David Connelly

Rick Pitino Walks back Previous Remarks: Should He Stay or Go?

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The Lopes suffered their third loss on Thursday night to Tarleton State, effectively ending any remaining chances at being an at-large team in the NCAA Tournament. It means their only path to the Big Dance will come through the WAC Tournament's automatic bid in a few weeks. We'll keep Grand Canyon in our top spot for now, given that others have fallen recently and they only lost on the road to the second-best team in the WAC, but a bounce back will be paramount on Saturday.

1. Grand Canyon (24-2)

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The Tigers have slowly climbed back up our rankings with four straight wins after their back-to-back losses to Cornell and Yale at the turn of the month. They remain one of the most dangerous mid-majors in the country, and they might be better than last season's team that made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Their revenge against Yale over the weekend was impressive, and we only pray that the rivals meet a third time down in Manhattan at the Ivy League Tournament next month.

2. Princeton (19-3)

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Indiana State was on top of the mid-major world two weeks ago. With a nine-game win streak, a spot in the AP Top 25, and a legitimate shot at an at-large bid, the world was at their feet. The narrative has completely shifted after back-to-back defeats in the past ten days, leaving the Sycamores with the Missouri Valley's automatic bid as their only chance to go dancing. They are still arguably the favorite to win Arch Madness, but Drake and even Bradley are contenders that will make things interesting.

3. Indiana State (23-5)

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Speaking of the Bulldogs, they have kept to winning ways and knotted up the Missouri Valley standings with Indiana State at 14-3. There's a lot to like about this Drake team, including an all-around superstar in Tucker DeVries and a head coach and father in Darian DeVries, both of whom are familiar with the high-leverage matchups that come with Arch Madness and the NCAA Tournament. This is not a team you want in your region if they make it to the Big Dance.

4. Drake (23-5)

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Some of the scores McNeese churning out in the Southland this year don't feel real. 74-47, 105-54, 102-65, and 77-51 are all winning margins for the Cowboys in the past month. It is starting to look like a team won't get in their way in the Southland Tournament, and we sure hope not. McNeese looks like one of the strongest candidates on this list to be capable of a serious tear through March Madness and might be our top pick as a Cinderella hopeful.

5. McNeese (23-3)

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After a solid 14-0 start to the season, it was a little offputting to see James Madison drop three games in January alone. They've turned that around quickly with a perfect 7-0 record so far in February, as they sit just one game behind Appalachian State in the Sun Belt standings. As neutral fans, we've got our fingers crossed that the two meet again in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship.

6. James Madison (25-3)

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Some would argue that Appalachian State should be ahead of the Dukes since they handed them a season sweep, and we'd be OK with it. But looking at both teams' overall body of work and predictive metrics, most still favor James Madison over the Mountaineers. That said, it will be a dramatic end to the Sun Belt season between the battle for the top seed and a conference tournament that seems to deliver each year.

7. Appalachian State (22-5)

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A loss at Mercer over the weekend was just Samford's second defeat since November 11, and they flirted with back-to-back losses on Wednesday night. JP Pegues and Furman gave the Bulldogs all they could handle at home, with Pegues going for 33 points, including a massive triple that looked to seal the game with just seconds left. Samford's Jermaine Marshall went coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup, and the Bulldogs could hold on to their commanding two-game lead in the Southern Conference.

8. Samford (24-4)

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Yale's undefeated start to Ivy League play was finally brought to an end after eight games when Princeton got its revenge in New Jersey on Saturday. The Bulldogs still gave it a good fight, and we won't punish them much for losing to our second-ranked team on the road. Now tied with Cornell at 8-1 while Princeton sits just a game back, the final push for the Ivy League regular-season title will be one to watch.

9. Yale (17-7)

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Irvine is now up to 13-2 in the Big West after Thursday night's win over UC Santa Barbara, and they are in pole position for the top seed in the conference tournament. This defense is stifling, now ranking 33rd in the nation per KenPom, holding opponents to under 70 points in 11 of their 15 conference matchups this season. This weekend, a trip to UC San Diego is a must-watch for mid-major hoops.

10. UC Irvine (19-7)

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We take a look at the best mid-major teams in the nation. Grand Canyon remains atop the list despite their third loss, with some newcomers at the bottom.

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