NCAA Basketball: Ranking the top 8 conferences for 2018-19

By Adam Childs | Oct 15, 2018

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers cuts down the net after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 71-63 during the championship game of the 2018 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images /

8. Atlantic 10

2017 Tournament Teams – (3) Rhode Island, Davidson and Saint Bonaventure

The Atlantic 10 had Rhode Island ranked for a lot of last season and Saint Bonaventure was just on the outside of the rankings. Davidson then pulled off an upset of Rhode Island in the A-10 tournament to slip into the big dance. Their three bids matched the Pac 12 and were just one behind the Big Ten.

The conference had a decent showing in the tournament as both Rhode Island and Saint Bonaventure had wins against major conference opponents in Oklahoma and UCLA respectively. Davidson didn’t win but they put a scare in Kentucky in the first round. The conference would definitely consider that a success.

Add in VCU who has been nationally ranked during the last five years and you have the makings a pretty good conference. Dayton, Saint Louis, and Saint Josephs are also not an easy out. They are just on the fringe of competing with the big boys but do not have the depth to be considered one of the best.

Look for this conference to again be pushing for three or four bids in the tournament this year as Rhode Island and Davidson look to be good again.

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