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From midmajority.com

We're starting our seventh year on November 1 (with the traditional Essay Season), and one of our summer projects is ranking all the 263 teams of the Other 25 conferences*, based on their performance over the course of the six-year Mid-Majority era. Where to start?

Back in May, we asked our hundreds of mailing list subscribers to rank the legacy importance of 11 different factors, ranging from NCAA Tournament victories to NBA Draft picks. Here was their consensus on each factor (5 being most important, 1 being least important).

* NCAA Tournament victories - 5
* NCAA Tournament appearances - 5
* Conference regular season titles - 4
* Red Line Upsets - 4
* NIT victories - 3
* Leading conference in offensive or defensive efficiency - 3
* 20-win seasons - 3
* NIT appearances - 2
* Individual statistical leaders in conference (PPG or RPG) - 2
* NBA Draft picks - 2
* Other postseason appearances (CBI, CIT) - 1

Then it was time to roll all of this into a big equation -- nerd alert! -- and inflict it on our giant Basketball State database! We also added the average RPI for each school over the past six years (more specifically, 347-(sum of RPI/6)) for a dash of spice.

We ranked all the teams based on the following formula, which is in turn based on the above results of our reader poll. It goes like this: ($ncaawins*5) + ($ncaaapp*5) + ($rlu*4) + ($regssnchamps*4) + ($effldr*3) + ($20wseasons*3) + ($nitwins*3) + ($nitapp*3) + ($indldrs*2) + ($nbapicks*2) + ($othpsapp*1) + ($avgrpi*.01). All numbers were rounded to the nearest integer.

The next thing was to determine a stack order for conferences. Readers voted on that too, and said that pretty much the same things were important for conferences' legacies as for individual teams -- NCAA victories and appearances were rated as 5's, CBI's as 1's. So we ended up with these aggregate numbers:

1. Atlantic 14 - 161; 2. Conference USA - 128; 3. Missouri Valley - 126; 4. Horizon League - 89; 5. West Coast - 84; 6. Colonial - 73; 7. Mid-American - 61; 8. Southern - 56; 9. MAAC - 55; 10. Sun Belt - 49; 11. WAC - 40; 12. Big West - 34; 13. Patriot League - 34; 14. Ivy League - 31; 15. Ohio Valley - 31; 16. Atlantic Sun - 29; 17. MEAC - 28; 18. Badlands - 28; 19. Big Sky - 26; 20. Southland - 25; 21. Big South - 22; 22. NEC - 22; 23. America East - 19; 24. SWAC - 17; 25. Great West - 0.

Ties between schools were broken based on a school's position in the conference stack order, and ties between conferences were broken based on NCAA performance.

Here are the teams so far:

100. IUPUI, Badlands Conference (29 points)
99. Boise State, Western Athletic (29 points)
98. James Madison, Colonial (29 points)
97. Valparaiso, Horizon League (29 points)
96. Morehead State, Ohio Valley (30 points)
95. Toledo, Mid-American (30 points)
94. Boston University, America East (31 points)
93. Long Beach State, Big West (31 points)
92. Hawaii, Western Athletic (31 points)
91: Cal State Northridge, Big West, 32 pts.


The list can be found on http://www.midmajority.com/tmm100" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A pretty neat countdown and analysis BTW #48 is Montana is today's countdown team

Good articles.

NAU came in at #86

http://www.bbstate.com/schools/NAU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UNI had over 50 points last season alone by these measures. It may be awhile before we pop up

This might be a dumb question, but was this website inactive last year. I know the year before there was a website with the address of themidmajority.com. Did it change its address last year, and I didn't know it? Or did it not operate last year? I thought it was gone.

This is great stuff.

clenz wrote:UNI had over 50 points last season alone by these measures. It may be awhile before we pop up

Wouldn't surprise me if the top 10 is filled with Valley teams (UNI, SIU, CU). With ISU(red) at #46, you will have 8 teams in the top 50 with only ISU(blue) and UE not there.

MSUDuo wrote:

clenz wrote:UNI had over 50 points last season alone by these measures. It may be awhile before we pop up

Wouldn't surprise me if the top 10 is filled with Valley teams (UNI, SIU, CU). With ISU(red) at #46, you will have 8 teams in the top 50 with only ISU(blue) and UE not there.

I agree. I think UNI and Creighton are top 10 (or really damn close) and SIU top 15 or 20. The last two years is really going to hurt SIU.

clenz wrote:

MSUDuo wrote:
Wouldn't surprise me if the top 10 is filled with Valley teams (UNI, SIU, CU). With ISU(red) at #46, you will have 8 teams in the top 50 with only ISU(blue) and UE not there.

I agree. I think UNI and Creighton are top 10 (or really damn close) and SIU top 15 or 20. The last two years is really going to hurt SIU.

