BY MARCUS HENRY
Last week I wrote there were at least 17 mid-major schools that could make a case for an at-large bid. This week that number remains the same as three schools from last week were jettisoned and three new ones entered. Akron, UTEP and Air Force were dropped, while BYU, Stephen F. Austin and South Alabama were added.
CAA
George Mason (14-5, 5-2): Consecutive wins over conference foes James Madison and Old Dominion have George Mason right on track. The 14-5 record isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but like I wrote last week, getting to a final four normally gives a team tremendous clout.
Key wins: Kansas State, Dayton, South Carolina.
Virginia Commonwealth (14-4, 7-1): Wednesday’s win over Hofstra ran the Rams win streak to six straight, making 20-plus wins a real possibility.
Key wins: Maryland, Houston.
Conference USA
UAB (13-6, 3-1): Last Saturday’s loss to Marshall was a killer for UAB. But the Blazers recovered with an easy win over East Carolina on Wednesday. No more mistakes, though.
Key wins: Cincinnati, Kentucky.
Houston (14-3, 3-0): Wednesday’s easy win over Rice was Houston’s third straight. The Cougars have a date with Marshall on Saturday and an even bigger one against Memphis on Wednesday.
Key wins: Kentucky, UTEP.
Horizon
Butler (18-2, 7-2): Butler has won 10 of its last 11 games. The Bulldogs are likely on their way to the NCAA Tournament. Still, running the table in conference would be nice.
Key wins: Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Florida State.
Cleveland State (14-6, 6-1): The Vikings NCAA hopes took a blow with their loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday. The only reason the Vikings are still an at-large hopeful is because of their win over Butler. A second win, along with no more conference losses could be enough.
Key wins: Butler, Florida State.
MAC
Kent State (15-4, 4-1): Kent’s at-large hopes took a hit when it lost to Ohio last Saturday. But the Golden Flashes came back with a big win over Akron. Sunday’s game against Western Michigan is a big one. A win will keep them in this for another week.
Key wins: George Mason, Illinois State, Akron.
Missouri Valley Conference
Drake (17-1, 8-0): Drake’s win over Creighton on Tuesday kept it fresh in everyone’s mind. The Bulldogs have won 16 straight and are rolling.
Key wins: Illinois State, Creighton.
Illinois State (14-5, 6-2): Consecutive losses to Drake and Bradley were damaging. One more conference loss and Illinois State’s hopes for an at-large bid are history.
Key wins: Cincinnati, Creighton.
Creighton (14-4, 5-3): Tuesday’s loss to Drake wasn’t a killer, but if the Bluejays fall in the rematch on January 30, things could get tight.
Key wins: DePaul, St. Joe’s.
Mountain West Conference
San Diego State (14-4, 3-1): Wednesday’s three-point loss to BYU definitely didn’t help San Diego State. But a win over UNLV on Saturday should restore order.
Key wins: New Mexico, Utah.
UNLV (14-4, 3-1): Wins over BYU and Wyoming has the Runnin’ Rebels ready for a huge matchup against San Diego State on Saturday.
Key wins: Minnesota, UTEP.
BYU (14-5, 3-1): The Cougars improved their chances of an at-large bid with their win over San Diego State. But they have five losses, so there can’t be anymore unexpected losses.
Key wins: Louisville, San Diego State, Utah.
Southland Conference
Stephen F. Austin (15-3, 3-2): The Lumberjacks haven’t caught the nation’s eye like Drake, but they have a big win over Oklahoma under their belts. That notwithstanding the Lumberjacks, who fell to Sam Houston State last night, can’t have anymore conference losses.
Key wins: Oklahoma.
Sunbelt Conference
South Alabama (16-3, 8-0): The Jaguars have been quiet, but efficient. An undefeated conference season and a run to the Sunbelt final would be enough in a perfect world. But you never know with the NCAA selection committee.
Key wins: Mississippi State, Western Kentucky.
West Coast Conference
Gonzaga (15-4, 4-0): Gonzaga, winners of five straight, is probably a lock for the tournament. But a win at Memphis on Saturday could make them a top 5 seed.
Key wins: Virginia Tech, UConn, St. Joe’s.
Saint Mary’s (16-2, 3-0): The Gaels are certainly NCAA-worthy. Still, a win over Gonzaga on February 4 would loom large in the committee’s eyes.
Key wins: Oregon, Drake, San Diego State, Seton Hall.