NCAA Basketball: Reimagining the Conferences - Readjustment, not Realignment

TIER 4B: THE REST OF THE QUALITY PROGRAMS

MAAC: Buffalo, Siena, Albany, Iona, Hofstra, Monmouth, Fordham, Saint Peter's, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drexel, La Salle

The best of the current MAAC remains, adding Hofstra and Fairleigh Dickinson to the NYC/Albany/North Jersey center of the conference, with an extension to down to Philadelphia (La Salle and Drexel) and out to Buffalo.

Horizon League: Milwaukee, Illinois-Chicago, Valparaiso, Western Michigan, Detroit Mercy, Oakland, Miami (OH), Wright State, Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Robert Morris

Another conference that upgrades over its bottom half, the Horizon League welcomes back UIC and Valparaiso, while also adding some of the less desirable MAC schools (but not all, sorry Eastern Michigan). The league stumbles into some good geographic rivalries again (Detroit Mercy/Oakland, Wright State/Miami (OH)/Northern Kentucky, UIC/Valparaiso).

Coastal Athletic Association: Delaware, Old Dominion, Radford, Hampton, Liberty, UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, High Point, East Carolina, East Tennessee State

Still some good schools left that feel like they were left out of the A-10 and SoCon, Old Dominion was a powerhouse before they chased the football dream, Liberty, Radford and the three UNC campuses (Greensboro, Wilmington, Asheville) have all had good recent success. High Point is a sleeping giant with significant financial resources, but no major accomplishments to speak of.

Ohio Valley Conference: Marshall, Evansville, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee, Mercer, Georgia State, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi

Southland Conference: Arkansas State, Louisiana, Oral Roberts, Texas-San Antonio, Rice, Tarleton State, Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian, UT Arlington, UTEP, New Mexico State

Similar makeup for the OVC and Southland, a combination of schools that have been successful in low major basketball leagues, crossed with most of the remaining larger FBS schools, with an easy divider of the Mississippi River to split the two. Southland looks to be the stronger of the two conferences, while the OVC is lacking an obvious powerhouse unless Marshall can bounce back from a rough patch.