Mid-Majors

Poll: What Will be the Best Mid-Major Conference in 2009?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:10:40 -0700

Draft Poll: Who Will be the First Mid-Major Prospect Selected?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:58:28 -0700

Unheralded: Five Breakout Tourney Stars

Jeff Fox — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:16:18 -0700

The terms “star player” and “mid-major” aren’t always a compatible pair in the college basketball world. For the most part, the top high school talent goes to BCS or high mid-major conferences, leaving the lower level schools to try to find diamonds in the rough. The common perception is that big time schools win due to their high level of talented, yet young, players, while smaller schools win due to experienced rosters heavily weighed towards upperclassman.

However, several top talents ever year do escape the grasps of the big schools and find their way to the lower tiers. A lot of times these are smaller guards who can really stroke it from long-range, which is something that comes in quite handy in the NCAA tournament. Here are five big-time players playing under the radar in less than big-time conferences that could make some noise in this year’s tournament.

Stephen Curry – Davidson - #10 Midwest Region

First Round Opponent - Gonzaga

Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch to call Davidson’s Stephen Curry unheralded, but any list of stars from lower-rated conferences has to have Curry on it. Actually, Curry and his Wildcats’ teammates are underrated compared to where they were at the starting of the year.

Big things were expected of Davidson at the starting of the year before they limped through an audacious out of conference schedule (including losses to North Carolina, Duke and UCLA). Now, after reeling off 22-straight Southern Conference wins, the Wildcats seem poised to make some tournament noise.

As expected, Del’s son, Stephen leads the way for the Wildcats and has topped the 20-point mark in 23 games this year. Proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, his 139 three-pointers made is tied for best in the nation.

Courtney Lee – Western Kentucky - #12 West Region

First Round Opponent - Drake

Fans of the Sun Belt Conference and/or NBA draft prospects are quite familiar with the Hilltoppers’ Courtney Lee. The conference’s Player of the Year, the 6’5” senior is also expected to be a late first round or early second round pick in this June’s NBA draft.

With 2176 career points, Lee knows how to find the bottom of the bucket. Not afraid of the big boys – this season he had 21-points versus Gonzaga, 22 versus Michigan and 23 versus Tennessee – Lee is poised to put a hurting on “The Drake” in the first round of the tournament.

Demetric Bennett – South Alabama- #10 East Region

First Round Opponent – Butler

Another Sun Belt team and player looking to make some noise are South Alabama and star Demetric Bennett. The explosive scoring Bennett (20.1ppg) is another long-range bomber, connecting on almost three three-pointers per game.

First round opponent Butler better keep their eye on Bennett, because he can really fill it up. This season he had 18 games with at least 20 points and four games with at least 30, including the Jaguars’ last game where he went off for 32. And when the competition gets tougher, so does Bennett. Check out the numbers he put up against some of the other NCAA tournament teams South Alabama faced this year - 28 points vs. San Diego, 25 vs. Vanderbilt and 39 vs. Mississippi State.

Garrison Carr – American - #15 East Region

First Round Opponent – Tennessee

Garrison Carr’s MVP performance during the Patriot League tournament helped propel the Eagles to their first league championship and first berth in the Big Dance. This is quite a revelation from a player who averaged less than 11 minutes and four points per game last season (this season’s totals are 35 minutes and 18 points per contest).

While American’s backcourt duo of Carr (5’11” 165lbs) and Derrick Mercer (5’9” 175lb) aren’t going to intimidate any opponents physically, they are the team’s best two players. Carr’s 129 long-bombs made is tied for fifth best in the country, and he has shown a couple of big name opponents (26 points and seven threes vs. Dayton, 16 and five threes vs. Georgetown) what he was made of.

Josh Akognon – Cal State Fullerton - #14 Midwest Region

First Round Opponent – Wisconsin

Josh Akognon played with a chip on his shoulder during the Big West tournament, due to the fact that he only made Second Team All-Conference. After being named the MVP of the conference’s tournament, he told the AP that being spurned from the all-conference team was “motivation”. NCAA tournament foes better beware if the Fullerton star takes that fire into the tourney with him.

