Villanova and Penn have to replace a lot of scoring but could make it tough for opponents once they enter league play if their young players develop as their coaches hope.
Here is an early look:
Temple
The Owls (24-8 last season) have a chance to leave the Atlantic 10 (they are headed to the Big East next season) with an impact thanks to three players who weren't with the team last season.
Transfers Dalton Pepper (West Virginia) and Jake O'Brien (Boston University) are ready to contribute. Senior Scootie Randall returns after sitting out last season because of a foot injury.
A talented freshman class joins Pepper, O'Brien, Randall, and holdover starters Khalif Wyatt and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson.
St. Joseph's
The Hawks (20-14) have all five starters from last year's team plus Ronald Roberts Jr., the conference's sixth man of the year.
They have fine perimeter shooting in Carl Jones - the team's only senior - and Langston Galloway, a shot-blocker in the middle in 6-foot-9 C.J. Aiken, and one of the most versatile players in the league in forward Halil Kanacevic.
Drexel
The Dragons (29-7) lost only one significant contributor, forward Samme Givens, from a team that won its first two games in the NIT before losing in the quarterfinals.
The Dragons' key players include junior Frantz Massenat, arguably the CAA's best point guard, and three-point shooters Damion Lee and Chris Fouch. The Dragons will have to find some help on the boards for senior Daryl McCoy, the top returning rebounder with 6.7 boards per game.
La Salle
The Explorers (21-13) earned their first postseason berth since 1992 last season and bring back four starters from that team, led by guards Tyreek Duren, Ramon Galloway, and Sam Mills.
Junior Tyrone Garland, a former Bartram star who transferred from Virginia Tech, will be eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester and probably will slide in as the fourth starter. La Salle will have to develop some depth to get to where it wants to go.
Villanova
The Wildcats (13-19) lost their top two scorers, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek, to NBA aspirations. That left Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton as the only seniors, and junior James Bell and sophomore JayVaughn Pinkston to pick up the scoring load.
Villanova welcomes transfer Tony Chennault from Wake Forest and appears ready to use freshman Ryan Arcidiacono (Neshaminy) in a regular role as its primary three-point shooter.
Penn
The Quakers (20-13) lost the Ivy League and Big Five player of the year, guard Zack Rosen, who put together one of the more clutch seasons in the history of the program.
Counting Rosen, Penn lost three of its top four scorers who accounted for nearly 57 percent of its points last season. This will mean more of an offensive role for junior Miles Cartwright and a chance for one of the team's younger players to step to the front.
City Six Ranking (Preseason)
1. Temple
2. St. Joseph's
3. Drexel
4. La Salle
5. Villanova
6. Penn
- Joe Juliano
Contact Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494 or jjuliano@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @joejulesinq.
