DistrictBaller

VCU is not Kentucky. Very bad comparison.

UK is constantly losing players and UK has NBA-ready players stepping on the floor from Day 1 to replace them. VCU has 7 players back from their 8 man rotation and had a couple of lower end top 100 players. The vast majority of college freshmen have an adjustment period to D1 hoops.

How does everyone know what the expectation was on Jordan? All they know is what their own expectations were. There's a lot of hype because the kid cracked the top 100 his senior year and his brother is a VCU legend. That's about it. To be sure, he's very good and would have played minutes on this year's team in the rotation. It is a loss, but there is plenty of depth and proven talent on the squad. Burgess will be even better for it next year with what is essentially a red shirt season for a top 100 player. It doesn't help us this season, but we didn't need too much help to begin with and there are capable players to collectively fill the void left by Brad.

Mo Ali-Cox was not going to play much this year. He was being considered for a red-shirt long before the eligibility issues came up.

I don't think anyone has denied it hurts our depth. It's not really a huge blow to our prospects however. We still have 12 bodies and 7 from our 8 man rotation. There was little PT to be had regardless and now it gives a chance for someone else to step up.

Again, if we were depending on a couple of true freshmen for the season to be successful, we would have no business being mentioned as a legitimate NCAA candidate. There is a proven returning team in the wings that has played at a high level.

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antboy

In-conference, yes. OOC, it's not always the case another team has risen up. The assumption is that a very strong team in conference will usually also have a good OOC, which is what makes those at-large bids possible, though there definitely have been a few teams that clearly underachieved in OOC (not naming names). Then the conference needed a few teams to dominate to have any chance at an at-large bid.

The conference seems to be in better shape now, where complete domination in conference isn't as necessary.

JD Hoops

I find any attempt to predict at large bid in preseason to be rather futile. Sure, there is historical trends but the A-10 will, likely be looked at more favorably now with the arrival of VCU and Butler for sure. What happens to the conferences like CAA left behind? Less bids- maybe just one and if your a GMU fan you better win the tourney So much will depend on what happens elsewhere for the at-larges, especially spots 3 through 5. I think the narrative of Butler and VCU help the A-10 geting (5) if one of those teams is sitting in that (5) spot but if say they finish (1) and (2) I wonder if that would make the committee feel satisfied with inviting three or four? (Again depending upon other upsets in other conference tourneys, etc)

A10BBall

Agreed... 5 bids is light and should be the expectation.. 6 or more is a good season...

e-parade

Conference record is 5 bids - the stretch goal should be to beat that this year.

ExplorerSteve

I guess that means John Giannini is also fired if this scenario happens. He really dissed both Philly schools. Guess he didn't watch any A10 games last season.

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urmite

That sounds like Lunardi. He makes changes 10 minutes before the announcement and those are usually right. Palm is mostly right a week before the announcement and very accurate by late Saturday night (even if he did have UR as the last team selected in 2001).

urmite

If they look at last year's performance as a team, people are surprised at the pick of St. Joe's. I think those picking St. Joe's are looking at the team issues last year and believe those issues are likely to be fixed, as well as looking at individual performances instead of team performances. Lastly, weren't they along with VCU one of the youngest teams in the country according to the UNCW writer?

JD Hoops

I would think this kind of prediction could be used as a great motivator of sorts for St. Josephs. I like the NON-CON schedule as well with early tests vs. the Irish and potentially Fla. St. and then Creighton and Drexel in December. VCU lost last season @ Drexel and eventhough they are favored by most to win the CAA I do not see them being as good as last year but still a tough win but if Drexel does pull the CAA out all the more better for RPI considerations

hykos1045

As the 7th to 9th ranked teams in the A10 right now according to any reputable polls, La Salle and Xavier won't get any automatic bids in the preseason. Cool your jets, Explorer Steve and Rodney Dangerfield. This isn't an 8 bid league like the big east, and on paper there are at least 6 teams already ahead of both La Salle and Xavier.

I like VCU pick overall, but Brooklyn is a very long way away. Until we reach February, these projected bids are all just randomly selected interchangeable parts. To have five A10 placeholders is not a bad prediction at all. Who those five teams will be? It's very difficult to get a consensus on that one.

uz2b-len

I think everyone on this board recognizes that LaSalle will be very competitive this year and not very surprised if they manage, say, a fourth place finish. They were a game away from that last year, just like three other teams.
edit: Probably like UMass, all four 5-8 finishers last year were a bucket away from fourth place last year.