PHILADELPHIA — Most of the Atlantic 10's men's basketball coaches cleared out their desks after last season. The four who stayed still wound up tidying.

        “They made me clean my office,” Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said of his departed peers. “I had all the scouting reports of the last six years in there, and I had to throw them out and start over.”

NEW COACHES

• Duquesne: Danny Nee   • George Washington: Karl Hobbs   • La Salle: Billy Hahn   • Massachusetts: Steve Lappas   • Rhode Island: Jim Baron   • St. Bonaventure: Jan van Breda Kolff   • Xavier: Thad Matta

        The league's annual media day Monday was an occasion needing nametags. With seven coaching changes and another new face in John Beilein, coach of new A-10 member Richmond, the league got an unintended facelift.

        “We're a coaches league, and we still have very good coaches,” commissioner Linda Bruno said. “This (number of changes) is just an odd phenomenon.”

        There are notable names among the newcomers. Massachusetts' Steve Lappas may be the most recognized, having reached four NCAA Tournaments and three National Invitation Tournaments at Villanova.

        “We said, "The 'Nova coach is leaving to come here?' ” UMass senior Kitwana Rhymer said. “It shocked us.”

        Duquesne's Danny Nee won a school-record 254 games in 14 seasons at Nebraska. St. Bonaventure's Jan van Breda Kolff is coming off two good seasons at Pepperdine after earlier coaching Vanderbilt. And, of course, Xavier's Thad Matta led Butler last year to its best season ever.

        “These new guys will energize the league,” Martelli said.

        Many of the coaches said Monday that Saint Joe's, Temple, Dayton and Fordham would enjoy an advantage this season because of stability in their staffs. But the sheer number of newcomers essentially equalizes everyone in terms of scouting.

        “It's a great time to come into the league, because it's in transition,” Nee said.

        RISING CONFERENCE: Atlantic 10 coaches spoke of a potential breakthrough season for the conference. Dayton's Oliver Purnell said, “This is legitimately a top-five league.”

        Low Ratings Percentage Index numbers, affected dramatically by non-conference play, have been a factor in the league getting just three NCAA bids each of the past three seasons. It received five bids each of the two seasons prior.

        But The Sporting News and Lindy's both rank the league eighth this year. The league ranked ninth in the RPI last year, eighth in 1999-2000 and ninth in '98-99. Its best finish was No. 3 in 1993-94, when seven of nine members finished in the top 100 of the RPI.

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