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It’s been a couple weeks since our last ranking, and in that time, a lot has changed.
One thing that’s stayed the same, however: New Mexico State just keeps winning. The Aggies have won 11 straight, heading into Thursday’s WAC opener against UMKC. Their success has finally brought them into our power rankings, as New Mexico State debuts at No. 20.
Elsewhere, Illinois State made a leap despite falling to San Francisco on Dec. 23. After losing to the Dons, the Redbirds rebounded to beat Tulsa, Evansville, and Illinois Chicago — all KenPom top 150 opponents.
Fort Wayne was a bit worse off this week, as the Mastadons’ ugly loss to Western Illinois nearly knocked them out of the rankings. The good news is that with Summit League play just getting going, Fort Wayne will have plenty of opportunities to beat good teams — games against North Dakota State, IUPUI, and Denver all loom.
Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | LAST WEEK | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga (8) | 14-0 | 1 | 200 |
| 2 | Saint Mary's | 12-1 | 2 | 190 |
| 3 | Wichita State | 12-3 | 3 | 178 |
| 4 | Dayton | 10-3 | 7 | 165 |
| 5 | UT Arlington | 11-3 | 6 | 162 |
| 6 | VCU | 11-3 | 8 | 152 |
| 7 | UNC Wilmington | 12-2 | 5 | 148 |
| 8 | Valparaiso | 11-3 | 4 | 139 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 9-4 | 12 | 120 |
| 10 | BYU | 11-4 | 13 | 118 |
| 11 | Nevada | 12-3 | 11 | 106 |
| 12 | Chattanooga | 10-3 | 14 | 97 |
| 13 | Middle Tennessee | 11-3 | 9 | 96 |
| 14 | Monmouth | 10-4 | 9 | 85 |
| 15 | Illinois State | 10-4 | 22 | 73 |
| 16 | East Tennessee State | 11-3 | 18 | 69 |
| 17 | Akron | 10-3 | 24 | 52 |
| 17 | Oakland | 12-3 | 20 | 52 |
| 19 | College of Charleston | 10-4 | 16 | 48 |
| 20 | New Mexico State | 13-2 | NR | 47 |
| 21 | St. Bonaventure | 9-4 | 15 | 44 |
| 22 | Davidson | 7-5 | 17 | 32 |
| 23 | Florida Gulf Coast | 11-5 | 23 | 30 |
| 23 | San Diego State | 8-5 | 25 | 30 |
| 25 | Fort Wayne | 11-4 | 19 | 26 |
| Others Receiving Votes: New Mexico 20; Boise State 18; Arkansas State 17; Louisiana Lafayette 11; Old Dominion 10; Missouri State 10; Loyola Chicago 10; New Hampshire 9; Central Michigan 7; Portland 6; Lehigh 3; Tennessee State 3; George Mason 3; Little Rock 3; Vermont 3; Ohio 2; San Francisco 2; Rider 2; North Dakota State 1; Brown 1. | ||||