Averaging a shade less than 20 points per game (19.9ppg to be exact) and knocking down 111 three-pointers, Akognon is another dangerous long-range threat. Earlier this year he hit Arizona up for 19 points and St. Mary’s for 16, and had multiple games where he hit seven three-pointers.

- 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage & Brackets

- CHN's Tournament Prediction

- Learn about all 65 teams with our Team Capsules

- Sign up for CHN's Free NCAA Bracket Challenge.. win a Wii, Guitar Hero, and other prizes!

Northeast non-TV Bracket Busters preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:23:55 -0800

Here’s a quick preview of the ESPNU O’Reilly Bracket Busters games this weekend that will not be shown on television involving northeast teams. In most cases, the organizers of this event have done a better job of limiting the travel for non-television games, with the exception of UC Davis visiting Loyola (MD) among games involving northeast leagues. Bracket Busters, originally put together to provide schools in non-BCS leagues one last opportunity to add to their resume, now involves some 100 schools from sixteen conferences. Niagara @ Appalachian State (Saturday, 1 PM) The nation’s leading scorer, Charron Fisher, takes his act on the road as the Purple Eagles visit the Mountaineers of the Southern Conference. Fisher has eclipsed the forty point mark in two of his last three games, including 45 and nine rebounds against Loyola (MD). Niagara (with help from Tyrone Lewis, Stanley Hodge and an improving Benson Egemonye) will look to run and put up a lot of points, but the Mountaineers are also capable of scoring some points. Six players score at least seven points per game, led by senior forward Donte Minter. I’ll take the Mountaineers due to the home court advantage. Northeastern @ Holy Cross (Saturday, 4 PM) The Huskies make the short trip to Worcester to take on a Crusader team still trying to recover from a slow start in Patriot League play. Tim Clifford is Holy Cross’ best offensive option, but it’s been the health of PG Pat Doherty that has been the concern. His Achilles injury at San Francisco was the catalyst for a five-game skid early in 2008, and the team has been up and down ever since. Northeastern, looking to end their two-game skid, will counter with a balanced scoring attack led by wing Matt Janning. Normally, I’d go with the home-court advantage, especially with an environment as hostile as the one awaiting NU’s arrival. But I’m going to take the Huskies due to the fact that they’re a more balanced team on offense. Bucknell @ Old Dominion (Saturday, 7 PM) The Bison, like their Patriot League rivals, have uncharacteristically struggled in league play this year. But given the number of losses due to graduation over the last two seasons, you can understand why this team isn’t in its usual perch atop the conference standings. Guards John Griffin, Justin Castleberry and Stephen Tyree are the main men on the offensive end of the floor, and they’re going to have their hands full in Norfolk. Forward Gerald Lee leads the Monarchs in scoring, but they have seven players averaging at least six points per game. In their last four games, all wins, three different Monarchs have led the team in scoring (Lee twice, Brian Henderson and Abdi Lidonde once apiece). I like the Monarchs to win this one. Vermont @ UNC-Wilmington (Saturday, 7 PM) If you’re looking to find a candidate for the most improved player in the country (yes, country), look no further than Vermont’s Marqus Blakely. After averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, the sophomore forward is up to 19.8 and 10.8 this year. And only two players have a 30/20 game to their credit this season: Michael Beasley and…Marqus Blakely. Mike Trimboli and Kyle Cieplicki are also more than capable of scoring from the perimeter. As for the Seahawks, four players average at least twelve points per game, led by senior guard T.J. Carter’s 15.8. Possessing a home record of 11-2, UNCW comes into this one riding a four-game win streak. Expect this one to be a close one, but I like the Seahawks to come out on top. UC Davis @ Loyola-Maryland (Saturday, 1 PM) Well, this one could get ugly as the Greyhounds host the Aggies. UC Davis, currently dead last in the Big West, has lost their last nine and are the league’s worst defensive team (opponents shoot 