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Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings: The low-majors start to surge

Oh, and our No. 1 team also happens to be the No. 1 team in the AP Poll.

By Russell Steinberg
NCAA Basketball: Vermont at Providence Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

There have been a few constants this season in our power rankings. One is that the West Coast Conference has owned the top spots, with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s both among the nation’s best overall teams. That remains true.

Another is that the Atlantic 10 is featured prominently, often with up to half a dozen teams in the rankings. This week, four A-10 teams still made the cut, but for just the second time, none is ranked in the top six. In addition, just two sit in the top 15.

Make no mistake: VCU and Dayton are two strong teams. But after that, the league has faltered. Richmond snuck back in this week, but St. Bonaventure dropped out. While Rhode Island hangs on to a spot, Davidson’s spot seems like a distant memory.

Instead, we’ve seen a surge from the lower majors, with UNC Wilmington and New Mexico State creeping up. Vermont also made a three-spot jump this week as the Catamounts remain undefeated in the America East.

Here are the complete rankings for this week.

Mid-Major Madness Power Rankings

RANK TEAM RECORD LAST WEEK POINTS
1 Gonzaga (9) 22-0 1 225
2 Saint Mary's 19-2 2 214
3 Wichita State 19-4 4 197
4 Illinois State 18-4 6 190
5 Middle Tennessee 19-3 7 185
6 UNC Wilmington 20-3 3 170
7 Dayton 15-5 4 166
8 VCU 16-5 8 160
9 Akron 18-3 9 149
10 Valparaiso 18-4 10 136
11 Nevada 18-4 12 126
12 New Mexico State 20-2 13 123
13 Monmouth 17-5 15 107
14 Vermont 18-5 17 103
15 UT Arlington 16-5 19 86
16 Rhode Island 13-7 13 78
17 East Tennessee State 17-5 20 69
18 Belmont 15-4 NR 59
19 College of Charleston 17-6 16 53
20 BYU 16-7 17 48
21 Princeton 10-6 20 44
22 Chattanooga 15-6 10 43
23 Florida Gulf Coast 17-6 24 38
24 Bucknell 17-6 NR 29
25 Richmond 13-8 NR 22
Others Receiving Votes: Winthrop 18; Santa Clara 13; North Dakota State 9; Furman 8; St. Bonaventure 7; Loyola Chicago 6; Georgia Southern 5; New Mexico 5; Boise State 4; Fort Wayne 4; UNC Asheville 4; Sam Houston State 4; Weber State 3; Davidson 2; Ohio 2; Iona 2; Louisiana 1.

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Week 10

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