Even SIU has 3 NCAA appearances and 3 NCAA tournament wins. Not a whole lot of Mid Majors can say that. Tops in the Valley as well in terms of wins. Throw in 2 MVC Championships too. I would say Valley teams will appear in the top #46 in the order of DU, BU, MSU, WSU, CU, UNI, SIU (DU being the next Valley team to appear)

How does Drake get in? They have had one good year where they lost in the first round....what am I missing there?

clenz wrote:How does Drake get in? They have had one good year where they lost in the first round....what am I missing there?

Well, what did ISU(red) do to get placed at #46? I would think that they would gather enough points to pass ISU(red) in that one year. Maybe not. I had forgotten that they lost in the first round.

MSUDuo wrote:

clenz wrote:How does Drake get in? They have had one good year where they lost in the first round....what am I missing there?

Well, what did ISU(red) do to get placed at #46? I would think that they would gather enough points to pass ISU(red) in that one year. Maybe not. I had forgotten that they lost in the first round.

ISU has picked up a lot of wins, thanks in large part to their OOC schedule.

They also have a good number of NIT, CIT, and what not appearances.

clenz wrote:

MSUDuo wrote:
Well, what did ISU(red) do to get placed at #46? I would think that they would gather enough points to pass ISU(red) in that one year. Maybe not. I had forgotten that they lost in the first round.

ISU has picked up a lot of wins, thanks in large part to their OOC schedule.

They also have a good number of NIT, CIT, and what not appearances.

I don't think total wins means anything but you are probably right. Over the last 6 years ISU(red) has faired much better than DU

ODU will definetly be in the top 10. In the last 6 years, we have two CAA tourney and regular season titles, an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney, a win over Notre Dame in the NCAA tourney, an NIT Final 4, a CIT Championship and a CBI win, a very high RPI year in and year out, 5 out of 6 years we've had 20 win seasons (and the other one we had 19), we've led the conference in defense two or 3 years in a row, and we've had two upsets over ranked Georgetown, upset Notre Dame, upset Virginia Tech among others.

I'd be shocked if we aren't in the top 10, maybe even top 5.

VCU will also be highly ranked as they lead the CAA in offense pretty much every year, have won the CAA 3 times in that span, have upset Duke and Oklahoma among other teams, have had 2 players drafted by the NBA (larry sanders and Eric Maynor), had a CAA scoring leader in Maynor, won the CBI Championship last year and have had quite a few 20 win seasons and a consistently high RPI.

ODU and VCU will definetly be in the top 10. Hell, George Mason might be there too on account of their Final 4 and 2 CAA titles.

clenz wrote:How does Drake get in? They have had one good year where they lost in the first round....what am I missing there?

Drake @ #39 with 54 points...

ODUfanRazor wrote:ODU will definetly be in the top 10. In the last 6 years, we have two CAA tourney and regular season titles, an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney, a win over Notre Dame in the NCAA tourney, an NIT Final 4, a CIT Championship and a CBI win, a very high RPI year in and year out, 5 out of 6 years we've had 20 win seasons (and the other one we had 19), we've led the conference in defense two or 3 years in a row, and we've had two upsets over ranked Georgetown, upset Notre Dame, upset Virginia Tech among others.

I'd be shocked if we aren't in the top 10, maybe even top 5.

VCU will also be highly ranked as they lead the CAA in offense pretty much every year, have won the CAA 3 times in that span, have upset Duke and Oklahoma among other teams, have had 2 players drafted by the NBA (larry sanders and Eric Maynor), had a CAA scoring leader in Maynor, won the CBI Championship last year and have had quite a few 20 win seasons and a consistently high RPI.

ODU and VCU will definetly be in the top 10. Hell, George Mason might be there too on account of their Final 4 and 2 CAA titles.

Throw in UNI and SIU and there could be your Top5 with Butler. WKU should be up there somewhere as well. I'm sure I am not thinking of some well known Mid's that have been successful over the past 6 years as well.

30. Saint Joseph`s, Atlantic 14 (66 points)
29. Sam Houston State, Southland (67 points)
28. Akron, Mid-American (70 points)
27. Rhode Island, Atlantic 14 (72 points)
26. Cornell, Ivy League (73 points)
25. Kent State, Mid-American (73 points)
24. Massachusetts, Atlantic 14 (73 points)
23. Vermont, America East (76 points)
22. Morgan State, MEAC (77 points)

21. Missouri State, Missouri Valley (79 points)
20. Creighton, Missouri Valley (80 points)
19. Temple, Atlantic 14 (80 points)
18. South Alabama, Sun Belt (83 points)

