Mid-major Basketball: Top 30 power rankings heading into 2022 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Kay
No. 10 – Missouri State
Conference: Missouri Valley
Last Ranking: 11
Regular Season Conference Standing: Tied for 2nd Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Drake in the semifinals
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: Oral Roberts (69-60), Bradley (83-67), South Dakota State (75-63), Drake (61-56), at Bradley (71-69), at Drake (66-62), and at Loyola Chicago (79-69)
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Five (5-4)
Notable Defeats: East Tennessee State in the Naples Invitational (76-77), BYU (68-74), at Saint Mary’s (58-75), and Northern Iowa (84-85)
RPI Ranking: 80
KenPom Ranking: 63
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 81
Net Ranking: 68
Sagarin Ranking: 76
Total Points from Rankings: 368
No. 9 Toledo
Conference: MAC
Last Ranking: 10
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Akron in the semifinals
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Post Season Tournament: National Invitation Tournament
Best Wins: Tulane in the Nassau Championship (68-67), Coastal Carolina in the Nassau Championship (79-70), Bradley (67-65), and at Ohio (87-69)
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Three (3-4)
Notable Defeats: At Oakland (59-80), Kent State (59-72), at Michigan State (68-81), at Richmond (69-72), and at Kent State (63-66)
RPI Ranking: 55
KenPom Ranking: 88
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 65
Net Ranking: 75
Sagarin Ranking: 77
Total Points from Rankings: 360
No. 8 – Belmont
Conference: Ohio Valley
Last Ranking: 5
Regular Season Conference Standing: 2nd Place (West Division)
Conference Tournament Finish: Lost to Morehead State in the semifinals
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: No
Best Wins: Furman (95-89), Drake in the ESPN Events Invitational (74-69), at Saint Louis (64-59), Iona in the ESPN Events Invitational (72-65), Morehead State (48-47), and Chattanooga (76-68),
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Four (4-6)
Notable Defeats: At Ohio (80-92), at LSU (53-83), Dayton in the ESPN Events Invitational (61-63), Murray State (60-82), and at Morehead State (74-83)
RPI Ranking: 54
KenPom Ranking: 80
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 63
Net Ranking: 71
Sagarin Ranking: 82
Total Points from Rankings: 350
No. 7 – Chattanooga
Conference: Southern
Last Ranking: 9
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Furman in the championship game
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: Yes
Best Wins: At VCU (56-54), at Furman (64-58), Middle Tennessee (77-65), at Wofford (75-67), Furman (71-69), at VMI (78-74), and Wofford (71-60)
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Four (4-2)
Notable Defeats: Charleston (66-68), at Belmont (68-76), VMI (75-80), and at Murray State (76-87)
RPI Ranking: 35
KenPom Ranking: 72
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 61
Net Ranking: 64
Sagarin Ranking: 84
Total Points from Rankings: 316
No. 6 – South Dakota State
Conference: Summit
Last Ranking: 7
Regular Season Conference Standing: 1st Place
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated North Dakota State in the championship game
NCAA Tournament Automatic qualifier: Yes
Best Wins: Bradley (81-65), Montana State (91-74), Nevada in the Crossover Classic (102-75), George Mason in the Crossover Classic (80-76), at Washington State (77-74), Oral Roberts (82-76), and at North Dakota State (90-86)
Quad One and Quad Two Wins: Two (2-2)
Notable Defeats: At Alabama (88-104), Washington in the Crossover Classic (76-87), at Missouri State (63-75)
RPI Ranking: 37
KenPom Ranking: 70
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 60
Net Ranking: 65
Sagarin Ranking: 75
Total Points from Rankings: 307