As America waits for answers far more important than college basketball, those excited for the upcoming season on the hardwood gained a bit of insight as to where their team stands within the field.
Late Tuesday evening, Ken Pomeroy, the creator of the KenPom rankings released his preseason rankings for the 2021 season.
Pomeroy is a statistical guru within the college basketball community. After starting his basketball analysis website while working for the United States government as a meteorologist, Pomeroy quit his full time job to focus simply on hoops.
Viewed by some as the Bill James of college basketball, Pomeroy's thoughts and analysis of the game play a notable role in what teams end up making the NCAA tournament. Rather than copying a ranking system similar to the numerous polls, the KenPom rankings are based on a team's current overall talent. Learn more about the overall rating system here.
KenPom has Duquesne opening the season as the 84th ranked team in the nation, just one spot behind its neighbor in the steel city, Pittsburgh, which comes in at 83.
Five teams in the Atlantic 10 are ranked higher than the Dukes. Saint Louis (45) holds the top spot in the conference, while Dayton (49), Richmond (62), St. Bonaventure (76) and Davidson (80) round out the top five.
VCU (97) and Rhode Island (98) take up the next two spots and are the final two teams in the conference to crack the top 100. George Mason (112), Massachusetts (125) complete the top 10, while La Salle (151), Saint Joseph's (160), Fordham (166) and George Washington (193) complete the the preseason conference rankings.
Baylor comes in as the top ranked team in the country to start the season. West Virginia (8) was the highest rated team in the area but fourth best in the Big 12, while Penn State (64) opens at a solid position nationally but 12th overall in the Big 10. Pitt (83) is also ranked 12th best in its conference, the ACC.
Duquesne finished 95th in last season's final KenPom rankings, good for seventh best in the conference. Just the top two teams in the Atlantic 10 - Dayton (4) and Richmond (46) - were projected to make the NCAA tournament last season, prior to event being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Atlantic 10's preseason poll is set to be released on Monday, which also marks the beginning of the conference's media day. It will be interesting to see where the Dukes fall in the preseason conference rankings compared to where KenPom has them.