Phil Martelli has been following the developments of the Catholic 7 basketball schools and the reports that the Atlantic 10 will lose Butler, Xavier and possibly others to the new league.

But until he hears an official announcement, the Saint Joseph’s coach isn’t sure he buys into what media outlets are publishing.

“I’m just going to say this as a fan: Is some of this premature?” Martelli asked. “Are some of these strikes being sent out there preemptive? You read another report from another faction that says, you know what, this isn’t done yet. With this amount of money and the amount of exposure and the change to the landscape, I think everybody should just take time and read up on it, but not believe everything you read.”

No matter what schools are picked, the A-10 will likely end up taking a major hit. Not only are Xavier, Butler and perhaps Dayton and Saint Louis on the way out, but Temple and Charlotte are leaving for new conferences after this season. And UMass, which plays FBS football in the Mid-American Conference, is expected to eventually be looking for a new home for all of its sports.

The A-10 may be down 12 schools next year and will be left with few high-profile programs, unless Commissioner Bernadette McGlade coaxes some top non-power conference teams to come aboard.

But Martelli said: “I think schools have to do what’s best for them. But the Atlantic 10 track record with Bernadette McGlade tells me, when all the smoke clears, we’re going to be in a great position again.”

Pete Gillen is a former coach for one of the Catholic 7 (Providence) and for one of the schools being targeted (Xavier). He’s also stayed plugged into college basketball as a TV and radio broadcaster.

Although the new league could be content to stay at nine or 10 teams, he believes it ultimately will get to 12. And to Gillen, Dayton is a no-brainer.

“They deserve to get in,” he said. “They get 13,000 for just about every home game. Tremendous tradition. They’d be a nice traveling partner with Xavier. A team plays Xavier on a Saturday and, on a Monday, they go up and play Dayton. I think it would make a lot of sense. Dayton would be a perfect fit.”

He’s done many A-10 games this season and hates to see the conference get raided.

“It’s sad because I think it’s one of the best leagues in the country this year,” he said. “It’s better than some of the so-called power conferences. It’s better than the SEC and better than the Pac-12.

“I think it hurts a lot, but that’s just the world we’re in. The changes won’t stop this year. … You hear some of the ACC schools want to go to the Big Ten. It’s just a continuing circle. It’s unfortunate. It’s all money. It’s crazy.”

Wide open: Butler and VCU showed what teams outside the power conferences are capable of by making a combined three Final Four appearances in the last three years. And without a dominant team nationally, is this a season where another school outside the glamour leagues makes a splash?

Butler coach Brad Stevens sees several likely candidates in the A-10.

“There are five or six teams that are good as the team that I coached two years ago from a coaching and a personnel standpoint,” he said. “I’ll tell you this: You’re going to have to beat Saint Louis or VCU. You’re going to have to find a way to beat those teams because they’re exceptional. And there are other teams in our league capable of making a deep run.”

VCU coach Shaka Smart also thinks it’s possible.

“Akron coach Keith Dambrot, who is one of the best coaches in the country, always said, ‘One of these years, one of the little guys is going to win the whole thing.’ And I always thought, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ A couple years later, George Mason went to the Final Four.

“Of course, Butler has done what it’s done, and we were able to make it in 2011. It’s doable.”

RPI update: The A-10 has 10 teams in the RPI top 100 again this week. Saint Louis has a rating of 28, Butler 29, VCU 31, Temple 42, La Salle 45, UMass 54, Charlotte 81, Richmond 83, St. Joe’s 87 and Xavier 92.

Dayton (104) and St. Bonaventure (105) just missed the top 100.

Big draw: Butler has played before sellout crowds in all seven of it’s A-10 road games. UMass hosts the Bulldogs on Thursday, and Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg said about 8,000 tickets have been claimed so far. The Mullins Center holds 9,800.