Though a team from outside of men’s college basketball’s five biggest conferences hasn’t won a national championship since UConn in 2014 — and even that feels like a bit of a technicality for a school that was one year removed from being in the Big East — several teams from those leagues have made their presence felt nationally this season.
As has been the case for much of this century, Gonzaga’s in the middle of the discussion in the sport, with a 22-1 record and a No. 5 ranking in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. No. 20 Saint Louis has been equally impressive, with only a one-point loss to Stanford in late November separating coach Josh Schertz’s team from perfection. No. 24 Miami (Ohio) is one of only two undefeated teams remaining at the Division I level, along with No. 1 Arizona,
They’re hardly alone, either. In a sport that longs for Cinderellas, there are plenty of viable contenders outside the five largest conferences as the sport’s calendar turns to February.
How do these teams measure up?
Here’s a look at the latest power rankings of men’s basketball teams from outside the sport’s five majors leagues (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and SEC):
College basketball mid-major power rankings
1. Gonzaga (22-1)
In the latest installment of one of the sport’s best rivalries, the Bulldogs knocked off visiting Saint Mary’s 73-65 on January 30 behind 30 points from Graham Ike. The two sides will meet again on February 28 in Moraga, California. With Gonzaga off to the Pac-12 next season, let’s hope it finds a way to match up against the Gaels sooner rather than later.
2. Saint Louis (21-1)
The Billikens needed a 3-pointer from Robbie Avila with three seconds remaining to get past George Washington, but they looked much sharper in a 102-71 drubbing of Dayton three nights later. After the win, Schertz was at a campus bar serving and knocking back blue-colored shots with a bunch of patrons soaking in Saint Louis’ best season in at least a decade.
3. Miami-Ohio (22-0)
Coach Travis Steele’s team keeps on winning, with a narrow victory over UMass followed up by a 24-point rout of Northern Illinois. The win against the Huskies was played in front of 10,640 fans, the largest crowd ever at 57-year-old Millett Hall, the RedHawks’ home arena.
4. Utah State (18-3)
Since dropping back-to-back games to UNLV and Grand Canyon, the Aggies have won three in a row. The last of those victories came last Saturday against San Diego State, with forward Karson Templin coming off the bench for 18 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
5. Santa Clara (19-5)
The Broncos have won 10 of their past 11 after a 9-4 start to the season, a run punctuated last Saturday with a 104-73 victory at Loyola Marymount. Senior guard Brenton Knapper had 22 points and five steals in the victory.
6. Saint Mary’s (19-4)
Even in a heated rivalry, there’s no shame in losing on the road to Gonzaga, especially for a Gaels team that has the chance to stack up some wins over the next few weeks before wrapping up the regular season with home games against Gonzaga and Santa Clara.
7. New Mexico (18-4)
In a college basketball season dominated by superstar freshmen, the Lobos have a talented newcomer of their own. Freshman big man Tomislav Buljan has recorded a double-double in each of his team’s past five games, a stretch in which he’s averaging 15.6 points and 12 rebounds per game while shooting 58.5% from the field.
8. San Diego State (15-6)
The Aztecs have dropped two of their past four games after starting the season 13-4. It should only be so much of a cause for concern. The losses both came on the road and were decided by a combined six points against two of the Mountain West’s best teams (Utah State and Grand Canyon).
9. George Mason (20-2)
Guard Kory Mincy has been on fire of late for the Patriots, averaging 20 points per game over his team’s past three contests. In those games, he has made 10 of his 21 3-point attempts (47.6%).
10. Akron (18-4)
The Zips got within two wins of their fifth-straight 20-win season in style. In a 17-point victory against rival Kent State, Akron got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Tavari Johnson while the Golden Flashes misfired on all but one of their 23 attempts from 3.