Mid-Major Basketball: Final top 30 power rankings for 2021-22 season
By Ryan Kay
No. 5 – Chattanooga
Conference: Southern
Last Ranking: 7
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Furman in the championship game
NCAA Tournament: Yes, No. 13 seed
Tournament Finish: Lost to No. 4 Seed Illinois in the first round
Best victories: 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)
Significant losses: Charleston (66-68), at Belmont (68-76), VMI (75-80), at Murray State (76-87), Illinois in the NCAA tournament (53-54)
RPI Ranking: 37
KenPom Ranking: 67
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 59
Net Ranking: 63
Sagarin Ranking: 81
No. 4 – Loyola Chicago
Conference: Missouri Valley
Last Ranking: 1
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Drake in the championship game
NCAA Tournament: Yes, No. 10 Seed
Tournament finish: Lost to No. 7 Seed Ohio State in the 1st round
Best victories: Arizona State in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (77-59), at DePaul (68-64), at Vanderbilt (69-58), San Francisco (79-74), Bradley (78-71), Drake (64-58)
Significant loses: Michigan State in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (61-63), Auburn in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis (53-62), Missouri State (69-79), at Drake (68-77), and Ohio State in the NCAA tournament (41-54)
RPI Ranking: 41
KenPom Ranking: 29
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 27
Net Ranking: 23
Sagarin Ranking: 37
No. 3 – New Mexico State
Conference: WAC
Last Ranking: 14
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Abilene Christian in the championship game
NCAA Tournament: Yes, No. 12 seed
Tournament Finish: Defeated No. 5 Seed UConn in the first round and lost to No. 4 Seed Arkansas in the second round.
Best victories: Davidson in the Myrtle Beach Invitational (75-64), at Washington State (64-61), Grand Canyon (71-61), at Stephen F. Austin (72-58), at New Mexico (78-76), at Grand Canyon (82-66), at Seattle (68-55), UC Irvine (62-51), UConn in the NCAA tournament (70-63)
Significant losses: Utah State in the Myrtle Beach Invitational (58-85), New Mexico (94-101), at Utah Valley (68-72), at Sam Houston (46-71), and Arkansas in the NCAA tournament (48-53)
RPI Ranking: 23
KenPom Ranking: 77
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 106
Net Ranking: 79
Sagarin Ranking: 76
No. 2 – Murray State
Conference: Ohio Valley
Last Ranking: 2
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Morehead State in the championship game
NCAA Tournament: Yes, No. 7 Seed
Tournament Finish: Defeated No. 10 Seed San Francisco in the first round and lost to No. 15 seed St. Peter’s in the second round.
Best victories: Long Beach State in the Naples Invitational (80-43), at Morehead State (57-53), Middle Tennessee (93-87), at Memphis (74-72), Chattanooga (87-76), at Belmont (82-60), defeated San Francisco in the NCAA tournament (92-87)
Significant loses: East Tennessee State in the Naples Invitational (58-66), at Auburn (58-71), lost to St. Peter’s in the NCAA tournament (60-70)
RPI Ranking: 21
KenPom Ranking: 36
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 36
Net Ranking: 21
Sagarin Ranking: 69
No. 1 – Saint Peters
Conference: Metro Atlantic
Last Ranking: Not ranked
Conference Tournament Finish: Defeated Monmouth in the championship game
NCAA Tournament: Yes, No. 15 Seed
Tournament finish: Defeated No. 2 Seed Kentucky in the first round, No. 7 Seed Murray State in the second round, and they beat Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen. They lost to North Carolina in the Elite Eight.
Best victories: Monmouth (67-62), at Niagara (74-68), at Marist (69-62), at Fairfield (70-59), and Kentucky in the NCAA tournament (85-79), Murray State in the NCAA tournament (70-60), and Purdue in the NCAA tournament (67-64)
Significant losses: At VCU (54-57), at St. John’s (70-91), at Providence (71-85), at Iona (68-77), and North Carolina in the NCAA tournament (49-69)
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RPI Ranking: 85
KenPom Ranking: 102
College Basketball Power Index Ranking: 98
Net Ranking: 124
Sagarin Ranking: 126