The Atlantic 10 Men’s Preseason All-Conference Awards and Poll results were released Tuesday, Sept. 30, with 27 voters giving their expected end-of-season rankings as well as their picks for All-Conference First, Second and Third teams. The Saint Louis Billikens are expected to finish second in the A-10 with star center Robbie Avila on the Preseason All-Conference First Team.
Avila’s senior campaign will see him supported by incoming transfers Trey Green, Quentin Jones and Paul Otieno, as well as returning wing Kellen Thames in the projected starting lineup. Based on reports of a closed-door scrimmage between SLU and the Iowa Hawkeyes, Head Coach Josh Schertz’s bench unit will consist of rising star Amari McCottry, fan-favorite Dylan Warlick, inside bruiser Kalu Anya, four-star freshman Jax Kerr and transfers Ishan Sharma and Brady Dunlap.
This year, SLU is retaining two of the five players who played significant starting minutes last season in Avila and Anya, with Anya likely to come off the bench for Avila or Otieno. While that is reason for some pause, many of the other teams projected into the top half of the A-10 are in a similar spot. Virginia Commonwealth retains one of six, Dayton retains two of six, George Washington four of eight, Loyola three of six, George Mason one of five and St. Joseph’s three of six.
If SLU can play 11-deep like they did en route to beating Iowa 99-74, then Schertz’s rotational depth may be able to offset the limited carryover in rotation players. Each of the five transfers expected to play significant minutes this season offers a different skillset to the Billikens.
Trey Green, a 6-foot guard coming from Xavier University, replaces Isaiah Swope at the one. Green played nine games off the bench for the Musketeers last season before redshirting the rest of the season for medical reasons. In his nine games played, he shot 37.5% from downtown on 2.7 attempts per game. Per 30 minutes, Green scored 13.8 points per game, just shy of Swope’s 13.95 with better shooting beyond the arc.
Quentin Jones comes in as the Billikens’ new two guard after starting 31 games for the Northern Illinois Huskies. Jones averaged 16.6 points per game on a respectable 45.5% clip from the floor, hitting 35.5% of his threes on 4.9 attempts per game.
Paul Otieno has arrived from Quinnipiac University to take the jump for the Billikens. Otieno started in 32 games for the Bobcats, averaging 13 and 8 along with 2.8 stocks in 31 minutes each night. Otieno, standing 6 feet 9 inches, is expected to support Avila at the power forward. A defensive anchor and double-double threat, Otieno briefly showed that he may be able to stretch the floor last season, shooting 40% from the arc during A-10 play. If Schertz can encourage Otieno to turn this hint into a truth of his game, Otieno could become a key x-factor for the Billikens.
Ishan Sharma is the biggest question mark transferring into the blue and white this year. Sharma played 29 games for the Virginia Cavaliers, playing only 12.8 minutes per game. In his sole start for UVA, Sharma drilled 50% of his threes, pulled down three boards and dished out three assists. Entering his second year, it remains to be seen how high his potential is under Schertz.
Finally, Brady Dunlap joins the Billikens from St. John’s University. The 6-foot-7-inch wing was redshirted after suffering a hand injury and abdominal tear after playing ten games for Rick Pitino’s Red Storm, including two games started. In limited minutes, Dunlap showed off his potential as a sharpshooter, hitting threes at a 37.5% clip.
Schertz’s Billikens are poised to be one of the best three-point shooting teams in the A-10 this season, with strong defensive contributions expected from Otieno, Green, Anya and McCottry.
SLU kicks off the 2025-26 season with their home opener on Monday, Nov. 7, against Southeast Missouri State University at 7 p.m. in Chaifetz Arena.