Mid-major Basketball: Top 30 power rankings heading into 2022 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Kay
No. 30 – Monmouth
Conference: Metro Atlantic
Regular Season Conference Standing: 4th Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to St. Peters in the championship game
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Last Ranking: 24
Best Wins: At Towson (79-71), at Cincinnati (61-59), at Pittsburgh (56-52), and Princeton (76-64)
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Two (2-3)
Notable Defeats: At St. Johns (83-88), Hofstra (71-77), and at Iona (62-70)
RPI Ranking: 90
KenPom Ranking: 166
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 135
Net Ranking: 143
Sagarin Ranking: 162
Total Points from Rankings: 696
No. 29 – Wagner
Conference: NEC
Regular Season Conference Standing: 2nd Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Bryant in the championship game
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: At VCU (58-44) and at Fairfield (63-50)
Last Ranking: 25
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: One (1-2)
Notable Defeats: At Seton Hall (63-85) and at Penn State (54-74)
RPI Ranking: 114
KenPom Ranking: 152
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 107
Net Ranking: 135
Sagarin Ranking: 158
Total Points from Rankings: 666
No. 28 – Liberty
Conference: ASUN
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st Place (East Division)
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost in the semifinals to Bellarmine
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: Missouri (66-45), Northern Iowa (76-74) in the Diamond Head Classic, and East Carolina (74-64) in the Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout
Last Ranking: 23
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: One (1-3)
Notable Defeats: BYU (75-80) and Stanford (76-79) in the Diamond Head Classic, Iona (50-54) in the MAAC/ASUN Challenge, and at LSU (58-74)
RPI Ranking: 169
KenPom Ranking: 124
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 97
Net Ranking: 119
Sagarin Ranking:129
Total Points from Rankings: 638
No. 27 – Utah Valley
Conference: WAC
Regular Season Conference Standing: 7th Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Abilene Christian in the second round
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: At Long Beach State (84-78), BYU in the UCCU Crosstown Clash (72-65), New Mexico State (72-68), and at Washington (68-52)
Last Ranking: 28
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Two (2-6)
Notable Defeats: At Boise State (56-76), at Wyoming (62-74), Grand Canyon (69-79), and at Seattle (65-71)
RPI Ranking: 95
KenPom Ranking: 116
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 167
Net Ranking: 114
Sagarin Ranking: 143
Total Points from Rankings: 635
No. 26 – Western Kentucky
Conference: Conference USA
Regular Season Conference Standing: 2nd Place (East Division)
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Louisiana Tech in the quarterfinals
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: Mississippi in the Holiday Hoopsgiving (71-48), Louisville (82-72), and Florida Atlantic (76-69)
Last Ranking: 26
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Zero (0-9)
Notable Defeats: Minnesota in the Asheville Championship (69-73), at Kentucky (60-95), at Memphis (62-74), North Texas (60-65), UAB (65-68), and South Carolina in the Asheville Championship (64-75)
RPI Ranking: 151
KenPom Ranking: 113
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 113
Net Ranking: 125
Sagarin Ranking: 120
Total Points from Rankings: 622