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[Jeff]

Originally Posted by OSU Flyer This week I had the idea to show final KenPom rankings of A10 teams over the past few years in a heatmap. The conference has declined rather steadily in recent years and the chart helps visualize how total the regression is. You can see the top, middle, and bottom segments of the conference getting worse. If you’re only looking at NCAA bids over the same timeframe, the numbers aren’t nearly as alarming. Charting the KenPom ranks of each team in conference paints the picture in a way that tournament bids or overall conference rank do not. First, the A10. Yikes. Davidson stealing a third bid for the conference papered over a very bad 2018 season that isn’t being discussed enough. The decline is related to a few things – the Butler, Xavier, and Temple departures hurt, but those were six years ago. Traditionally strong programs like Saint Louis, UMass, and George Washington have gone into the tank recently. The conference has seen several strong coaches leave in recent years (Will Wade, Archie Miller, Mike Lonergan) and other unsuccessful ones get replaced. Things came to a head this past season as Dayton, VCU, and St. Joe’s all finished outside the KenPom top 100 for the first time since they’ve all been in the conference. There’s concern that this is the new normal, as this year doesn’t project to be good either. You might find a ray of hope in the fact that there’s not a ton of senior talent across the conference (Otis Livingston, Javon Bess, and Josh Cunningham are the senior stars on what figure to be contenders) so the A10 may have a renaissance in the 2019-2020 season. https://giantkiller.co/2018/08/13/vi...by-conference/

Great analysis. Data & facts have a way of demonstrating reality. No matter how well the program rebounds over the next few years, the A-10 appears to be in a steady state of decline. (Comment to be rescinded if there is a longer sample going back that demonstrates that). If that is the new reality, then the programs aspirations are the be the best of mediocre league. Hey, at least we have a nice arena.

	Xavier XAVIER MUSKETEERS Dayton's biggest rival dating back to the early 1900s. Founded in 1831, Xavier University is a Jesuit, Catholic university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier's nickname is the Musketeers and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Temple TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple College became Temple University in 1907. Located in Philadelphia, Temple is a comprehensive public research university with 34,000 students, 8 campuses, and 300 academic degree programs. Notable alumni include Bill Cosby and Daryl Hall. Temple's nickname is the Owls and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Massachusetts MASSACHUSETTS UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. UMass enrolls over 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post-grad students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Minutemen. Women's teams known as the Minutewomen. Sports achievements include NCAA Final Four appearances in men's basketball and women's soccer.

	George Washington GEORGE WASHINGTON Students choose from two distinct GW campuses — Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon. Both are located in historic and prestigious Northwest Washington, DC residential neighborhoods. With 9,700 undergraduate students, GW was founded almost 200 years ago and is named after the first President of the United States. GW stands as one of the nation's premier academic institutions with dozens of famous political, social, science, liberal arts, medical and professional graduates to its credit. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Colonials.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.