A10PrimaryThe Atlantic 10 Conference is procedurally different from the CAA in a number of areas, including voting for All-Conference awards. Whereas the CAA used a pool of 48 media members, SIDs and coaches, the A-10 is a strictly coaches voting pool. That doesn’t mean we have to sit this one out, however. We have a blog, you know.

Also, these picks were a part of the Duquesne Sports Blog’s voting pool for their All A-10 awards, so feel free to check out how the collective A-10 blogosphere feels.

Below are what would be my All Atlantic 10 Conference picks. Feel free to discuss, but take it easy on me. I’m sensitive.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Khalif Wyatt, Temple
Why: I didn’t really need further confirmation, but after Sunday’s performance against VCU, it took me all of about four seconds to write in Wyatt’s name here. The 6-foot-4 senior guard, who has five 30-point performances this season, leads the league in scoring (19.9 ppg) is seventh in assists (4.1 apg) and ninth in steals (1.6 spg). Easy pick.|
Also considered: I’m checking to see if Jameer Nelson is eligible.

First Team
Khalif Wyatt, Temple
Rotnei Clarke, Butler
Ramon Galloway, La Salle
Juvonte Reddic, VCU
Treveon Graham, VCU

Second Team
Tyreek Duren, La Salle
Chaz Williams, UMass
Semaj Christon, Xavier
Travis Taylor, Xavier
Dwayne Evans, Saint Louis

Third Team
Xavier Munford, Rhode Island
Demitrius Conger, St. Bonaventure
Derrick Colter, Duquesne
Kevin Dillard, Dayton
Darien Brothers, Richmond

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Crews, Saint Louis
Why: Has the A-10 ever given a Coach of the Year award to an interim coach? They should this year. The first spot I filled on my ballot was for Crews as Coach of the Year. Crews stepped in after the passing of Rick Majerus and has led the Billikens to the A-10 regular season title and a top 20 ranking. If Saint Louis doesn’t remove the interim tag from Crews, who has also coached at Evansville and Army, then I will lose faith in humanity.
Also considered: Dr. John Giannini, La Salle; Shaka Smart, VCU

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Briante Weber, VCU
Why: Unless you’re watching film, picking an all-defensive team is a real challenge. I went back-and-forth on this one. On one hand, Weber leads the nation in steal percentage by a wide margin. On the other, he only plays about 21 minutes per game. But my decision came down to this: Which player in the league has the greatest ability to impact a game defensively? I believe it’s Weber.
Also considered: Darius Theus, VCU; Isaiah Armwood, George Washington; Pierria Henry, Charlotte.

All-Defensive Team
Briante Weber, VCU
Darius Theus, VCU
Isaiah Armwood, George Washington
C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s
Pierria Henry, Charlotte

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Semaj Christon, Xavier
Why: Christon is the main reason why Xavier, despite being hard hit by graduation and the transfer of Dez Williams, has been a tough out in the A-10. The Cincinnati native ranks sixth in the A-10 in scoring (15.4 ppg) – top among league freshmen – and fifth in assists (4.7 apg).
Also considered: Derrick Colter, Duquesne

All-Rookie Team
Semaj Christon, Xavier
Derrick Colter, Duquesne
Kevin Larsen, George Washington
Melvin Johnson, VCU
Willie Clayton, Charlotte

MOST IMPROVED: Treveon Graham, VCU
Why: This is a tough category if you haven’t been around the league before this year, which I haven’t. However, Graham went from a solid bench player averaging about seven points per game, to the leading scorer on a top-25 team. Graham’s field goal, 3-point and free throw percentages are all up dramatically from last season as well.

About these ads