Oct. 17, 2012

NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--Four Atlantic 10 men's basketball teams, Saint Louis, VCU, Butler and Saint Joseph's received votes in the ESPN/USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released Wednesday.

SLU received 58 votes and was the first team out of the Top 25. The Billikens cracked the Top 25 poll once last year, ranking 25th.

VCU and Butler, the newcomers to the Atlantic 10 received 40 votes and six votes respectively. It would rank the Rams 27th and the Bulldogs 40th if the poll went that deep.

Saint Joseph's, the A-10 preseason favorite, received two votes. The Hawks return all five starters from last year's team.

The Atlantic 10 men's basketball season, which showcases 16 teams this year, nine of which ranked in the RPI top 100 in 2011-12, tips off on Friday, Nov. 9