Sun Belt

In recent weeks, the Rise & Fall series has chronicled the progress (or regress) of college basketball's major conference teams. But if I equated each team to a civilization, I was mistaken. It is really the NCAA conference that equates to a burgeoning civilization or nation, each with its sometimes stable and sometimes rotating member states. Like civilizations, the prestige and power of conferences wax and wane..

 

CollegeHoops.net Mid-Major Player of the Year: Stephen Curry (Davidson)

CollegeHoops.net First Team Mid-Major All-American
G: Stephen Curry (Davidson)
G: Mike Green (Butler)
G: Courtney Lee (WKU)
F AZ Reid (High Point)
F: Jason Thompson (Rider)

CollegeHoops.net Second Team Mid-Major All-American
G: Lester Hudson (UT- Martin)
G: Patty Mills (Saint Mary’s)
G: George Hill (IUPUI)
F: Reggie Williams (VMI)
F: Gyno Pomare (San Diego)

CollegeHoops.net Third Team Mid-Major All-American

How can you not feel bad for Brody Angley? And it has nothing to do with the hair. The poor guy is in the 1,000 point club and has been a superb leader for Santa Clara for four years, but he might now be mostly remembered for losing the game against Gonzaga this week. Angley was a little over aggressive at the end of regulation and fouled a Bulldog with virtually no time left on the clock. It was a dumb play, but it was an aggressive foul, and it is hard to blame anybody for hustling. But that led the game to overtime where the Broncos lost. The status of UNC’s Ty Lawson

Following yesterday's "High-Major" ranking, today's "Mid-Major" list contains what I consider to be the usual 13th through 17th ranked conferences: Big West, Horizon, MAC, Sun Belt, and WCC. Of course, some years there are other leagues that squeak into the Top 17, but only once since 2000 (Ivy in 2002) has a league not included in my rankings finished in the top 16 RPI.

 

Favorite: Western Kentucky. Player of the Year: Courtney Lee. Conference Rank: 18th.