48.1% from the field). And when you’ve got to stop a player like G Gerald Brown, that could be bad news for the Aggies. Brown will have some help on the offensive end, supplied by Michael Tuck and Marquis Sullivan. The Aggies are led by guards Vince Oliver and Shane Hanson, but they have a road record of 1-11 for the season. I like Loyola to win this one. Hofstra @ Iona (Saturday, 2 PM) The Gaels host one of the nation’s best scorers in Hofstra’s Antoine Agudio, and with Iona preferring to quicken the pace this could be a game in which Agudio puts up some points. But the trend all season has been that the Pride are only as successful as Agudio’s supporting cast, and a group led by Charles Jenkins has become more confident as the season has progressed. On the other side, Kevin Willard’s first year as head coach has been streaky in regards to results, with a three game win streak followed by a short losing spell. Iona ended a two-game skid with a win at Canisius on Monday night, and five players averaging about eight points per game (Kyle Camper averages 7.8 to be exact). The key to this one will be how well Hofstra takes care of the basketball, something they haven’t done well on the road this season (3-9 away from home). I’ll take Iona by a basket. Fairfield @ Drexel (Saturday, 4 PM) The Stags, winners of five in a row, take their on one of the CAA’s worst offensive teams in the Dragons of Drexel. Center Frank Elegar leads Drexel in both scoring and rebounding, but the points have been few and far between for a team looking to replace the likes of Bashir Mason and Dominic Mejia from last season’s team. Fairfield, on the other hand, has received a boost from the likes of seniors Marty O’Sullivan and Mamadou Diakhate, two players who weren’t expected to see much playing time throughout the remainder of the season. But the team runs based on the play of PG Jonathan Han, the MAAC’s assist leader. With six road wins already to their credit, I like the Stags to pick up a seventh. Youngstown State @ Buffalo (Saturday, 4 PM) With two of the bottom feeders in their respective leagues on display, you have to dig a little deeper to figure out who to watch in this one. How about guards Andy Robinson (Buffalo) and Byron Davis (Youngstown State)? Both lead their teams in scoring, but truth be told each team has a couple of places from which the points can come. I’m taking Buffalo for one simple reason: The Penguins are 1-11 on the road this season. Binghamton @ Manhattan (Saturday, 4 PM) One of three matchups between America East and MAAC schools, this one will be an interesting affair due to the age difference between the backcourts. Manhattan, led by Antoine Pearson and Devon Austin (Austin’s a wing), rely primarily on sophomores while Binghamton’s backcourt is manned by seniors Mike Gordon and Richard Forbes. The Bearcats’ leading scorer, however, is sophomore forward Lazar Trifunovic (14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg). I like the Jaspers to move their three-game win streak to four due to the fact that they’re at home (Binghamton is 3-10 on the road this season). Albany @ Canisius (Saturday, 7:30 PM) There’s no Jamar Wilson, but the Great Danes are still in third place in America East. The leader this season is Brian Lillis, a wing currently averaging sixteen points per game. In all, five Great Danes are averaging at least 7.7 points per game. Their opponent has one of the quickest guards in the MAAC in Frank Turner, but little has gone right this year for the 4-22 Golden Griffins. Losers of five straight games, I don’t think Canisius plays good enough defense (allowing 73.1 points per game) to end the skid in this one. Boston University @ St. Peter’s (Saturday, 2 PM) The Terriers have won six of their last seven, while the Peacocks have lost eleven of thirteen. SPC has one of the toughest competitors in the MAAC in senior Todd Sowell, but as a team they simply don’t defend well enough or take good enough care of the basketball (averaging sixteen turnovers per game). When you have four players scoring in double figures, turnovers are a sure way to keep your win total low. Corey Lowe, one of the best guards in America East, leads BU with eighteen points per game, but the improved play of freshman John Holland has been the catalyst for their recent run of good play. I like the Terriers to get a road win in this one.

