For a long time, the Saint Louis Billikens have been one of the best mid-major programs in college basketball. Granted, there have been down periods when it’s been easy to find cheap Saint Louis basketball tickets. But the Billikens always find a way to bounce back. Nowadays, the Billikens make their home in the Atlantic 10 Conference and are typically one of the league’s frontrunners, making last-minute Saint Louis basketball tickets in high demand regardless of the opponent.

The First Wave

The first wave of success for SLU basketball came under Hall of Fame head coach Eddie Hickey. In 1947, Hickey left his alma mater, Creighton, to coach the Billikens, leading them on to a 24-3 record and an NIT championship in his first season. SLU would go on to finish first or second in the Missouri Valley Conference in nine of Hickey’s 11 seasons and were regular participants in the NIT back when it was the pre-eminent postseason tournament in college basketball. Hickey’s tenure also included two trips to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Finding a Home

For much of their history, the Billikens bounced around from one conference to another. But after moving to the Atlantic 10 in 2005, SLU appears to have found a permanent home. Under Hall of Fame coach Rick Majerus, the Billikens started to hit their stride in their new conference. The Billikens were runners-up of the CBI in 2010, a season that laid the foundation for three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2012 to 2014 with the Billikens winning their first-round game each time.

The New Guy

SLU basketball moved into a new era in 2016 after hiring Travis Ford as head coach. Like Majerus, Ford gave the Billikens a proven and established head coach who needed just three years to get SLU back to the NCAA Tournament. Under Ford, the Billikens are back in the upper-echelon of the Atlantic 10 and poised to remain one of the league’s heavyweights for a long time.