17 . Siena
16. George Mason
15. Wichita State

100. IUPUI, Badlands Conference (29 points)
99. Boise State, Western Athletic (29 points)
98. James Madison, Colonial (29 points)
97. Valparaiso, Horizon League (29 points)
96. Morehead State, Ohio Valley (30 points)
95. Toledo, Mid-American (30 points)
94. Boston University, America East (31 points)
93. Long Beach State, Big West (31 points)
92. Hawaii, Western Athletic (31 points)
91. Cal State Northridge, Big West (32 points)
90. Rider, Metro Atlantic (32 points)
89. College of Charleston, Southern (32 points)
88. Houston, Conference USA (32 points)
87. Central Connecticut State, Northeast (33 points)
86. Northern Arizona, Big Sky (33 points)
85. North Dakota State, Badlands Conference (33 points)
84. Miami (Oh.), Mid-American (33 points)
83. Northern Illinois, Mid-American (33 points)
82. Wright State, Horizon League (33 points)
81. Northeastern, Colonial (34 points)
80. Denver, Sun Belt (35 points)
79. Bowling Green, Mid-American (35 points)
78. Portland, West Coast (35 points)
77. Alabama State, SWAC (36 points)
76. Cal State Fullerton, Big West (36 points)
75. Louisiana Tech, Western Athletic (36 points)
74. Wofford, Southern (36 points)
73. Arkansas-Little Rock, Sun Belt (37 points)
72. Lamar, Southland (38 points)
71. Illinois-Chicago, Horizon League (38 points)
70. California-Santa Barbara, Big West (39 points)
69. Jackson State, SWAC (40 points)
68. Oakland, Badlands Conference (41 points)
67. New Orleans, Independents (41 points)
66. Northwestern State, Southland (42 points)
65. Charlotte, Atlantic 14 (42 points)
64. Robert Morris, Northeast (43 points)
63. Holy Cross, Patriot League (43 points)
62. Cleveland State, Horizon League (44 points)
61. Stephen F. Austin, Southland (45 points)
60. Austin Peay, Ohio Valley (45 points)
59. American, Patriot League (45 points)
58. Pennsylvania, Ivy League (46 points)
57. North Texas, Sun Belt (46 points)
56. Marist, Metro Atlantic (46 points)
55. Richmond, Atlantic 14 (47 points)
54. Weber State, Big Sky (48 points)
53. Hofstra, Colonial (48 points)
52. Texas-El Paso, Conference USA (48 points)
51. Portland State, Big Sky (49 points)
50. Buffalo, Mid-American (49 points)
49. North Carolina-Wilmington, Colonial (49 points)
48. Montana, Big Sky (50 points)
47. Delaware State, MEAC (50 points)
46. Illinois State, Missouri Valley (50 points)
45. George Washington, Atlantic 14 (50 points)
44. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Southland (51 points)
43. Niagara, Metro Atlantic (52 points)
42. Ohio, Mid-American (53 points)
41. Murray State, Ohio Valley (54 points)
40. Appalachian State, Southern (54 points)
39. Drake, Missouri Valley (54 points)
38. Pacific, Big West (56 points)
37. UAB, Conference USA (57 points)
36. Belmont, Atlantic Sun (58 points)
35. Bucknell, Patriot League (58 points)
34. New Mexico State, Western Athletic (58 points)
33. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Horizon League (60 points)
32. San Diego, West Coast (61 points)
31. East Tennessee State, Atlantic Sun (65 points)
30. Saint Joseph`s, Atlantic 14 (66 points)
29. Sam Houston State, Southland (67 points)
28. Akron, Mid-American (70 points)
27. Rhode Island, Atlantic 14 (72 points)
26. Cornell, Ivy League (73 points)
25. Kent State, Mid-American (73 points)
24. Massachusetts, Atlantic 14 (73 points)
23. Vermont, America East (76 points)
22. Morgan State, MEAC (77 points)
21. Missouri State, Missouri Valley (79 points)
20. Creighton, Missouri Valley (80 points)
19. Temple, Atlantic 14 (80 points)
18. South Alabama, Sun Belt (83 points)
17. Siena, Metro Atlantic (84 points)
16. George Mason, Colonial (90 points)
15. Wichita State, Missouri Valley (92 points)
14. Southern Illinois, Missouri Valley (92 points)

13. Dayton, Atlantic 14 (97 points)
12. Utah State, Western Athletic (99 points)
11. Bradley, Missouri Valley (100 points)

That's right Western Kentucky should be and rightfully so in the Top 10!!!

10. Winthrop, Big South (109 points)

9. Saint Mary`s, West Coast (111 points)
8. Northern Iowa, Missouri Valley (112 points)
7. Oral Roberts, Badlands Conference (113 points)

6. Old Dominion, Colonial (113 points)

The Top 5 coming up tomorrow.

I'm shocked VCU is ahead of ODU.

Can Western Kentucky be #1? Hmmmmmm........