Poll: Who is the Best Mid-Major?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:07:21 -0800

2008 BracketBusters Analysis & Predictions

Joel Welser — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:40:19 -0800

Even if there is only one game that will likely feature two teams that are worthy of at-large bids, there are still plenty of interesting match-ups and plenty of teams that we will see in March in this edition of BracketBusters. The number one goal is exposure for the teams and that exposure is good for the fans as well who can start scouting some potential NCAA Tournament teams that they may not have seen yet this year. Yet, more important than exposure is momentum. Grabbing a big win against a quality team can do great things heading into the conference tournaments.

The Good

Drake at Butler

Obviously this is the big one. Both of these teams should have all but clinched an NCAA berth by the time this game takes place, but it is a good time to take a look at two quality teams before filling in your bracket. Both teams sport the traditional mid-major look with guard-orientated teams. The difference could be Butler’s Matt Howard on the inside, who is averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds.

Spur of the moment prediction: Drake has already gone to places like Iowa, Wichita State, Bradley and Creighton and pulled off victories. The dream season continues for Coach Keno Davis.

Kent State at Saint Mary’s

Kent State backed into the BracketBusters selection process with a disheartening loss to Toledo. The Flashes now need a big win to have any realistic hope of an at-large bid and a trip to Saint Mary’s would provide just that. Even without the at-large bid, Kent State is the favorite to advance out of the Mid-American Conference and is a dangerous team that can do some damage in March. Yet, that win will be hard to come by. The Gaels have not lost at home all season and will likely keep that run going. Guard Patrick Mills, forward Diamon Simpson and center Omar Samhan are a dynamic trio that have been simply dominating. If you haven’t seen St. Mary’s play yet this year, be sure to watch this game and see why these guys are a legitimate Sweet Sixteen team.

Spur of the moment prediction: The Gaels have way too many weapons for Kent State to handle.

Rider at Cal State Northridge

This one may not sound too great, but if you are looking for a 14-seed to upset a 3-seed for the office pool, this is a good place to start. Rider is currently on top of the MAAC with a 10-2 record and Northridge is 7-1 in the Big West. Both teams will be looking to bump up their seed by a notch or two in this game and gain some momentum for the conference tournament.

Spur of the moment prediction: Jason Thompson gets 22 points and 19 rebounds and Deon Tresvant misses a last second three to give Rider the victory.

George Mason at Ohio, VCU at Akron

The Patriots have not been very consistent this year, but when they are on they can beat anybody. George Mason and VCU have separated themselves from the rest of the CAA and both will likely need wins if the conference wants to get an at-large bid. A couple road victories over two of the top three teams in the Mid-American Conference will certainly boost the overall conference RPI. Ohio and Akron are on the outside of the bubble, but they can still help their conference out by holding serve at home. Really it would help Kent State out the most, but it is not like Ohio and Akron can’t win a few games in the conference tournament and be dangerous teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Spur of the moment prediction: Will Thomas gets yet another double-double and the Patriots slip by the Bobcats, but the CAA misses the sweep over the MAC as Akron gets the win over VCU.

Davidson at Winthrop

Davidson and Winthrop have dominated their conferences over the last few years and these are couple teams who could win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson is 13-0 in the Southern Conference and shouldn’t lose a conference game the rest of the year. Stephen Curry, who is averaging 24.4 points per game, is the best player you’ve never seen and that alone is a good enough reason to tune into this game. Winthrop’s dominance of the Big South is being threatened by UNC Asheville and they could use a big win before, presumably, facing off against the Bulldogs in the conference tournament final.

Spur of the moment prediction: Davidson hasn’t lost since December 21^st and they won’t lose again until March 22^nd or March 23^rd.

The Bad

Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Bradley

These teams might be better than some others who earned a TV game, but they are both middle of the pack teams in their conferences. Sometimes a middle of the pack team in the Missouri Valley Conference is good enough, but not this year. Without any chance of an at-large bid and little chance to knock off better teams in the conference tournaments, these look like two teams who seasons will end soon after this game.

Spur of the moment prediction: The Panthers have pulled together some nice wins lately, but on the road at Bradley will be way too difficult.

