November 7, 2006

Andrew Skwara
Rivals.com College Basketball

Any list of the top 10 teams outside the six major conferences must include Gonzaga and Memphis. In fact, they'd probably lock up the top two spots.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee stopped treating Gonzaga, which has been part of the field for eight consecutive seasons, like a mid-major program years ago. The Tigers, who landed a No. 1 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, are widely considered an elite program.?

It's because of these factors we chose to exclude Gonzaga and Memphis from this list. We were looking for the squads that truly are overshadowed by the bigger schools, but are still the most capable of doing some damage when March Madness rolls around.

Just like last season, the Missouri Valley Conference is the best place to find such a team. Three teams from the MVC were selected: Creighton, Southern Illinois and Wichita State. The Salukis and the Shockers were two of the four MVC teams to earn spots in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

The Mountain West (Air Force and San Diego State) and the WAC (Nevada and New Mexico State) landed two schools apiece on our list. Nevada has the top player not in a major conference in star forward Nick Fazekas, the two-time WAC player of the year.?

The Mid-American Conference, Colonial Athletic Association and the Atlantic-10 all produced one selection apiece.

The Top 10 Teams Outside The Major Conferences (in alphabetical order)

Air Force: Any lingering questions about Jeff Bzdelik making the move from NBA to the college ranks were answered last season when the former Denver Nuggets coach guided the Falcons to 24 wins and an NCAA Tournament bid. Bzdelik has the personnel to produce similar results again. Plenty of experience returns, and he'll use a nine or 10-man rotation. That rotation will be led by forward Jacob Burtschi, who earned second-team Mountain West honors last season after averaging 12.4 ppg and making a school-record 71 steals.

Akron: The veteran-laden Zips might have the best MAC team since Kent State and Stan Heath reached the Elite Eight in 2002 (no MAC team has won an NCAA Tournament game since). They are the overwhelming favorite to win the league title, receiving 26 votes while no one else got five. The top four scorers are back from a 23-win squad, including the inside-outside duo of guard Dru Joyce (10.0 ppg, 5.0 apg) and power forward Romeo Travis (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg).

Creighton: Don't expect the Bluejays to land on the NCAA Tournament bubble again. Not with guard Nate Funk healthy and back in the lineup after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. One of the nation's top 3-point shooters, Funk might be the best player in the Missouri Valley Conference. Center Anthony Tolliver (13.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is one of the best big men in the league. Seven other players who were part of last year's rotation are back, giving coach Dana Altman plenty of depth and options to work with.?

Hofstra: Seton Hall showed some interest in Pride coach Tim Pecora during the offseason, but he chose to sign a five-year contract extension - and with good reason. The three guards that carried the Pride to 26 victories last season, including a pair of wins over George Mason, are back for 2006-07. Loren Stokes, Antoine Agudio and Carlos Rivera combined to average 46.3 points per game. The Pride are thin on the inside, but if they can land an NCAA Tournament bid they'll be a very dangerous first-round matchup because of all their offensive firepower on the perimeter.

New Mexico State: Reggie Theus engineered a 10-win turnaround in his first year as a head coach last season, guiding the Aggies to 16 wins after just six the previous season. Theus now has more than twice as much talent to work with, thanks to the addition of three high-profile transfers. Guards Fred Peete (K-State) and Justin Hawkins (Utah) and 7-foot center Martin Iti (Charlotte) are now in the fold. Power forward Tyrone Nelson and guard Elijah Ingram, first and second-team All-WAC selections in 2005-06, are also part of Theus' rotation. The Aggies also get to play host to the 2007 WAC Tournament.?

Nevada: Put Nick Fazekas on any mid-major team and they make this list. But, that doesn't mean the Wolf Pack are a one-man show. The versatile big man who averaged 21.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a junior last season is probably playing on the best team of his college career. The Wolf Pack are experienced - they return four starters. If Fazekas has an off night, guard Marcelus Kemp can pick up some of the scoring slack. Kemp racked up 34 points in Nevada's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Montana last March.

San Diego State: The Aztecs set a school record with 24 wins last season. That record is already in jeopardy.? Four starters return, including guard Brandon Heath (18.4 ppg), the best player in the Mountain West. The addition of 6-10 big man Jerome Habel, one of the nation's top junior college transfers, should help replace Marcus Slaughter (16.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg). A tougher schedule, which includes home dates with California and Arizona, will also help the Aztecs build a more impressive r?m?for the NCAA Tournament selection committee.?

Southern Illinois: Even if the Salukis were replacing their top players, the mid-major power would probably be on this list ? they've reached five consecutive NCAA Tournaments. But with five starters back from a team that won the 2006 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, they're a lock to earn another invitation. Veteran guards Jamaal Tatum (15.0 ppg) and Tony Young (11.6 ppg) - who also earned a spot on the MVC's all-defensive team last season - form the best backcourt in the premier mid-major conference.

Wichita State: Could the Shockers be better without 2005-06? Missouri Valley player of the year Paul Miller? It certainly looks possible. The other four starters from the defending MVC regular-season champs are back, and they are a balanced crew. Each of the returning starters averaged between eight and 12 points per game last season. The Shockers will also be deeper. Freshman guard Gal Mekal will provide an offensive lift off the bench, and coach Mark Turgeon is talking about using a nine-man rotation.

Xavier: With George Washington losing most of its key players, the well-balanced Musketeers have emerged as the favorites in the Atlantic-10. Four players who averaged between 9.1 and 14.4 points per game last season return. Xavier also added Oklahoma transfer Drew Lavender, a true point guard who should enhance all the scoring weapons. But the biggest key for the Musketeers could be surviving a tough non-conference schedule. The slate includes road trips to Creighton and Cincinnati and a tough three-game stretch against Bucknell, Illinois and Kansas State.