010-14. He was named as a member of the league’s first-team twice. His back-to-back appearances on that team made him the first Billiken to do so in 23 years. Evans scored in double-figures in 127 career games and led St. Louis in rebounding all four years.
He averaged 11.2 points and seven rebounds during his career. He led the league in defensive win shares twice, and his career defensive rating is sixth all-time in Atlantic 10 history. Evans helped the Billikens win two regular-season titles and make three NCAA Tournament appearances, winning one game each time.
Forward – Peyton Aldridge, Davidson
Peyton Aldridge played at Davidson from 2014-18. He split the player of the year award in 2018 with Jaylen Adams. He also was recognized as an honorable mention on the AP All-American team that season. Aldridge finished as the third all-time scorer in Davidson history and fifth in A10 history. He ended his career scoring in double-figures in 42 straight games.
Aldridge averaged 16.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game for his career. He is fourth all-time in Atlantic 10 history in made field goals, third in defensive rebounds, and first in points produced and offensive rating. Aldridge led Davidson to one NIT appearance and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He dominated the 2018 A10 Conference Tournament, averaging 24 points, seven rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Main Photo