Siena at Boise State

Boise State deserves some credit for taking advantage of weak Western Athletic Conference, but this one doesn’t scream excitement. Siena is in the hunt in the MAAC and have plenty of talented guards in Edwin Ubiles, Kenny Hasbrouck, Ronald Moore and Tay Fisher, but they are going to have to save their best basketball for the conference tournament.

Spur of the moment prediction: It’s a long trip to Boise and Siena has bigger games on the schedule than this one.

Nevada at Southern Illinois

Last year I would have cared. This year, I’d rather watch Southern Illinois play Illinois State and Nevada play Utah State. Obviously these aren’t horrible teams, but both of have been quite disappointing compared to preseason expectations.

Spur of the moment prediction: Nevada turns the ball over too much and that problem will be very obvious against the tough Saluki defense and the tough Saluki crowd.

Miami (OH) at Valparaiso

These are a couple more middle of the road teams in their respective conferences. Valpo is 5-4 in the Horizon and Miami has slipped to 4-4 in conference. However, it sounds a little worse than it actually is this time. Inconsistency has been a problem, but both teams have enough talent to make some noise in their conference tournaments. Getting a little momentum in this game will certainly help.

Spur of the moment prediction: The balanced scoring attack of the Crusaders will be too much for Miami to deal with on the road.

The Rest

Marist at Cleveland State

Cleveland State has slipped a little bit lately, but they are still in the thick of the Horizon League race. Marist is right there with Rider, Siena and Loyola (MD) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Once again these aren’t teams looking for an at-large bid, but they are a couple teams who could use some momentum heading into conference tournaments that promise to be competitive.

Spur of the moment prediction: If Marist, who has won eight of their last ten, can stay hot they can get a big win on the road.

Creighton at Oral Roberts

Creighton is in that log jam of decent teams behind Drake in the MVC. This will be a much better measuring stick for Oral Roberts who is 10-0 in Summit League play. The Golden Eagles should be dancing in March in the 15 seed range and Creighton would be their best win in a long time and a great way to prepare for March.

Spur of the moment prediction: ORU is good, but the middle of the road teams in the MVC are better.

Wright State and Illinois State

Now I’m just getting sick of Horizon League and Missouri Valley Conference teams. However, these are probably the second best teams in each conference, so it can make for an interesting game. The Redbirds are considered to be a relatively big surprise in the conference and it will be a good opportunity to catch a team that most people don’t get to see very often.

Spur of the moment prediction: Illinois State has been pretty solid in the friendly confines. Wright State has won three road games in a row, but not against a team as talented as Illinois State.

UC Santa Barbara at Utah State

If you are a fan of the Big West, you’ve seen this game many times before. Utah State will welcome former conference foe UCSB to Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. After an ugly, ugly start, the Aggies have won 11 of their last 12 games. UCSB has plenty of talent, but have yet to find much consistency and, as Gaucho fans may remember, it is extremely tough to play in Logan.

Spur of the moment prediction: USU does not lose at home.

2008 BracketBusters Schedule

Press Release — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:15:33 -0800

2008 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Television Matchups

Friday, Feb 22
Davidson at Winthrop
UCSB at Utah State

Saturday, Feb 23
Creighton at Oral Roberts
George Mason at Ohio
Kent State at St. Mary’s (Ca.)
Marist at Cleveland State
Miami at Valparaiso
Nevada at Southern Illinois
Rider at CS Northridge
Siena at Boise State
UWM at Bradley
Virginia Commonwealth at Akron

Sunday, Feb 24
Wright State at Illinois State

2008 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Non-Television Matchups
* Times to be Announced

