Snapshot of all mid-major conferences in men’s hoops

Hard to believe we are less than a month away from conference tournament time. With that being said, there is still a lot to be determined over the final weeks of the regular season. Below is a look at what has happened in each conference to this point.

Atlantic Sun

It’s no surprise that the Liberty Flames are at the top of the conference. The preseason favorites are 11-2 and 20-6 overall. They’re led by preseason player of the year Darius McGhee, who is averaging a conference-best 20.8 points per game. However, it is a surprise that the Flames are joined at the top with Kennesaw State, who is also 11-2. The Owls were selected eighth in the preseason coaches’ poll.

America East

Preseason favorite and defending champion Vermont sits atop the league standings, 1.5 games ahead of UMass Lowell and Bryant. The Bulldogs are in their first season in the league and claimed the NEC title last year. They have two of the top four scorers in the conference: Sherif Gross-Bullock (first – 16.7 ppg) and Charles Pride (t-second – 15.5 ppg).

American

Houston, who has spent the whole season ranked in the AP top five is 11-1 in the conference and 23-2 overall. The Cougars lone conference loss came to Temple by one. In the non-conference, they earned wins over Saint Mary’s and Virginia. They are tied for the best scoring defense in the country at 55.0 points per game.

Atlantic 10

The top 10 teams are within four games of first place. VCU currently holds the top spot at 9-3, followed by Saint Louis (8-3), Dayton (8-4), Fordham (7-4) and St. Bonaventure (7-5). SLU’s Yuri Collins leads the country with 10.1 assists per game. With 19 wins so far, Fordham is having its winningest season since it won 25 games in 1990-91.

Big Sky

Despite being picked fifth in the preseason, Eastern Washington is undefeated in the conference at 12-0 and has a 2.5-game lead over preseason favorite Montana State. The Eagles have the Big Sky’s most potent offense, scoring 77.0 points per game.

Big South

UNC Ashville leads the pack at 11-2. After starting 1-1 in the league, the Bulldogs won nine straight. They lead the conference in scoring at 75.5 points per game and have the top scorer in the league in Drew Pember at 20.5 points.

Big West

UC Santa Barbara, the preseason favorite, is in first at 10-2. UC Irvine and UC Riverside trail the Gauchos. Long Beach State is the second-best rebounding team in the country, pulling down 42.8 boards per game. Elijah Pepper from UC Davis leads the conference in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

Colonial

Hofstra and Charleston are tied at the top of the standings at 11-2. The Pride won the lone matchup between these teams – an 85-81 triumph at Charleston, when the Cougars were ranked No. 18 in the country. Charleston had won a nation’s best 20 straight games this season before the loss to Hofstra.

Conference USA

Florida Atlantic is the class of the conference. The Owls are 13-1 and have been ranked in the AP Top 25. Their lone league loss came at UAB, who is tied for third. North Texas is in second place in the conference thanks to its strong defense, which limits opponents to 55.1 points (third best in the country). UAB’s Jordan “Jelly” Walker sits third in the nation in scoring at 22.6. Western Kentucky’s 7-foot-5-inch center Jamarion Sharp is posting a nation’s best 4.22 blocks per game.

Horizon

Youngstown State hold a narrow lead over Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky for first place in the conference. The Penguins were selected fifth in the preseason. The Panthers are an even bigger surprise as they were slated for ninth. Detroit Mercey’s Antoine Davis leads the country at 26.6 points per game. He is second in NCAA Division I history on the career scoring ledger with 3,399 points.

Ivy

Princeton sits alone atop the standings at 7-2, followed by Yale. The Tigers were selected second in the preseason poll, just one point off Penn for the top spot. The Quakers feature Jordan Dingle, who ranks second in the country in scoring at 24.0 points per game.

MAAC

Rider has surged into first place in the league at 10-3 behind seven straight wins. Preseason favorite and reigning regular-season champion Iona sits a half game back at 9-3. Siena is right behind Iona at 9-4. Patrick Gardner from Marist leads the conference in scoring at 18.7 points per game.

MAC

There’s a three-way tie at the top of the standings. Kent State, Toledo and Akron are all 9-2. The Rockets have won their last eight games thanks to their high-scoring offense, which produces 84.9 points per contest (third-best in the country). Eastern Michigan’s Emoni Bates leads the conference with 21.2 points.

MEAC

Maryland-Eastern Shore and Howard are each 6-1 to share the conference’s lead. The Hawks are a surprise as they were selected to finish sixth in the eight-team league. Sam Sessoms from Coppin State leads the conference in scoring at 21.6 points per game, eighth-best in the country.

Missouri Valley

The MVC features a three-way tie for first place. Drake, Southern Illinois and Bradley are each 11-4. They were tabbed as the top three teams in the preseason as well. Belmont and Indiana State are right on their heals at 10-5. The Sycamores lead the conference at 78.9 points per game.

Mountain West

The conference has five teams in the top 50 in KenPom: San Diego State (22), Boise State (28), Nevada (38), Utah State (42) and New Mexico (47). The 25^th-ranked Aztecs are in first place at 10-2. The Lobos were the last remaining unbeaten team in the country. The Aggies lead the country in 3-point shooting at 41.4%

NEC

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights lead the conference with a narrow half-game leads over Merrimack and Stonehill. The Warriors were the preseason favorite, while FDU tied for sixth in the preseason, and Stonehill was picked last.

Ohio Valley

Morehead State owns first place at 9-4. The Eagles are followed by Southeast Missouri State, SIU Edwardsville and Tennessee Tech, who are each 8-5. Phillip Russell from Southeast Missouri is pouring in a conference-best 19.0 points per game.

Patriot

Defending champion Colgate is poised for another title. The Raiders are 12-1 and have a three-game lead over second-place Lehigh. Their lone loss came by one at American. They have won seven conference games by double figures.

Southern

It’s a three-team race coming down the stretch. Preseason favorite Furman, Samford and UNC Greensboro are each 11-2 in the SoCon. The Paladins have won seven straight and are averaging a conference-best 82.0 points per game. Chattanooga’s Jake Stephens is netting 21.8 points per game, the best in the league.

Southland

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Northwestern State are both 9-3 to lead the conference. The Islanders won the conference last season and were selected as the preseason favorites this year. They are averaging 81.0 points per game.

SWAC

Alcorn State stands atop the conference at 9-2. Grambling and Southern sit a game back. Texas Southern was picked as the preseason favorite and has struggled this season, sitting in 10^th out of 12 at 4-7.

Summit

Oral Roberts is running away with the league. The Golden Eagles are 13-0 and have a four-game lead over second-placed South Dakota State. They are second in the nation in scoring at 85.2. Star Max Abmas sits fifth in the country at 22.3 points per contest.

Sun Belt

Southern Miss is holding onto first place in the conference at 11-2. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 13-0 at home and have won eight straight. They have been one of the big surprises of the season as they were selected 13^th in the preseason poll. Louisiana sits one game back, and Marshall is in third. Taevion Kinsey from Marshall leads the conference at 21.2 points per game.

WCC

Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga have established themselves as two of the best teams in the country and are separated by a game at the top of the league standings. The Gaels won the first meeting in overtime. The Zags have the highest scoring offense in the country at 85.7 points per night. The Gaels have the fourth-stingiest defense at 57.7 points per game. Loyola Marymount, who is in third, owns wins over both of them.

WAC

Utah Valley sits in first place at 10-2. Southern Utah is a game back in the standings at 9-3. The two of them have both been surprises as they were picked to finish seventh and ninth, respectively. Justin Johnson from Texas-Rio Grande Valley leads the conference at 20.9 points per contest.