The 2017-18 NCAA basketball season is almost a month in and there have been plenty of surprises. Here is a look at the top five mid-major teams so far.
There are many teams trying to prove that they belong in the NCAA tournament this year. Numerous mid-major squads have earned quality wins early on in the season that may help them on Selection Sunday. Every year, there are always mid-major teams that make some noise in the tournament. These teams are highly underrated as they don’t get the recognition they deserve because of the conference they play in (Illinois State is a great example from last year).
A mid-major team that is steadily in the top-25 is Gonzaga. The Zags are coming off of a national runner-up finish and currently own the No. 12 spot in the AP rankings.
The only other mid-major team in the rankings is Nevada, who is currently ranked No. 22. The Wolf Pack have started the season 8-1 with their only loss coming in a heartbreaker against Texas Tech.
Other mid-majors who received top-25 votes were Rhode Island, Valparaiso, UT-Arlington, and Towson. Valparaiso entered the week undefeated before losing at Purdue badly on Dec. 7. Other teams like Loyola (Chicago), who upset Florida this week in Gainesville, are looking to get some national attention as well.
Based on these polls and the early-season play by mid-major teams, here is a ranking of the top five mid-major teams in the NCAA so far this season.