(in order of predicted finish)
1. American: In coach Mike Brennan’s first year at the helm, the Eagles developed late in the season and won the conference tournament. Four starters are back, including shifty point guard Pee Wee Gardner.
2. Holy Cross: Despite the loss of leading scorer Dave Dudzinski, the Crusaders are a solid contender, led by 6-7 senior Malcolm Miller (11.0 ppg).
3. Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks return four starters, including sophomore center Tim Kempton (13.0 ppg), but the key could be freshman point guard Kahron Ross.
4. Boston University: The Terriers are young and unproven but will emerge as contenders.
5. Army: The Black Knights have rarely succeeded on the court, but they’re a dangerous team this year led by sharpshooting guard Kyle Wilson (18.4 ppg).
6. Lafayette: The Leopards, well-coached by Fran O’Hanlon, could cause some teams problems, especially now that forward Seth Hinrichs (16.4 ppg) is healthy.
7. Bucknell: Coach Dave Paulsen is still rebuilding after having a series of great teams. Guard Chris Hass is the only double-figure scorer returning.
8. Colgate: The Raiders haven’t been good since the days of Adonal Foyle, but there is hope with an experienced roster that features balanced scoring.
9. Loyola (Maryland): The Greyhounds came over from the MAAC expecting to excel, but they finished 6-12 in the league. It doesn’t look any brighter.
10. Navy: It was a stunning move when coach Ed DeChellis left Penn State for Navy after the 2010-11 season. It hasn’t worked out well, either; he’s 20-70 in three seasons with another clunker ahead.
Joe Sullivan can be reached at jtsullivan@globe.com.