Xavier was pretty much an automatic lock for the A10 every year it seemed, whether they won the conference or not. Temple was pretty much the same, except toward the end of Chaney's time; Fran got them back. You had some others popping up here and there every couple of years, but nobody was as consistent in the A10 as those two. The closest it's been since those two left were VCU and Dayton...neither of them are going this year.

And the A10's been screwed a bid they should have gotten...St. Bonaventure has been there. It's the kind of miss the majors don't feel. When Bonnie was overlooked, it felt like the A10 was finally being treated like a second-class citizen in college basketball. They overachieve by many accounts...they were brought back to earth with that snub.

That's why this year is very concerning, especially with the quadrants. For as good as the numbers URI and Bonnie have this year, the Tier 1 numbers are just not there with their peers around them in the rankings. And, yes, that is going to be held against them this season, and any season when the A10 is down. People are talking about three bids...geez...I didn't know they had two locked up.