Colonial

CHN's 31 conference ranking, including 10 year historical averages based on average RPI finish. For more information on historical RPI averages, check out the Conference Data Page. Links lead to league preview pages.

In recent weeks, the Rise & Fall series has chronicled the progress (or regress) of college basketball's major conference teams. But if I equated each team to a civilization, I was mistaken. It is really the NCAA conference that equates to a burgeoning civilization or nation, each with its sometimes stable and sometimes rotating member states. Like civilizations, the prestige and power of conferences wax and wane..

Overall, the CAA doesn't have as much talent as other Top 12 conferences, but it has arguably the best non-BCS player in VCU's Eric Maynor. Two players who didn't suit up last year, UNCW's TJ Carter (injury) and James Madison's Abdulai Jalloh (transfer) made the Top 10.

Colonial Athletic Association

1. Eric Maynor, G, VCU
2. Antoine Agudio, G, Hofstra
3. Frank Elegar, C, Drexel
4. Will Thomas, F, George Mason
5. TJ Carter, G, UNC-Wilmington
6. Matt Janning, G, Northeastern
7. Herb Courtney, F, Delaware
8. Folarin Campbell, G/F, George Mason

In yesterday's Dribble.. I ranked all 73 BCS teams.. from UCLA to Colorado. I got a nice response about that list.. so I decided to do a ranking of the top "mid-major" leagues, ie, the 2nd tier leagues. The 2nd tier compromises the 62 teams of the A10, CAA, CUSA, MVC, MWC, and WAC. This leaves out the Horizon and the WCC which are the next in line. The Horizon actually has a higher overall RPI than the CAA right now, but this is based almost solely on Butler's hot start. No other HL team is in the top 110, but the CAA has 4 teams in the top 90.

1. Air Force 6-1 19-2
2. Memphis 6-0 16-3

With a slate full of games from the Big Ten and Big East, you'd expect to only have to concentrate on scores Wednesday night. Well, that all went out the window when Boston College announced that center Sean Williams and forward Akida McLain were dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. Further details should be released in the coming days, but going into Littlejohn Coliseum to face an angry group of Clemson Tigers shorthanded is not a good way to spend your Saturday. The dismissed pair have been in Coach Al Skinenr's doghouse in the past for behavioral reasons, having missed games the past two seasons as a result. Those transgressions were taken care of at the beginning of each season, however, and that's what makes this episode all the more surprising.