Albany at Canisius
Ball State at Eastern Kentucky
Binghamton at Manhattan
Boston U at St. Peter's
Bowling Green at Detroit
Bucknell at Old Dominion
Cal Poly at Fresno State
UC Davis at Loyola MD
Delaware at Toledo
Evansville at Eastern Illinois
Fairfield at Drexel
Georgia Southern at Austin Peay
Georgia State at Jacksonville State
Hawaii at Riverside
High Point at Towson
Hofstra at Iona
Idaho at Irvine
Indiana State at Murray State
LBSU at New Mexico State
Loyola Ill at William & Mary
Morehead State at James Madison
Niagara at Appalachian State
Portland State at CS Fullerton
Samford at La Tech
San Jose State at Pacific
Southeast Missouri State at Eastern Michigan
Tennessee-Martin at Elon
Tennessee State at Northern Illinois
Tennessee Tech at ETSU
UIC at Northern Iowa
Vermont at UNCW
Western Michigan at UW-Green Bay
Wichita State at Holy Cross
Youngstown State at Buffalo

2008 Preview: Biggest College Basketball Story of 2008?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:34:59 -0800

Following a run of Year in Review articles, its time to look ahead to what will almost certainly be a magical 2008.

Today's Question: What will be the big college basketball story in 2008?

Jeff Borzello – The Freshmen

The biggest story of 2008 is going to be the freshmen and their impact on the NCAA Tournament. Look at some of the top teams in the country: Memphis (Derrick Rose), UCLA (Kevin Love), Indiana (Eric Gordon) and the list goes on and on. Nearly every championship contender has a key freshmen contributor.

Jason Brubaker – The Freshmen

The biggest story to follow this season will again be the impact of freshmen. Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Kyle Singler, and Eric Gordon are all playing huge roles on teams expected to make deep tourney runs - how will they hold up? On top of that, players like O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley will fill plenty of highlight reels in their only year on campus.

Jeff Fox – Undefeated Season?

Will Memphis enter the NCAA tournament undefeated? - with only 2 (currently) ranked teams left on their schedule, the Tigers have a chance to head into the NCAA tournament undefeated.

Raphielle Johnson – The Freshmen

Just how good this season’s freshman class is and can be. Michael Beasley has been a man among boys so far, but he’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Jon Teitel – The Appalachian State Effect

I hate predictions, but if I had to guess, it would be the continuation of the "Appalachian State effect". Just as the Mountaineers upset Michigan in football, the trend of small schools beating traditional powers (Gardner-Webb over Kentucky, American over Maryland, etc.) seems to be alive and well in college basketball as well.

Jason Tomassini – The Mid-Majors

With the exception of the Atlantic 10 and maybe Conference USA, it looks like every non-BCS conference is down this year, with preseason darlings like Davidson, Southern Illinois and Gonzaga struggling. And after the recent years of progress, it will be important for the mid-majors to succeed in March, or ~~when~~ if they can’t, at least recover quickly. Butler, I’m looking at you.

Joel Welser – The Freshmen

The biggest story of 2008 will be the plethora of impact freshmen and the new landscape of college basketball that is emerging. Sure this class does not have a Durant or Oden (yet), but the large amount of young talent has already made an impact on college basketball and will do so well into March.

2007 Review articles: What was your favorite moment from 2007? : What was the biggest story of 2007?

2008 Preview articles: What will be the best regular-season game in 2008?

Daily Dribble: Top 50 Mid-Major Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:37:23 -0800

Rolling in the New Year with the first of three multi-conference rankings. Today will be the Top 50 Mid-Major teams, followed by the a complete "High-Major" ranking (conference 7 through 12), and then an overall BCS ranking. As a reminder, I consider the A10, CAA, CUSA, MVC, MWC, WAC to be "High-Major" conferences.

