Commentary

George Mason tops mid-major rankings

After a big St. Mary's loss, the Patriots climb into our top spot

Updated: February 5, 2011, 2:45 PM ET

By Matt Giles | ESPN Insider

Over the course of a week, a major shift has occurred in our efficiency margin rankings. A few weeks ago, St. Mary's faltered against Vanderbilt, and while the loss might have been expected since the Commodores have one of the top offenses in the SEC (1.08 PPP), dropping an in-conference game to any team not named Gonzaga is discomforting. Portland, while still one of the West Coast Conference's top teams, is missing key elements from the 2010 squad, and St. Mary's allowed the Pilots to score 1.21 PPP, an increase of almost a quarter of a point from what the Gaels have allowed in-conference this season.

To see how the Mid-Major Power Rankings stack up and to get early insight into potential March upsets, you must be an ESPN Insider.

ESPN The Magazine subscribers

Activate your Insider account »
Need more information?

View Insider Benefits »

SPONSORED HEADLINES

MORE MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL HEADLINES

MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM

Insider CBB

Follow all of Insider's latest CBB content:

Joe Lunardi

March 11: Spartans are last team in
March 10: Marquette punches its ticket
March 9: Villanova plummets down S-Curve
March 8: St. Mary's clings to bid
March 7: 5 must-watch games

Bubble Insider

In-depth projections for teams on the brink.

March 11: NCAA bar dropping fast
March 10: Spartans, Hokies must win
March 9: Alabama, Colorado get bid boosts
March 8: Magic numbers for bids
March 4: A look at potential bid thieves
March 1: Bubble teams search for big wins
Feb. 25: Breaking down Bama's bid
Feb. 22: Saint Mary's is on thin ice
Feb. 18: Marquette will get in

Giant Killers

How to spot Cinderella.

March 11: NCAA faves most likely to fall
March 10: Top 10 bets for NCAA upsets
March 9: How Giant Killers works (free)

Mid-Major Power Rankings

See who can be the next Butler Bulldogs.

March 4: Mason tops, but beware UTEP

Conference Voices Blog

Current players share insight on issues regarding their conferences:

Awards: Players pick top teams, coaches

John Gasaway

Basketball Prospectus author evaluates the national polls and offers stat-rich insights.

St. John's is no surprise

And don't forget these Insider mainstays:

The Experts Blog

Doug Gottlieb, Fran Fraschilla, Joe Lunardi and Jay Williams offer their opinions.

The Bilas Blog

Insights from the mind of the College Gameday analyst.