It has been 21 seasons since a Philadelphia team has made the Final Four. Eight times since Villanova won the championship in 1985, a Big 5 team has been to the Final Eight. They are 0-8.

John Chaney took five Temple teams to the brink. Villanova got there in 1988 and again last season. Saint Joseph’s was there in 2004.

Temple lost twice to Duke, once to North Carolina, once to Michigan State, and once to Michigan. Villanova lost to Oklahoma and Florida. St. Joe’s lost to Oklahoma State.

If Mark Macon’s final shot of his college career, a long 3-pointer, goes in against Carolina in 1991, Temple would have been in overtime. If the final shot of Jameer Nelson’s career, a 17-foot fadeaway in the lane, goes down in 2004, St. Joe’s would have been in OT against Oklahoma State.

From 1954 (when La Salle won the NCAA championship) to 1985, every Big 5 school played in the Final Four. In fact, La Salle (1954, 1955) and Temple (1956, 1958) made it four in five years at one point. St. Joe’s made it in 1961, Villanova in 1971 and Penn in 1979. That is eight teams in 32 seasons, a solid record in any period for what was never a true “conference” and had just five teams.

So, what changed? Check out the names of the teams that kept the Big 5 schools out of the Final Four. Large state schools and Duke, all from BCS conferences. Back in the day, only a few of those schools were at all serious about basketball. That changed when CBS started throwing large amounts of money at the NCAA for the right to televise its tournament.

These days, Villanova is the only Big 5 school in a BCS conference, and the Wildcats don’t even play I-A football. Temple is the only Big 5 school that does play I-A football, and that is certainly subject to debate, as the Owls have not won a single football game since 2004.

Unlike some of the major powers, the Philly teams can’t simply reload anymore. There is simply too much competition for the best players, including the best from Philly.

Consider Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson of Episcopal Academy, located just across City Ave. from the main campus of Saint Joseph’s and just a few miles from Villanova. Ellington is at North Carolina, and Henderson is at Duke. Despite St. Joe’s recent success, neither player ever looked at the Hawks. They both considered Villanova, but, predictably, went with schools that have won a combined five national titles since the Big 5 last won one.

So, even when Villanova gets it going like Jay Wright’s team did the last two seasons, that is no guarantee of future Final Fours. Or even the chance at them.

As practice began in mid-October, the theme in Philly was change. Nobody was talking about the Final Four.

Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Mardy Collins and Steven Smith took 8,000 points with them into their next lives as professional basketball players. John Chaney retired at Temple. Fran Dunphy moved from his office at Penn to Chaney’s office. Glen Miller came from Brown to take Dunphy’s place at Penn.

A season after Philly celebrated 50 seasons of Big 5 basketball, the thoughts were less about Final Fours and more about the condition of Curtis Sumpter’s knee. If the Villanova forward can re-capture the form he showed in 2004-05 before tearing the same ACL twice in half a year, the Wildcats might be a solid NCAA team again. If the knee does not hold up, Villanova, missing Foye, Ray and NBA first rounder Kyle Lowry, will be re-building, not re-loading.

Penn will be heavily favored to win the Ivy League again, but 1979 was a long time ago. Since that unlikely trip to the Final Four, Penn has won exactly one NCAA Tournament game. And the Quakers have had some really good teams that are regular NCAA participants. They have been close to major powers Massachusetts, Alabama and, most recently, Texas, in first-round games. But they were only able to break through once, against Nebraska.

St. Joe’s recent success has definitely helped recruiting. The Hawks might have more good young players in the program than ever. But it is unproven talent at this point. Phil Martelli likely will start two juniors, a sophomore and two freshmen. Check back in February and give them a long look next season.

The big news at St. Joe’s this fall was that the school is going to spend $25 million to expand its beloved but nearly 60-year-old fieldhouse, get a practice court and build a basketball center with all the bells and whistles that identify you as a serious basketball school. That’s what 27-0 and No. 1 in the country in 2004 will do.

Dunphy, the first man to coach two Big 5 teams, is really up against it at Temple. Recruiting has really suffered in North Philly lately. Two starters are academically ineligible for the first semester. This is going to take a little time.

After its first winning season since 1992-93, La Salle lost Smith and 1,000-point scorer Jermaine Thomas. Like St. Joe’s, La Salle has some talented young players in the program. Whatever they are or will become likely won’t be evident for some time.

Drexel, not a Big 5 member, but definitely part of the City 6, lost 10 games by a combined 36 points last season. They were a brutal shooting team, yet hung in almost every night. Now, many of those players are back. The problem is the Dragons are in the CAA, the league that put George Mason in the Final Four and Old Dominion in the Final Four of the NIT.

So, no Chaney, no 8,000 points from four players, no Lowry, no Thomas, no Chet Stachitas (a 1,000-point scorer for St. Joe’s) nor Abdulai Jalloh (the Hawks leading scorer who transferred to James Madison). All of which means you can worry about what you don’t have or try to make it happen with what you do.

In this city where college basketball really matters, looking back is interesting, but looking forward is fascinating simply because you really can’t be certain about the next great player or team. Which is why all those people will find their way to all those arenas for another season of Philly hoops. They want to find out.