A10 Basketball: 3 reasons why the conference can receive multiple 2019 bids

3. Dark horses and recent trends

The league is wide open this year. Because of that, it’s hard to predict who will emerge as the conference champion because there are just so many options (besides the aforementioned).

Saint Louis will not only have a Big 3 of Jordan Goodwin, Hasahn French, and Javon Bess, but also the conference’s most highly touted freshmen in Carte’Are Gordon (247Sports’ No. 8 Center nationally). UMass comes back with potential POTY Luwane Pipkins and a bevy of transfers and role players like sniper Carl Pierre (47% from deep as a freshman). St. Joe’s, who finished fourth in the standings a year ago, brings back star player Charlie Brown (after he sat out the entirety of last season with a wrist injury) to add to Taylor Funk and Lamarr Kimble.

Dayton, Rhody, VCU, and Duquesne all return teams that will have the depth and/or athleticism to run with anybody as well. The bottom line is this: of all the teams I’ve discussed, at least one of them will emerge to either unexpectedly win the conference or steal an at-large bid.  Since 2012, the A10 has had, respectively: 5, 6, 3, 3, 3, and 3 bids to the Big Dance.

I’m not saying to expect a year like 2014 with six bids, but I think it’s naive to go all the way in the other direction and say that only the conference trophy-winner will get there, especially in a year with so much talent and potential.