So what do we know about the Atlantic 10, aside from the fact that it will now, for whatever reasons, be headquartered in Newport News, Va.?
Well, Dayton has been picked as the team to beat in men's basketball, having received 33 of a possible 57 first-place votes.
Xavier, which has won the regular season the last three years, is the only team with a new coach. Former top assistant Chris Mack takes over for Sean Miller, who went to Arizona.
Richmond, under Philadelphia's own Chris Mooney, is the third choice. Springfield-Delco's Dan Geriot, who missed last season with an injury, returns. As does almost everyone else, from a team that won 20 games without him for the first time since 2004.
Temple, which has to replace Dionte Christmas and two other starters, is trying to become the first team to win the conference tournament three consecutive times since Massachusetts (1992-97). The Owls finished in a tie with Duquesne - the team they beat 7 months ago for the title - for fifth in the balloting. Lavoy Allen was a first-team selection.
Saint Joseph's, where Phil Martelli just became a first-time grandfather, went 17-14 with Player of the Year Ahmad Nivins. Without him, the Hawks have been picked 10th. They'll open Hagan Arena Nov. 13 against Drexel.
The title, for the fourth consecutive March, will be decided in Atlantic City. But the final will be played on Selection Sunday afternoon, instead of Saturday night. On CBS rather than ESPN. And only eight teams will get there. The format now calls for first-round games to be held on campus sites earlier in the week. The bottom two teams will still stay home.
The last time a top seed won the title was 2005 (George Washington). At least one Philly school has made it to the final all but two times since the tourney was last played in South Philly in 2002. Actually, it was either Temple or St. Joe's. But now La Salle, for whatever it's worth, has been projected the highest (at No. 4) of the city's three rivals.
"Whether you're picked first or 14th or somewhere in between is not of great concern to us," said Explorers' coach John Giannini, who's starting his sixth season. "We're more concerned with how we play. We have a veteran group. We also have some good young talent, which I think is the mix you strive for."
Rodney Green (17.8 points a game) is the A-10's leading returning scorer. Freshman big man Aaric Murray was very heavily recruited by, among others, Temple, St. Joe's and Villanova.