1. Butler 12-1 (Hor)

2. Saint Mary's 11-1 (WCC)

3. Gonzaga 10-4 (WCC)

4. Sam Houston State 7-1 (SLC)

5. UCSB 11-2 (BW)

6. Kent State 10-2 (MAC)

7. Valparaiso 9-3 (Hor)

8. Wright State 8-3 (Hor)

9. WKU 7-4 (SB)

10. Miami 6-6 (MAC)

11. Holy Cross 7-3 (PL)

12. Stephen F Austin 8-1 (SLC)

13. South Alabama 6-3 (SB)

14. Winthrop 6-5 (BSou)

15. Ohio 8-4 (MAC)

16. Georgia Southern 7-3 (SoCo)

17. IUPUI 6-3 (Sum)

18. Davidson 3-6 (SoCo)

19. Niagara 8-3 (MAAC)

20. Akron 10-2 (MAC)

21. New Orleans 9-2 (SB)

22. Oral Roberts 6-5 (Sum)

23. CS Fullerton 6-4 (BW)

24. North Texas 6-3 (SB)

25. Hampton 6-6 (MEAC)

26. Texas-Arlington 6-2 (SLC)

27. CS Northridge 7-3 (BW)

28. Wofford 4-4 (SoCo)

29. UMBC 7-5 (AE)

30. Siena 7-4 (MAAC)

31. Pacific 7-4 (BW)

32. Belmont 7-6 (ASun)

33. Marist 7-6 (MAAC)

34. Northern Arizona 7-5 (BSky)

35. Rider 8-5 (MAAC)

36. Cleveland State 6-3 (Hor)

37. Austin Peay 7-6 (OVC)

38. Santa Clara 6-6 (WCC)

39. Charleston 6-6 (SoCo)

40. Cornell 6-4 (Ivy)

41. UWGB 7-5 (Hor)

42. UIC 7-5 (Hor)

43. San Diego 6-9 (WCC)

44. Western Michigan 5-7 (MAC)

45. LIU 9-4 (NEC)

46. ETSU 5-7 (ASun)

47. Wagner 8-4 (NEC)

48. UALR 7-3 (SB)

49. UNCA 6-3 (BSou)

50. Chattanooga 6-5 (SoCo)

Note: Records only account for D1 games.

Daily Dribble: Mid-Major Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:47:39 -0800

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.

1. Butler 7-0 (Hor)

2. Gonzaga 7-2 (WCC)

3. Saint Mary's 6-0 (WCC)

4. UCSB 8-1 (BW)

5. Miami 4-3 (MAC)

6. Kent State 7-2 (MAC)

7. Pacific 6-2 (BW)

8. WKU 6-2 (SB)

9. Valparaiso 6-1 (Hor)

10. Western Michigan 4-4 (MAC)

11. South Alabama 6-3 (SB)

12. Ohio 4-2 (MAC)

13. Cleveland State 6-3 (Hor)

14. CS Fullerton 4-1 (BW)

15. Wright State 2-1 (Hor)

16. CS Northridge 6-1 (BW)

17. North Texas 5-2 (SB)

18. San Diego 5-5 (WCC)

19. UWGB 5-2 (Hor)

20. Cal Poly 4-2 (BW)

21. UALR 6-1 (SB)

22. Detroit 4-3 (Hor)

23. Akron 5-2 (MAC)

24. UIC 3-4 (Hor)

25. Buffalo 5-4 (MAC)

26. ULM 4-4 (SB)

27. UWM 3-4 (Hor)

28. New Orleans 4-1 (SB)

29. Santa Clara 5-2 (WCC)

30. Pepperdine 4-6 (WCC)

31. Central Michigan 2-5 (MAC)

32. Bowling Green 4-3 (MAC)

33. Toledo 1-7 (MAC)

34. UC Davis 4-4 (BW)

35. Eastern Michigan 4-4 (MAC)

36. San Francisco 3-5 (WCC)

37. Youngstown State 3-4 (Hor)

38. Denver 2-4 (SB)

39. Portland 2-6 (WCC)

40. MTSU 2-5 (SB)

41. LBSU 2-5 (BW)

42. FIU 3-3 (SB)

43. LMU 2-7 (WCC)

44. Northern Illinois 2-6 (MAC)

45. Troy 3-4 (SB)

46. Loyola-Chicago 2-4 (Hor)

47. Ball State 0-7 (MAC)

48. UC Riverside 2-6 (BW)

49. Arkansas State 2-5 (SB)

50. UC Irvine 2-5 (BW)

51. Lou-Lafayette 1-4 (SB)

52. FAU 1-7 (SB)

Coming next will be a ranking of the six BCS leagues.